When it comes to working out, people are often misled with false information about what they should be doing. When you are trying to figure out what you need to do to improve your body in the gym, you should be aware that sometimes, there are tips out there that aren’t true. So if you’ve been going to the gym for months without seeing the results that you’re looking for, maybe you’re doing something wrong. Here are some myths that are very common among gym-goers today.
Myth #1 : Someone can “spot-reduce” their problem areas is one that many people tend to think is true. Many people think that if you are trying to get abs in time for summer, you can just do hundreds of sit ups and crunches every day in order to try to achieve your goal. However, this will not create abs or reduce the fat around your stomach area. Your body draws fat from different regions at different rates depending on your genetic makeup. This means that for some people the stomach is the first area your body draws fat from when on a diet and working out, yet it may be the last spot to draw fat from for others. In order to achieve your goal, you have to maintain a healthy diet and work on burning fat in general instead of just focusing on one area.
Health Studies professor Marta Neumann said, “Many people want to suddenly lose weight, but in order to get results you have to use a schedule and get into a routine. It’s important to be concerned about your health, not just about getting a six pack quickly.”
Myth #2: Muscle definition comes from lifting light weight for more reps instead of heavy weight for less reps. Leanness and muscle definition come from having muscle mass and low body fat. Training with light weights alone will not build muscle and if you don’t have muscle you won’t burn much fat. Instead of trying to do too many reps, use a repetition range of eight to twelve with a weight that you are comfortable with.
Brian Bartone, sophomore business major, brought up one of his own myths. “Most people believe the key to having big arms is to train biceps. However training triceps is actually more important because triceps make up two thirds of your arm,” he said.
Myth #3 : Sweating more burns more fat, which is why you sometimes see people working out or running in hoodies and pants. This is not exactly true because sweat has nothing to do with how intense you are working out. Sweating is your body’s way of cooling off. Fat is inside your body and doesn’t just disappear because you are sweating. The only way to burn more calories is to do more work, such as more cardio or lifting.
Myth #4: Always better to stretch before you work out is another myth. Although so many people feel it is necessary to stretch before working out, there are actually no studies that show that stretching before exercise reduces the chance of you getting injured. Studies show that when individuals do static stretching (when you stretch and hold) before weight training, their strength actually decreases. Studies also show that an individual’s flexibility increases more when stretching is done after exercise instead of before.
Myth #5: Don’t trust “Gym Rats”: Cory McLaughlin, junior criminal justice major said, “People shouldn’t trust random ‘gym rats’ with tips because they are most likely lifting incorrectly.”
Working out is a great way to not only get in shape, but stay healthy. However, there are many gym myths that people fall for, which do not help to improve their stamina or muscle mass. Before you hit the weights, make sure you know the truth about working out so that you can achieve the body you are looking for.
