Health and Fitness Articles

Ask 10 different people the same question about bodybuilding and fitness and I can nearly guarantee all 10 people will give you a different answer for your question. So, why do most people have the same goals, the same gym and fitness equipment or access to said equipment, the same access to nutrition and dieting information, yet have totally different views and beliefs of what is right and what is wrong when it comes to fitness and bodybuilding? I don’t know all the answers, but I do know a few.

Generally, people workout and exercise for the same reasons. Some men and women want to bodybuild and gain muscle. Some men and women want to train for sports. Some people only want to lose weight. Some people want to "bulk up". Take 10 people from each of these categories and put them on the same diet and training plan. I’ll bet you my favorite pair of lifting gloves that you’re going to get some seriously varying results. These results will lead to some people continuing with these dieting and training programs while others will alter their training. The people who benefit from above mentioned diet and trainig plan will promote it and believe in it. any time someone asks them how they can get results like them, they will refer to this original diet and training plan. The people who do not see positive or expected results from the original diet and training plan will alter their training so something they feel more suitable or more likely more enjoyable and tell people that the original plan is not the way to go.

I think a sure fire way to get the most out of any sensable training and dieting regimen is to go into it believing it will work and to find ways to stay motivated and not fall of track.

Not that we’ve gotten that little rant out of the way, I’m going to present you with GymEssentials.com’s top ten Fitness, Dieting, and Bodybuilding myths.

• Lifting light weights for more repetitions will make my muscles longer and leaner as opposed to lifting heavy weights which will make muscles shorter and bulky.

This is bullshit. Muscles respond to overloading them. Overloading a muscle means to lift a weight that will create small rips in your muscles. When your muscles heal from these rips, they become stronger, and in most instances, larger. Lifting a light weight for high reps will most likely never tear your muscles which will lead to no change in size and strength but may increase your stamina with said that weight amount.

You have to challenge your body if you want it to to become lean, muscular, and strong. Becoming lean has musch more to do with proper dieting and cardio than it does with lifting a certain amount of weight. If you want "the total package", you’ll need to eat right, lift weights, and perform a proper amount of cardio. If you’re lifting a weight that does not challenge your body, you won’t get much out of it. Think about it. If you grab a dumbell and can do 40 curls with it without breaking a sweat or even having to focus on what you’re doing, what gain could you possibly get out of it.

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• By doing extreme amuonts of cardio exercise, one can lose weight rapidly and most effectively.

This is a myth. Excessive cardio will strip your body of body fat. Unfortunately, doing excessive amounts of cardio will also rob your body of muscularity. If you’re losing muscle, you’re also losing the ability to burn fat. Muscles stimulate metabolism. Each pound of muscle you gain can account for up to 50 more calories burned each and every day. Why would you want to lose muscle by doing too much cardio? It doesn’t make sense. Having an unbalanced fitness plan will sabatoge the results you’re seeking.

• A woman lifting challenging weights (heavier weights) will begin to look like a man. That’s why women should only lift light weights that present little or no challenge and never strive to increase strength by increasing poundage being lifted.

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This is such a myth! Whenever I hear anyone state the above fitness myth, I am reminded of when I used to work at a popular smoothie franchise. I was disgusted by how many women who would come in and while browsing the smoothie menu would ask, "Will a Muscle _____ make me get muscles? I don’t want to look like a guy.". How ridiculous is that question? Answer: VERY RIDICULOUS.

The fact is, most women have about one third the amount of natural testosterone in their body as men do of the same age. Unless a woman is taking testosterone enhancing supplements, lifting challenging weights (heavier weights) will only enhance the female body by making it stronger and more lean and "sexy" looking.

• When it comes to losing weight, losing bodyfat, and gaining muscle, calories are the only thing that matter significantly when dieting.

This is a myth. The division of protein, carbohydrates and fat is very important. Only through a correct ratio of each will you find a diet that will help you safely lose body fat. The amount of these three will determine your insulin level which is directly attributed to your metabolism and ability to become leaner and healthier.

• Muscles Weigh More Than Fat.

This is a myth. Muscles DO NOT weigh more than fat. The difference between the two is their appearance. A pound of fat will occupy more space than a pound of muscle.

• There’s only ONE perfect workout routine and ONE perfect diet…. no matter who you are.

That’s a complete myth. There are many diet and exercises that are beneficial to many different people. No one program will work the same way, as well or as poorly, for eveyone. And, as mentioned above, motivation is crucial to continuing on a path to increased health and wellness. The key is to find (or create your own) a program for your workouts and dieting that works for you. Changing things up every month, or week, can help alot. Once a fitness and dieting routine become….well, routine, it’s time to switch things up before you lose interest and fall off the health wagon.

• The best way to lose weight is to drastically reduce caloric intake.

That’s a myth. Not only is that a myth, it’s very dangerous. Here’s a something I have always believed. If you do a crazy diet where you do nothing much more than drink water and coffee, you’re going to lose weight. But, think about this: Is a malnuorished, thinner body healther than the body that was "overweight" before the crash diet? A skinnier version of a fat person is probably even less healthy. Also, it has been proven that the human body is designed to survive. If you crash diet, your body is going to suht itself down and start storing fat. Crash dieting is an aweful idea.

• The best way to reduce the size of individually problematic areas of the body like hips, thighs, and abs is to isolate (focus) train them.

This is a myth and, one of the more surprising myths. It is impossible, physiologically, to reduce the size of certain parts of the body with regard to the fat in those areas. Fat is stored all over the body. The first place your body puts on excess fat is the first place your body will lose that fat. Stick with an all around, solid and smart diet and fitness plan and you will improve your body’s shape all around.

• Eating alot of calories will help to burn fat.

To most people, this myth will sound ridiculous. In fact, this myth IS ridiculous. This myth is believed by some because of new diet plans that are marketed by saying you need to eat more thoughout the day. Without looking into what this means, some are lead to believe they need to pile on the food to force your metabolism to go into some sort of raging inferno which would lead to weight loss. Without getting to much into detail abotu these types of diets, when there is a reference to eating more through the day, they generally mean to eat small meals more frequently than eating three large (square?) meals through the day.

• All those cool ab gadgets and body toners on tv will give me an awesome, ripped stomach (6-pack) and magically make my whole body become amazingly muscular. It’s on t.v. so it has to be true. Stripper Academy rip The Contractor dvdrip

This myth is ridiculous. Please don’t buy into these infomercials which market some ab machine, hip machine, etc. The next time you watch one of these infomercials, I want you to focus on a few key aspects.

The before and after pictures – You’ll probabaly notice the women in the before pictures have probably just had a baby, are pale, and have little or no mucle tone through their body. The after pictures for these women show a flat stomach (which probably would have returned after a few weeks if they had a flat stomach before getting pregnant), they’ll be tanned (darker skin tone makes a body look leaner than it may in fact be), and miraculously, these women now have toned arms, legs, backs, and shoulders. Wow, an ab machine can make your whole body get muscular? Not even close.
Now, check out the male before and after pictures on these infomercials. The guys in the before pictures are either pale and skinny or pale and have a ton of muscle hiding underneath what is probably some recently added bodyfat to make the after picture more dramatic. Even more ridiculous in the male before pictures are the guys who are obviously bodybuilders and have grown a 4 day beard and are pushingout their guts while pointing their chins down to show some type of double chin or turkey neck. The male after pictures, like the female after pictures, show these men tanned, oiled, clean shaven, muscular, and lean from head to toe.

At best, these ab machines and fitness gadgets marketed on infomercials should be used as a tool in your current fitness and dietign program.