Many myths pervade the fitness community.
It seems that, for years, EVERYONE was an expert at fitness and knew the ultimate secrets to get in you shape.
Well, these “experts” and their “tips” have come and gone over the years, but plenty of people still believe a lot of the junk information out there.
This is bad because misinformation does not help us. It hurts us. Faulty knowledge holds people back in their quest for better fitness.
Here are 3 work-out myths, still believed by some people today, that can hinder your fitness progress.
Myth #1 – Deadlifts Are BAD for Your Back
Deadlifts – the king of all exercises.
If there was one exercise to do for the rest of your lift, it would be the deadlift.
It involves your ENTIRE BODY, including your back.
It is indeed an a stressful exercise for the back, but this stress can either STRENGTHEN or DAMAGE it.
If you have a pre-existing back injury, and decide to perform the deadlift with a bunch of weight, then yes, you’ll probably hurt yourself.
If you have a healthy back and start out light on deadlifts and ramp up slowly, you’re back will most likely become more resilient to injury.
Myth #2 – You NEED To Do Sit-Ups/Crunches for Abs
Crunches. Sit-ups.
They are the most abused, over-used, and inappropriately applied exercises that you’ll ever see performed in a gym.
Most people perform them to “get a 6-pack”.
Newsflash – if you’re overweight and want to see your abs, you’ve got to lose a bunch of bodyfat. Those crunches and sit-ups won’t reveal yours abs. I promise.
Now, if you want to strengthen the core, there are correct ways of doing it – so as long as the spine is held in a neutral, static position and is resisting any movement. That is the purpose of the core.
Planks are excellent – while the core WANTS to sag to the ground, the abs are fighting like crazy to keep everything rigid.
Myth #3 – Tons of Cardio Will Make You Burn Fat
When people want to lose weight, they usually have some sort of “go-to”: the treadmill, the exercise bike, running, etc.
For some reason, it’s usually some sort of long-winded cardio exercise.
Cardio training has its benefits. Cardio is not necessarily BAD.
However, this type of training may not be the best option for everyone, nor is it the only thing that will help you burn fat.
Do you want to lose fat as efficiently as possible while not losing much muscle? Then cardio won’t serve your needs.
You see, hours of cardio DO burns tons of calories, but at a price: both fat AND muscle are lost, and it takes a LONG time.
Weight training and quick, intense cardio sessions can help you lose fat while still holding onto muscle. Plus, it can be accomplished in as little as THREE 45-minute sessions per week!
Don’t let these long-standing fitness myths hold you back.
Do you what YOU need to do to become healthier, stronger, and more fit.
