He said, she said... How about we say?
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Myth #1: Unused muscle turns to fats
Muscle and fat are two distinct tissues with muscle cells and fat cells respectively. One cannot simply convert to the other.
When you stop exercising, your muscles shrink. Simultaneously, people tend to consume the same amount of calories despite using less energy compared to more active days. As a result, there is a higher fat to muscle ratio.
Myth #2: Stretching before a workout is essential to prevent injury
When we talk about stretching, many people would think of static stretching where we hold a certain position to loosen our muscles. However, static stretching may cause your muscles to loosen too much. When you attempt to do strength or more explosive exercises in the state of loose tissues or lax joints, you are in fact not as stable and can potentially hurt yourself.
What is then essential before a workout? Dynamic warm-ups. The goal of warm-ups should be to increase mobility and elasticity of your muscles, thereby allowing an increase in your range of motion. When this is achieved, you can have more effective exercise sessions and strengthen more of your muscles.
Myth #3: Cardio burns fats
Cardio does not burn fats, it burns calories.
While traditional cardiovascular exercises can help you remain in a calorie deficit state (in addition to a healthy diet), too much cardio is not good.
Too much cardio can burn muscle tissues and thus lower your metabolism rate. You may end up decreasing your bone density and get weaker as a result.
If your goal is to lose weight, extreme calorie cutting is not the way to go. Instead, focus on HIIT and strength training along with a nutritional diet.
Myth #4: Muscle weighs more than fat
Is one kg of feathers or one kg of gold heavier? - You get the point.
Fact: Muscle is denser than fat. This means that the same weight of muscle would take up less room in your body than the same weight of fat.
When you build muscle, you are adding weight on the scale. This is why the scale is not a good indicator of progress. In addition, Muscles are more vascular (better blood and nutrients flow) than fats and helps you burn more calories at rest too.
Myth #5: Women bulk when they lift
By nature, women have far less levels of testosterone in their body compared to men and therefore less likely to bulk up with strength training.
In fact, weight lifting is very important to women too. Lifting weights can help prevent bone loss and increase bone density by stimulating the muscles nearby. As we age, we become more prone to osteoporosis and thus important that we keep our bones strong.
Myth #6: Crunches = Abs
Abs are a piece of muscle. When you do exercises that target your core muscles, you are building that muscle. However, those definition will still be hidden under a layer of fats on top.
The key to show off your abs is nutrition.
Myth #7: Sports drinks are the best way to rehydrate after a workout
Hydration is more than just fluids. It is the trace minerals that act as electrolytes.
Electrolytes are essential for normal body functions. They interact with each other, our brain, nerves, and muscles.
While commercial sports drinks do contain some minerals in them, it is insufficient.
Fitness experts recommend introducing a dab of pink Himalayan sea salt to water. This salt contains over 60 minerals, about six times more than commercial sports drinks.
Myth #8: Just keep going, no breaks needed
Recovery time is essential after workouts as it lets your body repair itself. When you work out, your muscle fibres are being broken down in order to be rebuild stronger than before. Without downtime, your body will be unable to step in for the necessary recovery.
Myth #9: No pain, no gain
Soreness is caused by the chemicals released when your muscle tissues breakdown. It is not an indicator of strength or weakness.
If your muscles experience soreness for more than 72 hours, it could be an indication of under recovering or overtraining. If you are just getting into fitness, it would be wise to start slow in order to create a sustainable habit.
Myth #10: There are good and bad workouts
Exercising is not all about sticking to a fixed set of routine. Everyone is different and finds joy in different activities. Whether you engage in dancing or other forms of sports, it is important that you enjoy what you are doing.
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