I feel compelled to unload five bullshit myths that I am STILL hearing out there in FITNESS LAND. Myth: If you lift heavy weights, you’re gonna get bulky. Yep, this one’s still a thing. And it’s not true. Looking like a bodybuilder doesn’t happen by accident. It takes years and years of intense dedication and sacrifice. Lifting weights burns fat, increases bone density, controls blood sugar, reduces cancer risk, prevents injuries, and the benefits go on and on. Do it. Often. Myth: You can target fat loss. We joke in TAG Teams that we need to work on our “lunch ladies” - you know, the back of the upper arms that can be a stubborn pain in the ass for many women. This is also known as spot reduction, and it’s just bad science. Your body burns fat based on overall fitness. It has NOTHING to do with targeting a specific area of the body to see results. You see results because of consistency. Period. Manufacturers of exercise equipment still promote this belief – hello Shake Weight! Don’t buy it. Myth: Workouts don’t count if you aren’t sweaty or exhausted. Sweat and exhaustion are not indicators of workout success. Hard stop. Plus, this is all relative to the person. There are people who sweat taking out the trash. Myth: Soreness means workouts are working. Soreness is not the best indicator of the effectiveness of a workout. Is it an indicator? Sure. Is it the indicator? No. Somewhere along the way, many trainers adopted this “no pain, no gain” mentality (bundled very closely into hustle culture). DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness, occurs most often when you start a new exercise routine or push your limits. Naturally, you’re more likely to get sore. But as you keep working out, your body adapts. You may feel less and less sore with each workout, but that doesn’t mean you’re not working out hard enough or that you’re missing out on fitness gains from those workouts. You can help prevent DOMS with these actions:
Stay hydrated
Warmup properly
Active recovery – walk after your strength training workout. No, you don’t need an ice bath, FFS.
Sleep!
Again, the goal of every workout should not be (and physically could not be) to feel as sore as humanly possible the next day. Myth: Walking isn't exercise. Walking IS exercise. It’s one of the best exercises out there. It helps build stamina and makes your heart healthier. You can do it anywhere with anyone, and science has proven repeatedly that the key to heart health is movement without any sort of disclaimer on what is happening during that movement. Got any other myths you’d like debunked? Lemme know!
コメント