The Biggest Myths Around Health & Fitness
Right now there is an overwhelming abundance of information, facts, tips, and guidelines to be in the best shape of your life. That’s the beauty of technology, right? Whatever you want to know, it’s right there. As my less-than-tech-savvy mom always loves to say, “you have everything at your fingertips!” And she’s right - but it comes at a price.
For many of us, it’s hard to decipher what’s fact and what’s farce, making it incredibly difficult to keep things straight when attacking your fitness goals. Ever since fitness became a real trend, someone heard their friend’s- cousin’s- neighbour’s- sister’s- personal trainer say muscle weighs more than fat (hint – that’s another myth). All this skewed information hits the airwaves and we don’t know what’s true anymore. Well, here are some of the biggest myths in fitness, and we will break it down to what the truth really is on the matter.
Muscle weighs more than fat.
One pound of muscle vs one pound of fat equals one pound of each tissue. Period. The truth is that muscle is simply denser and takes up less space than adipose tissue (fat). That’s why you can have two people who both weigh 150lbs, but can have two completely different body types. You can have a bikini model and an elite track and field athlete weigh the exact same, but their body composition will be vastly different.
Knowing this, don’t be discouraged the next time you’re on the scale and you weigh the same. The scale is not the only measurable variable, and shouldn’t be the only thing you base your success on. If your goal is weight loss, and you see your clothes getting looser, that could be one easy method to see that you are on track! Awesome.
2. In order to lose weight, you should do only cardio.
This one drives me bonkers, and I’m sure other trainers and fitness enthusiasts will agree. Simply doing steady-state cardio will not do much to affect your basal metabolic rate (BMR). One’s BMR/ metabolism is defined as the rate at which you burn calories at rest. Your metabolism is partially dictated by genetics, but also by how much muscle mass you carry. In another blog, I discuss why carrying muscle is beneficial for your metabolism (find it here).
Now let’s look at steady-state cardio. Steady-state is measured as doing the same low tempo/ low intensity of cardiovascular activity (e.g. on the elliptical, or any machine for that matter). This form of cardio is great for strengthening the heart, but if you are looking to keep your strength gains, doing too much of this will completely hinder those goals. Cardio is considered a catabolic activity, meaning it can result in tissue breakdown when performed in excess.
This will actually halt your body from losing ANY weight, and then you will eventually hit what we know as the dreaded plateau. For weight loss, the biggest and most important fundamental to keep in mind is that, when trying to lose weight, it is all about caloric balance. Calories in < calories out. And that’s it. Achieving the physique that you want includes three consistent things: a clean diet, steady-state/anaerobic cardio, and resistance training. No shortcuts – it’s hard work, but it WORKS.
3. As long as I’m sweating, I’m working out hard enough.
This one’s easy. Sweating is not necessarily an indicator of how hard you’re actually working. Some people sweat easier than others, some people don’t sweat much at all. I can speak for myself when I say that my body will start beading sweat down my forehead from my warm-up. No, I’m not THAT out of shape, but rather, my body is preparing its built-in thermal regulation system for the impending workout. Pretty neat. Instead of relying on how much you’re sweating, focus on your heart rate, your intensity/effort and your consistency and thoroughness of your workouts as better performance indicators.
4. You should try to drink 8 glasses of 8oz of water.
I only have a problem with how this one is worded- because I try to recommend to most people that they should aim for at least 2L of water daily, which is almost the whole 8x8oz rule anyways. However, this does not hold true for everyone. Some people need way more, and some people gain their water values through the many vegetables and fruits they ingest.
The goal with this “saying” is to ensure that hydration remains a priority because it is! Nearly every metabolic process that your body undergoes to keep you alive requires some form of good ‘ol H2O. Stay on top of your hydration by monitoring how often you may be consuming beverages with diuretic components (sugar and caffeine maybe the two of the most notorious) as this may hinder proper hydration levels for optimal function.
5. Women should avoid lifting heavy to avoid bulking up.
Never mind – I hate this myth more! I would sooner believe that pigs fly over this one. Firstly, let me state that everyone should train and feel comfortable with how they want to look, and no one is in a position to judge or criticize someone else with “too much muscle” because it looks “gross”. I have been told that I have too much muscle, but these comments were often coming from women, whose perception of the ideal physique was to be thin. And that is okay, because my personal preference is to feel strong, knowing that I earned every ounce of muscle, and I will happily wear that badge of honor. I highly respect the dedication and hard work it takes to earn, build and maintain such beautiful muscle.
That being said, women generally lack the levels of testosterone it takes to put on the level of muscle required to resemble the very image that they are afraid of (you will not look like Arnold). . The result of lifting heavy (I repeat – lift heavy, ladies!) is the sexy, sculpted, curvaceous body that will make heads turn, and who doesn’t want that? Start by selecting a weight that you can control with good form, but is challenging to get through your set.
6. No pain, no gain
No Bueno. From experience, I can tell you I used to live by this philosophy, a little too literally. While it is important to lift heavy, not all workouts have to be geared towards feeling completely destroyed, because you will be completely destroyed. As a former bodybuilder, one of the fastest ways to lose your primal movement patterns is to limit your workouts to going hard 24/7.
Without working on your mobility regularly, the body will rebel and tighten your muscles and joints as a means to keep you going. Tight muscles are restricted muscles, and restrictions lead you to limited ranges of movement on the spectrum. Then you decide to go to Weekend Warrior and meet up with your former hockey team for some shinny, and you quickly (and painfully) realize that you no longer move like you used to. Don’t pay for these mistakes with chronic and nagging injuries. Re-evaluate your workouts and make sure that you have a happy balance that has the long-term goal of moving like a finely tuned machine.
It’s great that we have so many resources available to feed us with such valuable information. The onus remains on the reader to decipher between fact and fiction, and it is worth your while to double-check your sources and bounce ideas off of those who are credible in the field. A quick Google search may only give you the tip of the iceberg, and if you really want to utilize the tried, tested and truthfulness that science has to offer, then don’t be afraid to do a little more digging. The best sources are from those who have been in the field for at least 10 years (with the credentials to back them up), peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as other reputable sources that at least cite their source of information. If you gather your facts from at least more than one credible source, then you know that you have the highest probability of those facts being correct.
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Francesca McKenzie is a Registered Kinesiologist and Personal Trainer of 15 years with experience in rehabilitation, strength & conditioning, performance and wellness.
