As you recall from last month’s newsletter that there is a lot of great marketing ploys that are far from the truth – they are nothing but hype.
Did you know that only 3% of the population lives a healthy lifestyle. That’s 97% of people that are only “fooling themselves”!
To help you sort out facts from fiction I’ve included a number of popular myths.
Myth: You will bulk up with resistance training
Most guys may want this but many women shy away from doing resistance training because they don’t want to get big bulky muscles.
Bulking up is not easy work – no matter if you’re a male or female. Men have about 30 times the amount of muscle building hormone testosterone as women. And unless you’re doing steroids it just won’t happen. If a woman does look bulky, it is because they have excess body fat and have not been eating correctly when building muscle.
You cannot get “toned” without doing resistance training. Sure you can lose fat by focusing on just cardio workouts, but you’ll lose lean muscle mass and strength to boot. Muscle building factors include (1) Testosterone (2) Illegal Drugs and (3) Genetics. Remember that it’s your muscles and weight training that gives men the “V” body shape and the women the nice “hour-glass” figure.
Myth: You can get a six pack from crunches
Unfortunately you cannot get a chiseled midsection by just doing crunches. I’ve seen it time and time again where someone will spend way too much time on dong abdominal crunches or sit ups to work their stomach.
If you want to sculpt your midsection you first need to be active. Perform core and functional exercises and stay focused – quality or quantity. Tense your abs – squeezing the muscle on contraction – just like you would do for any other muscle of the body.
And, most important – EAT PROPERLY. This is a must. You have to lose body fat, not weight, in order to “see” your abs and this can only happen when you eat high quality foods. This will help you control your blood sugar levels, insulin levels, and energy levels. Insulin management will help you lose fat and prevent you from gaining fat.
Myth: Chest Training will increase or decrease my boob size.
Boy, some of those things you women tend to believe….
Weight training cannot make your breast shrink or get larger. Breast tissue is made up of fat tissue. By burning fat you may decrease your breast size. You can also increase your a bra size by gaining fat. Remember, you cannot choose where your body will lose it’s fat.
A proper strength training program will help develop your chest muscles giving it a more appealing shape to your breasts and upper body.
Myth: My Low Back is sore …..I must have slept wrong
More than 31 million Americans have low back pain at any given time.
Back pain and sciatica doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a process that take weeks, months, or even years to develop.
Your body has to adapt to the weight going through your hips and pelvis and it’s your muscles that take the brunt of the abuse. Low back pain is mainly the result of a muscle imbalance.
By sitting all day your hip flexors get tight from being in a shortened position and your glutes become weak. These imbalances put your pelvis and spine into an abnormal position.
To offset this you must exercise to strengthen these areas. Squats, Lunges and Deadlifts (done properly) will help. In addition, because these muscles are contracted the majority of the time, you must stretch these muscles also. Hamstring and Hip Stretches should be done daily.
What puts fat-loss and fitness myths in our minds? It’s mainly the overkill of conflicting information alogn with the “quick-no-effort-needed” advertising that we are getting bombarded with.
One of my favorite sayings is “Use it or Lose it.” We are meant to move. There are no magic pills, no short-cuts, no special diets, machines or routines that will result in “getting into shape” Strive for an overall plan to increase your health, fitness, well-being and quality of life. Keep it simple, don’t over think and most importantly – have fun!
Showing posts with label Myths. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Myths. Show all posts
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Fat Loss Myths
You can’t go anywhere without hearing about a new breakthrough that will help you lose weight or gain muscle. A new fad diet, fat-burning pill, 5 minute workout or ab machine that will solve all your fitness problems.
There are definitely a lot of entertaining commercials to watch. When it comes to marketing, it’s absolutely genius. The truth is that most of the things you hear or read are nothing but hype.
Never mind the commercials, now the video game market is on line. Ever hear of the Wii Fit? Now you can get fit in front of your tv. Talk about another money grab. Check out the attached link: Wii Fit Parody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns
Don’t kid yourself. Getting fit takes effort.
Here are some of the top “Fat-Loss” fitness-related myths:
MYTH #1: YOU CAN GET RID OF FAT BY DIET OR EXERCISE.
Yes it is true. You CANNOT get rid of fat cells - other than by surgery.
A portion of your body composition is based on genetics. But wait, don’t start going around blaming your parents. For the majority of the population, the percentage of body fat is related to LIFESTYLE. Once you’re around the age of 16, changes in body fat are due to changes in fat cell size not number. These cells expand (or shrink) to accommodate excess calorie storage.
And here’s the kicker….
You can INCREASE the number of fat cells. Once done, YOU HAVE THEM FOR LIFE – unless you can afford liposuction surgery.
YOU CAN HOWEVER, REDUCE THEM. That is why nutrition and fitness is so important. By incorporating healthy eating habits and exercise into your daily routine, you can reduce the SIZE of your fat cells, but not the number of fat cells within your body.
MYTH #2: IF I DON’T EAT, I WILL LOSE WEIGHT
You can NOT starve fat off your body. Doing so is the best way to gain weight. Fasting actually slows down your metabolism (your body’s rate of calorie burning). You will also lose muscle and energy by not supplying your body with the nutrients it needs. Not eating decreases your fat burning enzymes and increases your fat storing enzymes. Reducing food intake or “dieting” is a common yet highly unsuccessful approach to weight loss.
It is very easy to get caught up in the ‘quick results’ or ‘fast acting’ diet scams around today, but have you ever looked at the small print disclaimer? Such as “Results not typical..”? Remember, it is important to look at the long-term effects of such actions. The best results come from a long-term strategy involving a permanent change in both eating and activity habits.
MYTH #3: YOU CAN SPOT REDUCE FAT FROM SPECIFIC AREAS OF YOUR BODY
You cannot spot reduce fat from a desired body part. Focusing on one type of exercise or body part won’t melt the fat off in that area. If you want to loose fat you need to do weight training with intensity. You must focus on your major muscle groups and multi-functional exercises. This will increase your metabolism and energy levels while burning fat – both during and after your workout.
MYTH #4: YOU HAVE TO COUNT CALORIES FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Losing weight is not rocket science – although many make it out to be. Sure it’s great to count your calories to determine your caloric intake but don’t spend too much time on it.
Simply eat fresh foods that haven’t been processed. Don’t eat anything that comes out of a box, a microvwave or fast food restaurant. Eat smaller more frequent meals. Properly balance your macronutrient rations (Carbs, Proteins and fat) and eat the right carbohydrates and avoid refined sugars. Eat lean protein and drink plenty of water.
MYTH #5: CARDIO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT EXERCISE FOR FAT LOSS
Cardio is NOT the most important exercising for fat loss. Many people that spend endless time “burning calories” on the treadmill or exercise bike are risking the loss of muscle along with any fat loss. Unfortunately the calories you burn in a 30 minute jog may not matter as much as you think. More important is your calorie loss when you’re not exercising.
It’s been proven that Resistance training is much more beneficial for fat loss than cardiovascular training as it elevates your metabolism for 36 hours after a workout.. Weight training not only burns fat but strengthens your heart, your muscles, increases your bone density and improves your posture.
Cardio/aerobic exercise, as with resistance training is still an important part of a balanced exercise program.
One of my favorite sayings is “Use it or Lose it.” The human body was meant to move. There are no magic pills, no short-cuts, no special diets, machines or routines that will result in “getting into shape” Strive for an overall plan to increase your health, fitness, well-being and quality of life. And most importantly – have fun!
There are definitely a lot of entertaining commercials to watch. When it comes to marketing, it’s absolutely genius. The truth is that most of the things you hear or read are nothing but hype.
Never mind the commercials, now the video game market is on line. Ever hear of the Wii Fit? Now you can get fit in front of your tv. Talk about another money grab. Check out the attached link: Wii Fit Parody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns
Don’t kid yourself. Getting fit takes effort.
Here are some of the top “Fat-Loss” fitness-related myths:
MYTH #1: YOU CAN GET RID OF FAT BY DIET OR EXERCISE.
Yes it is true. You CANNOT get rid of fat cells - other than by surgery.
A portion of your body composition is based on genetics. But wait, don’t start going around blaming your parents. For the majority of the population, the percentage of body fat is related to LIFESTYLE. Once you’re around the age of 16, changes in body fat are due to changes in fat cell size not number. These cells expand (or shrink) to accommodate excess calorie storage.
And here’s the kicker….
You can INCREASE the number of fat cells. Once done, YOU HAVE THEM FOR LIFE – unless you can afford liposuction surgery.
YOU CAN HOWEVER, REDUCE THEM. That is why nutrition and fitness is so important. By incorporating healthy eating habits and exercise into your daily routine, you can reduce the SIZE of your fat cells, but not the number of fat cells within your body.
MYTH #2: IF I DON’T EAT, I WILL LOSE WEIGHT
You can NOT starve fat off your body. Doing so is the best way to gain weight. Fasting actually slows down your metabolism (your body’s rate of calorie burning). You will also lose muscle and energy by not supplying your body with the nutrients it needs. Not eating decreases your fat burning enzymes and increases your fat storing enzymes. Reducing food intake or “dieting” is a common yet highly unsuccessful approach to weight loss.
It is very easy to get caught up in the ‘quick results’ or ‘fast acting’ diet scams around today, but have you ever looked at the small print disclaimer? Such as “Results not typical..”? Remember, it is important to look at the long-term effects of such actions. The best results come from a long-term strategy involving a permanent change in both eating and activity habits.
MYTH #3: YOU CAN SPOT REDUCE FAT FROM SPECIFIC AREAS OF YOUR BODY
You cannot spot reduce fat from a desired body part. Focusing on one type of exercise or body part won’t melt the fat off in that area. If you want to loose fat you need to do weight training with intensity. You must focus on your major muscle groups and multi-functional exercises. This will increase your metabolism and energy levels while burning fat – both during and after your workout.
MYTH #4: YOU HAVE TO COUNT CALORIES FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Losing weight is not rocket science – although many make it out to be. Sure it’s great to count your calories to determine your caloric intake but don’t spend too much time on it.
Simply eat fresh foods that haven’t been processed. Don’t eat anything that comes out of a box, a microvwave or fast food restaurant. Eat smaller more frequent meals. Properly balance your macronutrient rations (Carbs, Proteins and fat) and eat the right carbohydrates and avoid refined sugars. Eat lean protein and drink plenty of water.
MYTH #5: CARDIO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT EXERCISE FOR FAT LOSS
Cardio is NOT the most important exercising for fat loss. Many people that spend endless time “burning calories” on the treadmill or exercise bike are risking the loss of muscle along with any fat loss. Unfortunately the calories you burn in a 30 minute jog may not matter as much as you think. More important is your calorie loss when you’re not exercising.
It’s been proven that Resistance training is much more beneficial for fat loss than cardiovascular training as it elevates your metabolism for 36 hours after a workout.. Weight training not only burns fat but strengthens your heart, your muscles, increases your bone density and improves your posture.
Cardio/aerobic exercise, as with resistance training is still an important part of a balanced exercise program.
One of my favorite sayings is “Use it or Lose it.” The human body was meant to move. There are no magic pills, no short-cuts, no special diets, machines or routines that will result in “getting into shape” Strive for an overall plan to increase your health, fitness, well-being and quality of life. And most importantly – have fun!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)