Fitness Myths
 

If I’m not sore the next day, I didn’t workout hard enough.

 

Many people use muscle soreness as a gauge of how good their workout is. However muscle soreness is caused by tiny tears in the muscle fibers and, while some soreness is expected if you change your program, being sore for days after your workout likely means you overdid it. If you’re sore after every workout, you’re not allowing your body time to recover, which is when you experience the most muscle growth.

To prevent soreness you should warm up before your workout and stretch before and after.

 

Strength training will make me “bulk up”

 

Some women avoid weight training because they don’t want to bulk up. However strength training is a critical element to maintain a healthy weight and strengthen your body. Researchers know is the average woman doesn’t typically gain size from weight training because she doesn’t have the amount of hormones necessary to build massive amount of muscle. Men have a tough time gaining muscle and it’s something you have to work very hard to achieve,

MALE or FEMALE

 

 

FITNESS MYTHS

 

I need exercises to work my ‘lower abs’ and reduce my pot belly.

 

First there is no such things as ‘lower abs.’ The six pack you’re going for is actually one long muscle, called the rectus abdominis, that extends from your chest to your pelvis. To work your abs, you should target all four abdominal muscle groups.

Second doing crunches will not help you get a ‘six pack’ you have a layer of fat over your abdominal area. In order to see the muscles you must reduce your body fat.

 

If I can’t workout often enough and hard enough, I might as well not even do it.

 

The general rule for weight loss is to do cardio 4-5 times a week for 30-45 minutes as well as weight training 3 times a week. Some people simply don’t have the time to workout that much and think, since they can’t do all of that, why do ANY of it? Remember: Any exercise is better than no exercise, even if it’s only a 15-minute walk. Being physically active is proven to reduce stress and make you healthier. So, even if you can’t make it to the gym, you have no excuse not to do something active each day.