There are countless myths that permeate the fitness industry. These myths are perpetuated for marketing purposes and by fad diets and influencers. Here’s a list of the top 10 most common fitness myths, and the science that debunks them.
Myth #1: Lifting Weights Makes Women Bulky
No, it doesn’t. Muscle is a very hard tissue for your body to grow. If you’re lucky, you might gain a couple pounds of muscle every year, but that takes a very dedicated workout routine and an immaculate diet. The fitness industry claimed the word “bulking” to refer to a muscle building phase. However, the term pushes women away from wanting to do it. The truth is, strength training is one of the single greatest things you can implement to have a longer and healthier life, especially for women.
Myth #2: Your Knees Shouldn’t Go Past Your Toes
Bodies are built differently and most people will have their knees go past their toes when squatting, especially if you have long femurs. However, not everyone has the strength and mobility to do so, but you can work to get there. With the right exercises integrated into your programming, you can build this ability over time.
Myth #3: Soreness and Sweating Means a Great Workout
This is false, a good workout equals a good workout. What do we mean by this? A good workout is not running around doing random circuits, but having an individualized plan with progressive overload. How you do the workout is key. If you have proper form and you’re getting enough intensity but not in excess to cause fatigue, you’re in the right place.
We have an entire podcast episode on this. CLICK HERE to listen.
Myth #4: More is Better
The right dose of intensity, volume, and recovery is “better”. Sometimes a workout routine can be too much on the body, which can lead to a plateau in strength gains. Stress levels, diet, the amount of sleep you’re getting, and so many more factors can also affect how much exercise your body can handle and how it recovers. If you’re stressed, adding a lot of intensity could put you over the edge. Although cardio can have its place, when people go into states of chronic cardio, the amount of stress a body can handle before overall health begins to deteriorate decreases. Moderation is actually the key to maximize results.
Myth #5: cardio is superior for fat loss
This is false. A caloric deficit is superior for fat loss. Cardio can actually slow metabolism down and make it harder to lose fat. If it’s a new stimulus to the body, it can help aid in fat loss. However, the body adapts quickly. If you do structured cardio every day, your body will adapt and will not burn as many calories as you think. In the long run, building muscle through strength training is superior for being lean. This is because more muscle requires more energy, which increases your metabolism and allows for more metabolic flexibility.
Myth #6: heavy lifting is dangerous
The myth is that lifting heavy is bad for the joints and can lead to injury. The truth is, “heavy” is completely relative to your strength at any given moment in time, which means that heavy is always within your range of capacity. “heavy” is based on your RPE or rate of perceived exertion.
Myth #7: muscle confusion
Muscle confusion is a marketing term used to describe changing workouts frequently to prevent your body from hitting a strength plateau. This is partially true. You need to let your body adapt to the program you’re giving it to build muscle, then change your program so your body can strengthen to meet new adaptations. These cycles of programming last 3-6 weeks and are called mesocycles. This is how you progress in your training, and the foundation of progressive overload.
When you’re changing your workouts everyday, you’re providing your body no consistency to adapt to. This can cause a strength plateau in your training, and make it hard to track your progress.
Myth #8: spot reduction
This is the myth we all wish was true. The reality is, there are no workouts that can get rid of excess belly fat or under the arm fat. This is because muscle building is spot specific but fat loss is not. If you continue strength training with progressive overload and pair it with a healthy diet, you could potentially see fat loss, however, fat loss occurs, it’s system wide. You can absolutely strengthen your core and your upper arms. But, the truth is, your problem areas will most likely always remain problem areas. It’s best to flip the script and take pride in your strength gains over aesthetics. You will be much happier.
Myth #9: The Anabolic Window
This myth argues that you need to have protein within a certain time after working out (within the anabolic window) in order to see muscle growth. This myth is obviously a good marketing tool for protein supplement companies, and is based on partially true evidence. It is slightly optimal to eat protein after a workout, but not enough to make it necessary. What’s most important is that you hit your daily protein macros. And, getting your macros in with whole unprocessed foods is even better.
Myth #10: one hour workouts are most effective
In truth, the most effective workout is what you can commit to that works for your body. What’s effective depends on your frequency of training, recovery, volume requirements, skill level, and your goals. Sometimes a 30 minute workout is all it takes. Other days you may stretch into two hour workouts, especially if you’re training for something sport specific. It all depends on YOU.
Common Fitness Myths Debunked
Fitness myths are started for many reasons. Fitness science is evolving, which makes mainstream information outdated. However, the biggest reason fitness myths are out there is through misinformation spread by marketing ploys and fitness influencers on social media. Before you buy into what you read and hear, make sure you align yourself with reputable resources to get the correct information. Bottom line, there are nuances to optimal health and body composition, however, having a sustainable training routine in place with progressive overload and hitting your macros with whole foods is all you need to look and feel the way you want to. It doesn’t need to be over complicated!
Want to learn more about fitness myths? Listen to episode 202 of the Stronger Than Your Boyfriend Podcast: 10 Fitness Myths that Need to Die
