Common Fitness Myths

[SpottyFish]

Since I see these everywhere (in press, on TV, etc), I thought I'd share some common fitness myths. If you have any, feel free to add them!

Myth: Crunches will flatten your belly
Fact: Fat and muscle are two completely different things. Likewise, they are metabolized by your body differently. Doing crunches works the muscle underneath the layer of fat, but does nothing for the fat. So, you can do all the crunches you want, but unless you do cardio, the fat isn't going anywhere. The same principle applys to doing specific weight training exercises for "flabby" arms or legs.

Myth: Diet pills work
Fact: Diet pills are probably the biggest waste of money you can "invest" in. MOST of them have caffine, kava kava, or a similar derivative in them (since ephedra has been banned). Basically, they temporarily increase your metabolism and supress your appetite, causing you to lose weight...but only temporarily. What happens when you stop taking them? Voila, the weight comes back pretty darn quickly. Easiest way to lose weight is to watch your portion sizes, cut down on the saturated fats, and EXERCISE.


That's all I'm going to write now....I'm tired, and it's bedtime. I'll write more tomorrow. Like I said, feel free to add your own if you have any! :thumb:

[ftblplyr46]

Myth: You can spot reduce.
Fact: no, you cant... The fish can explain it more, as I dont really feel like doing it, but you can't just decide to lose the fat just from your stomach, you will lose it all over your body gradually.

[IceCoastChick]

It's always interesting to read the small print on commercials for diet pills on tv...especially the "Results not typical" line. Aren't diet pills proven somewhat effective when combined with exercise? Probably just another rumor.

[SpottyFish]

It's always interesting to read the small print on commercials for diet pills on tv...especially the "Results not typical" line. Aren't diet pills proven somewhat effective when combined with exercise? Probably just another rumor.

Well, technically they are "effective" (in some sense of the word) but they're not worth it when you gain all the weight back immediately. You can exercise, eat right and have a much better and permanent effect. Plus, the substances in the diet pills have not been evaluated by the FDA, so there could be harmful effects that we're not aware of yet (similar to what happened with ephedra...they started pulling it because there was a link to it causing heart problems).

[SpottyFish]

Myth: You can spot reduce.
Fact: no, you cant... The fish can explain it more, as I dont really feel like doing it, but you can't just decide to lose the fat just from your stomach, you will lose it all over your body gradually.

That's where I was getting with my "crunches" myth ;) . When you do cardio exercise and your body is metabolizing fat, your body decides where it wants to take the fat from (based on genetics).

[RideTheory]

may i point out that cardio alone will burn calories/fat, but only while your heart rate is elevated during the activity..once you stop and your heart rate goes back to its normal resting rate..you stop burning calories...but if you incorporate weight training, the lean muscle you build will burn fat 24-7..which is why a good workout should inc. Both even for women, and that doesnt mean your gonna "Bulk" up like so many girls i know think..most women dont have enough testosterone to build mass like men so you can do weight training to:)...oh and its best to run in the morning BEFORE a meal so your body is forced to get its energy from burning your fat instead of using the Glycogen from food...that is the only thing i remember from my health and fitness class in college:)

[SpottyFish]

even for women, and that doesnt mean your gonna "Bulk" up like so many girls i know think..most women dont have enough testosterone to build mass like men so you can do weight training to:)

VERY true. Back when I was a personal trainer, I had female clients who I would literally have to DRAG over to the weights because they were so afraid they were going to get "bulky". I got pretty good at convincing them otherwise (really, it actually took convincing) ;) . They usually stopped complaining once they started losing weight and looking better.

[NickDavid]

Good post fish! I could probably use some advice from you in the near future. I have a fight coming up and might need some help with some extra energy food advice.

[phillyboy]

Rice and beans and spinach is what I would eat pre-fight. I would drink tons of water earlier in the day so that i'm well hydrated but not too close to the fight so it's not swishing around in my stomach. stretch a lot, it gets the blood flowing, giving you more energy and keeps you loose.

[honiedew]

fellow health freak contributing:

Myth: I can lose weight by skipping meals/eating way below normal caloric intake
Fact: You will slow down your metabolism and therefore, you will actually gain weight in the long run. Also, skipping meals will cause you to overeat during your next meal...not good.

Myth: I MUST resist my cravings no matter what (ie: sweets, fatty foods, junk food)
Fact: it's ok to splurge once in a while, as long as you keep your portions in check, it's not gonna do damage. by not satisfying your craving, you might totally binge the next time you eat one of your craved foods.

[JesterBOOM]

what's spot reduce?

[SpottyFish]

what's spot reduce?

It's when people attempt to lose fat in one area of their body by doing an exercise that targets that area of the body. (ie doing crunches to lose stomach fat, doing leg abduction/adduction to lose fat on the inner/outer thighs). Bottom line is that it doesn't work ;) . All you're doing is working the muscle under the fat. You have to do cardio to get rid of the fat.

[Gumby21]

i have no ambition to start working out again. i'll go like 3 months workin out like 3 times a week or so, and then i'll just stop completely for like another 3 months. eventually, i'll start back up again. i've been like that for years. i'm not interested in losing weight though, i would actually like to GAIN weight (i only weigh like 155 and i'm about 6'2")

[PeeLoRidez]

wow this thread is very enlightening. :)

I might need some feedback with what my current eating/exercise regime consists of.

My goal is to lose another good 6 lbs by August. I started mid-June (after finals and such). I've since lost roughly 10 lbs. Let me break down what I've done since i've adhered to this "plan." I should probably add that i don't intend on losing this weight just to showcase it for a matter of time; I would like to stay at this target weight.

Anyway, despite what many of you have mentioned about the drawbacks with diet pills, I've actually been taking xenadrine for the past week because i'm determined to get to my target weight by August. However, i've also combined it with jogging for about 25 minutes 3-4 times/week and with "healthy" eating - high protein, carb intake from mainly fruits and vegetables, and eating smaller portions 4-5 times throughout the day rather than three big meals. Now, the problem I have is that I work part-time (3 days/week to be exact) so during these days, I often cannot do the 4-5 meals/day plan. Therefore, when I do eat, I still eat the same portions as I do on the regular days that I can do the 4-5 meals/day when im not working. So as some of you have mentioned, it's "bad" to drastically cut down on calorie intake, yet at the same time, "bad" to eat bigger portions to make up for your hunger of skipping meals.

What do you all suggest?

Also, in addition to losing weight, I would like to lose my "love-handles." It's interesting that you mentioned genetics has a big factor in where the weight goes, and conversely, where one loses their weight. I noticed from my Dad and a lot of other guys in both sides of our family that this is area and the buttocks is where the fat generally goes to. All this time i've been doing 300 sit-ups/day and emphasized on doing the ones that focus on obliques but based on the "spot reduce" term used, I guess this will not help? So what should I do then?

[Nutter]

PeeLoRidez, it sounds like you're pretty much on track as is, no?

Other than the questionable use of diet pills, my only other comment is on the fact that you're only running and not doing any strength training. As it has been described to me, running is good for cardio/endurance but strength training will help with weight loss (or more accurately, fat reduction) since muscles require more energy constantly throughout the day rather than just while you're excercising, hence you burn more calories all day long.

For a bit over the last month, I've been doing an intense excercise program with a bunch of coworkers which involves two 1:15 sessions a week of circuit/strength ("bootcamp") training, and one session ~45 mins a week of cardio (running). Coupled with my regular eating habbits which generally consist of OJ+yoghurt for breakfast, a large salad (greens+fruit) for lunch, and whatever-I-want for dinner, I've lost quite a lot of weight/fat already (it's impossible to give an accurate number, but it's more than 10lbs even with the muscle mass I've put on).

The other good thing about having large (around 2lb) salads for lunch is that I can just pick at it for a few hours at my desk. Not quite the same as 4 meals a day, but closer. Of course, I also have a really high-calorie coffee (caramel macchiato from Starbucks) mid-afternoon and sometimes a snack too.. but lets not think about that. ;)

[66jzmstr]

PeeLoRidez, you're doing the right stuff. Don't give up on those crunches because once you take the fat off it'll help to have some muscle to make those abs show up, and more importantly (and as mentioned before), the weight training (anaerobic exercise) is also going to help burn fat and possibly help your metabolism pick up a bit. You shouldn't really need to do 300 reps though. Perhaps this is another myth, but abs can (and some argue 'should') be treated like any other muscle group, doing only a few sets of 12 reps and then giving them a day or two of rest. Proper technique emphasizing and focusing on the work of the exercise (or doing them on an exercise ball) will help you get the same workout in far less reps. I don't know if I'll ever stick with 12 reps myself, but at the moment I can usually fatigue my abs in just two sets of 30, whereas if I did standard sit-ups it would take me a long while. Be sure to focus on upper abs and lower abs, not just the twisting oblique-targeted crunches as well. Also, there was no mention of any further weight training, so incorporating that will help you out as well.

I think bigger portions to make up for the one or two smaller meals will do no harm as long as you keep your portion size reasonable and do not eat really late when your metabolism is already slowing down for the day.

Another thing that might help is to increase your cardio time, so next week try running for 30 minutes instead of 25. Also, try to incorporate other forms of cardio (stairmaster, swimming, eliptical, recumbent bike) so your joints are always using the same motioning and being impacted the same way all the time. (This will help prevent knee and joint injury.)

Congrats on your gains already! I know how good it feels. I'm 6'1" and weighed 195 this spring, but I'm down to 180 now that I've been slowly changing my diet and exercising more consistently. I've had multiple knee problems plus a herniated disc, so I'm stoked to lessen the impact on those joints with my lower weight, not to mention get off the ground easier and land lighter when riding again this winter. Some people say such little gain doesn't matter, but I imagine myself riding with a 15 pound pack on (how much I lost) when I don't need one, and I know for certain that it matters.

Good luck!

[66jzmstr]

I forgot one important thing: If you're doing lots of ab work, be sure to include lots of lower back exercises. If your abs are super strong but you never work your lower back, you're setting yourself up for lower back problems. I'm really fortunate my herniated disc lasts summer did not cost me my season (although I was unable to ride consecutive days for the first few months because I needed the recovery time). Don't do any heavy weights for lower back either. Lie on your stomache and raise your chest and knees off the floor at the same time and hold it, or better yet, do similar exercises on an exercise ball which will also work back muscles you never knew you had when done properly.

And last, always stretch your lower back after doing lower back exercises to reduce any minor compression caused when doing those exercises.

[PeeLoRidez]

66jzmstr and Nutter, thanks for the feedback and the encouragement. :rockon:

I should probably explain that i'm not doing any weight training because I simply would just like to lose weight at this time; i do a little bit of weight training with legs and upper-body but not in a manner so as to gain muscle-mass. I feel I have enough muscle-mass, looks-wise, which is why i'm mainly trying to lose the fat around my mid-section. This is why i've elected to focus on just doing cardio.

66jzmstr , I will take your advice on increasing my running progressively as well as the advice on working out the abs because I recently read in a men's fitness magazine something along those same lines. So thanks for that.

I'll update this thread with my progress.

[djstealth]

well dude you have to to some kinda strenght training because when you do cardio you lose fat and muscle, besides too much is not enough so get some kind of strenght training in your program, and drop the diet pills if your really want to take that flab out of your midsection start eating almost no fat all, eventually you'll get fat in your meals one way or another and get complex carbs in your diet not the sugary or high fructose corn syrup kind they put your body into fat storage mode and apparently for what you say the last thing you want is more fat in your mid section.

and one more thing work your back as well as your abs, I have a herniated disc on my lower back and my abs are really strong and I'm always shaking when I use my back muscles.

[PeeLoRidez]

well dude you have to to some kinda strenght training because when you do cardio you lose fat and muscle, besides too much is not enough so get some kind of strenght training in your program, and drop the diet pills if your really want to take that flab out of your midsection start eating almost no fat all, eventually you'll get fat in your meals one way or another and get complex carbs in your diet not the sugary or high fructose corn syrup kind they put your body into fat storage mode and apparently for what you say the last thing you want is more fat in your mid section.

and one more thing work your back as well as your abs, I have a herniated disc on my lower back and my abs are really strong and I'm always shaking when I use my back muscles.

Hey bro, I appreciate the feedback.

But why do you recommend dropping the diet pills? As far as i'm concerned, it's helped me a great deal thus far. I'm not trying to imply that i'll use it forever, but as i've mentioned, I'm determined to hit my target weight by August. By then, I intend on ceasing to use the xenadrine.

[forumrider9753]

PeeLoRidez, it sounds like you're pretty much on track as is, no?

Other than the questionable use of diet pills, my only other comment is on the fact that you're only running and not doing any strength training. As it has been described to me, running is good for cardio/endurance but strength training will help with weight loss (or more accurately, fat reduction) since muscles require more energy constantly throughout the day rather than just while you're excercising, hence you burn more calories all day long.

For a bit over the last month, I've been doing an intense excercise program with a bunch of coworkers which involves two 1:15 sessions a week of circuit/strength ("bootcamp") training, and one session ~45 mins a week of cardio (running). Coupled with my regular eating habbits which generally consist of OJ+yoghurt for breakfast, a large salad (greens+fruit) for lunch, and whatever-I-want for dinner, I've lost quite a lot of weight/fat already (it's impossible to give an accurate number, but it's more than 10lbs even with the muscle mass I've put on).

The other good thing about having large (around 2lb) salads for lunch is that I can just pick at it for a few hours at my desk. Not quite the same as 4 meals a day, but closer. Of course, I also have a really high-calorie coffee (caramel macchiato from Starbucks) mid-afternoon and sometimes a snack too.. but lets not think about that. ;)

but.......strength trainig to put on muscle will also cause you to put on weight drastically, my first month of lifting last summer i put on 10 pounds, so you need to consider that.

[djstealth]

Hey bro, I appreciate the feedback.

But why do you recommend dropping the diet pills? As far as i'm concerned, it's helped me a great deal thus far. I'm not trying to imply that i'll use it forever, but as i've mentioned, I'm determined to hit my target weight by August. By then, I intend on ceasing to use the xenadrine.

because is always better to not use any additional chemical products when dealing with your body, many reasons one is that your body does not produce those substances so when you cut them off your body the effects will wear off too, also because since you are in a stage where you don't need to drop a lot of weight is better to stop taking them and start letting your body get used to not having the substance, in thi case xenadrine. and if you want to just get ripped diet and do a nice balanced work out plan, get your body fat % to at around 7 or 8 % rather than controlling it by weight, because weight is not only muscle and fat but also muscle density, water inside your bosy... etc. so see if is more convenient to you to get a goal in lowering body fat %...

[mysticdrew]

In a way you can spot reduce. If you work that muscle group enough and build it up it will make it look less fat.

But really Putting on muscle weight combine with cardio is a great way to get rid of fat, the more muscle you have the more calories you body will require and it will make fat go away pretty quick too if you really get into muscle building.

[djstealth]

yeah the only problem is that is easier for the body to transform muscle into energy rather than fat so building muscle and doing cardio ends up being a tricky equation

[snohomie]

And last, always stretch your lower back after doing lower back exercises to reduce any minor compression caused when doing those exercises.



how do you stretch your lower back??

[snohomie]

and one more thing... ive been kinda skimming over what everyone's said...so maybe i missed this or someone already talked about this...

and im asking all of you because most of you seem to know what you're talking about...but i have a little less than a year to do this...but how could i lose some stomach fat? im not the best at running, once in a while ill just start jogging when im on a walk...and the "love handle" section i guess too. anyone have any useful tips for me?

[elmoiscool45]

well u could do crunches. like a **** load.

[snohomie]

i do! a bunch! but its not gonna help..i guess ill just start running or walking a lot more

[Dfresh]

Diet and cardio.. crunches are ok but not nearly as important as diet and cardio

[snohomie]

thanks ill keep that in mind

[fletchdiesel]

Myth: if I eat after 8pm or late at night it' will go straight to my hips or stomach, or just make me "fat!"
Fact: Your body doesnt have a magical internal food clock that knows what time of the Day or Night it is. The Law of Thermogenics in a nutshell states that it basically comes down to "CALORIES IN VS. CALORIES OUT" meaning:
in a 24 hour period if you intake MORE CALORIES than you burned for that period you will GAIN WEIGHT! If you intake LESS CALORIES than you burned for that period you will LOSE WEIGHT! And If you intake around SAME CALORIES as you burned for that period you will stay around the SAME WEIGHT!
SO DONT BE AFRAID TO EAT LATE!
Damon Fletcher
Fitness Manager 24hr Fitness Sport Concord California

[PeeLoRidez]

I haven't checked in here in a while but I wanted to share with all of you that I have hit my target weight and dropped down in waist sizes from 34 to a 30-31 now. Wow it just feels great. Just in time for the season too!

I'm not done yet however. I still have some "love-handles" that I want to get rid of so there's still much to work on. And thanks for all the facts vs myth clarifications that a lot of you have shared.

[Adventurist]

Try to approach your workouts from a "bodyshaping" view.

What I recommend to people that are trying to target a specific problem area is to hit the surrounding muscles along with the problem area. For instance if you are to work out your abs all the time but not the surrounding muscles you can create an abdominal area that is bigger but more muscular. I also have a problem with lovehandles. I am not overweight by any means but any bodyfat I gain goes to my love handles. So I try and focus on ab excercises that target the obliques (ab muscles that are on the side). I will do alternating side crunches or bicycle kicks lying on my back. I also try to do excerices that target my upper abs and lower abs. The key is to have proper balance of excercise and muscles targeted.

Check out his diagram of the body's muscles. It helps to know what muscles you are targeting and how they are connected.

http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/e/images/ecorche_contemp.chart.lg.jpg

Oh, and someone commented about how using weights makes you gain weight initially... That's because muscle is more dense than fat. In other words it ways more.

[djstealth]

you gotta also take natural body strcuture under consideration, guys body stores fat in the midsection while women's body on the hips. That's why is so difficult for guys to get washboard abs.
Best this I know, a good program that involves cardio, abs and lower back exercises and exercises that use large muscle groups like lat downs, squats, bench presses things like that. That way you are burning fat twice as mush as if were only doing cardio plus you muscles will get worked out so you wont shrink either.

But don't forget the most importand part drink A LOT of water and eat rather healthy, remember the older you are the healthier you should eat.