Fitness Fallacies

It is a wonderful thing that fitness is becoming a fad. Every other commercial, reality TV show, article, website, and marketable item is seemingly fitness related. All of this is in an effort to get America healthy, or at least make money off the effort. The pitfall with this fitness craze is that with immense popularity comes a ridiculous amount of fallacies. I spend an hour and a half at the gym, five days per week. It truly saddens me to see people working extremely hard at accomplishing nothing. This is because they are doing what is popularly believed for successful fitness. Whether it is the woman foolishly trying to spot reduce (only lose weight in a particular area) or the man who believes “no pain, no gain,” the fact remains that these fallacies stem from a lack of knowledge and a readiness to follow the masses. The ignorance of how the human body stores and burns fat leaves the door wide open for misconceptions to become “fact.” Becoming educated in exactly how food and exercise affect a person’s body will put an end to the seemingly endless and vicious cycle of diet, exercise, failure, and repeat.
The first fallacy, and seemingly the most popular one, is that cardio is the best method to burn calories. This could not be further from the truth. By no means should it ever be suggested that cardio should be eliminated from a workout routine. Cardio is essential to both health and fat burning, but it absolutely cannot and should not be the only form of exercise in a routine. Weight lifting and resistance training (using resistance to strengthen and develop muscles) are far better calorie burning methods. The reason behind this is very simple. When John Doe does thirty minutes of cardio on the elliptical, he burns calories. The minute he steps off the machine, the burning of calories is greatly reduced to nearly nothing. Now John moves on to lifting and resistance machines. Once he finishes thirty minutes of muscle building and toning, his body will continue burning calories for hours. How is this possible? Lean muscle uses an immense amount of energy. Not only is it more logical to focus on muscle strength for fat burning at the gym, but also as a means to carry that fat burning/ calorie expending zone out of the gym and throughout the day.
Next is the most marketable fallacy of all: spot toning. You can buy a half a dozen abdominal machines and will not make any significance to the strength and appearance of your abs. Spot toning is virtually impossible. The reason is because the human body burns fat from wherever it needs to burn fat. For most, that means all over. The only method of “spot toning” that works is to burn as much fat as possible and supplement that with specific exercises. A person cannot simply buy an ab machine, complete 15 minutes a day on the machine without adding any other fat burning routine, and expect to have the abs of the Abercrombie and Fitch models hired for the infomercial. This is a marketing ploy and a lie. There is no scientific proof behind area specific workout equipment. All of these products simply show a bunch of testimonials. The only known and proven way to get that six pack is to burn as much fat as is possible and start counting crunches. The body will tone everywhere as fat is burned and muscles are toned. The fallacy is present in the notion that success can be had with one and not the other.
Another fallacy that will not disappear is that low carb diets are the best way to lose weight. While low carb high protein diets are successful, people who exercise on a regular basis should avoid them. Carbohydrates are the energy that fuels the burning of fat. If the body does not have carbs to burn it will burn protein. Now wait a minute, I thought protein is necessary for fat burning? It is. However, proteins are more useful for after a workout than during. Proteins replenish muscles. We need proteins in order to build, strengthen, and heal muscles. If all of those proteins are used up during exercise, how will the body restore the muscles? Also, proteins are what keep us full. Using up the entire source that keeps you feeling full, will likely make you eat more. Carbohydrates spare these essential proteins. This does not give everyone license to eat as many carbs as possible. Like most everything, moderation is essential. Bear in mind that some carbohydrates are better than others. Avoid starchy fast-burning carbs found in white bread, pasta, and pastries. A better source for fuel is fibrous carbohydrates found in foods like artichokes, broccoli, nuts, and whole grains.
Since the dawn of exercise, it seems as though this fallacy has existed: no pain, no gain. This fallacy is particularly prevalent in the weight lifting world. Fitness fiends hit the weights believing that if they do not reach a point of burning and pain so intense they can’t stand it, then they aren’t doing it right. Wrong. The human body knows exactly what it can and cannot handle. If you feel pain, it is because your body is warning you that you are doing too much. Exercise releases endorphins which mask the feeling of real pain. If pain is felt, then the body is being pushed to unnecessary extremes. This does not mean that a workout routine should be easy and have no discomfort. Discomfort should be felt along with muscle fatigue and stiffness. However, there is a major difference between pain and discomfort. Discomfort includes muscle fatigue and burning. Pain, on the other hand, is a sharp indicator from the body. Ignoring the signs of real pain is how many body builders and athletes get injured.
Finally, this is a fitness fallacy that women who lift have been trying to extinguish: if a woman lifts weights, she will become bulky like a man. First of all, this isn’t even possible. Men and women are built entirely different. Not to mention that the reason men can bulk their size by lifting is because of Testosterone. Women do not contain enough of this essential androgen to be capable of developing huge muscles. The women that you do see who have developed abnormally large muscles take supplements. Since it doesn’t occur naturally, there is nothing for women to fear. Furthermore, with all of the benefits to be gained by weight lifting, women should jump at the opportunity to strengthen their health and their bodies.
Most fallacies stem from an ignorance of truth. Misconceptions of fitness are no different. Between fad diets and companies preying on people’s insecurities and ignorance, it is difficult to squash these popular myths. Six months ago, I was just as ignorant and believed each and every one of these fallacies. I educated myself and have learned the truth along my journey to fitness. However popular, no one should accept a statement for fact solely based on common belief, particularly when it comes to health and well-being. Every person and each body is different. The best fitness and health routine is to get to know your own body and what works for you. Don’t take theory for fact or jump on any fitness bandwagons without doing some research. Your body will thank you if you can avoid wasting time, energy, and even your health.