It's easy to dismiss all of these "Top 10" articles as shameless marketing ploys, which they are. But sometimes they have some great information in them. Here's one I came across lately that makes a lot of sense.
Top 10 Fitness Myths!
By Jeff Wooten
eFitness Guest Columnist
Talk to anyone at your local gym, and I am sure you will easily come across one or more of these ubiquitous myths. So pervasive are these myths that I am willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that you have fallen prey to at least one of the 10.
The real question is, how many of these myths have victimized you? Check out the top 10 myths, then learn how to overcome the obstacles and get that fit and firm body you've always dreamed of -- without wasted energy!
And before I forget, let me remind you that the information you find here is not to be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified doctor before engaging in any exercise program.
Myth 10: If I stop exercising, my muscle will turn to fat.
It's actually quite understandable that many exercise enthusiasts believe this myth. First of all, we see what happens to a person who builds muscle and then stops training. They become fat. That formerly "buff" bod that everyone ooohed and ahhhed over now looks like a stuffed pillow. So, one naturally believes that the muscle that was once there is now gone and replaced by fat. Well, you are partially right.
As with all myths, this one must be understood and corrected. Muscle can no more turn to fat than my finger can become a kidney. This is because we are talking about two different types of tissue here.
The problem is not that the muscle has "turned into fat." The problem is the loss of muscle. With the loss of muscle comes a commensurate drop in metabolism. The body then begins to store more excess calories. And guess what form your body prefers for calorie storage? That's right, fat! So, as you lose muscle, you naturally become more fat.
Myth 9: Muscle weighs more than fat.
In my experience, the layperson tends to believe this myth mostly because he either read it or heard a fitness or health professional say it. It sounds reasonable anyway, right? Fat is just this light, fluffy substance, while muscle is solid as a rock.
This one reminds me of the joke that goes, Which is heavier, 1,000 pounds of feathers or 1,000 pounds of steel? We used to tell that joke as kids. It is funny how many people will pick the steel, when, in fact, they weigh exactly the same. We hear the words "feathers" and "steel" and think about the density of the material. It takes a small piece of steel to equal the weight of a whole trash bag of feathers. But if you can get enough feathers, you can make 1,000 lbs.
The same goes for fat versus muscle. First of all, let's understand that "solid" muscle is actually 70 percent water. Sorry to have to say that, but it's true. It's the protein (the contractile elements of the muscle) which makes the difference in that remaining 30 percent.
With that, muscle is more dense than fat. So, a pound of fat takes up much more space in your body than a pound of muscle. This means that when you begin a good training regimen, you may in fact gain weight because you will lose a bunch of fat and gain muscle. Believe me, this is a good thing, because you will then be leaner and smaller in circumference.
Myth 8: The opposite of fat is skinny.
Can you say, "The Media." Yes, we are constantly bombarded with society's ever-changing standards of beauty and fitness. This is why sex goddesses of yesteryear, such as Marilyn Monroe and Mae West, would be considered chubby by today's standards.
Here we are in 2006, and still so many women and men think skinny is healthy. Believe me, I spend a lot of time trying to convince my clients otherwise. You must understand that fat and skinny are bad. The opposite of both of them is fit. Everyone should strive for a strong, lean, functional body that does what you want when you command it to. This should be the only ideal.
Myth 7: Bodyweight exercises only build endurance, not strength.
People who assume this believe that bodyweight exercises such as push-ups don't provide enough resistance to make you grow stronger. They think that you have to use weights for this. Well, let's look a little deeper.
The truth is that bodyweight exercises can be made incredibly tough simply by making minor adjustments. The concept is to master your own body. A beginner can do push-ups against the wall, while an advanced person can do hand stand push ups or one-arm push-ups. Your imagination is the only limit.
If you think that bodyweight exercises can't make you strong, then how do you explain gymnasts? They only use their bodyweight when they train, yet they can perform feats of strength that most people can only dream of. If you are a weightlifter and think you are strong, then try doing an "iron cross" on the rings or try climbing a rope 20 feet using only your hands.
Myth 6: Diets do work, don't they?
When I speak of diet here, I'm not talking in the general sense of how one eats. I'm talking about the idea of simply restricting calories to achieve weight loss. There are all kinds of diets, and they typically have a poor track record of success.
Why do so many opt for fad diets with exercise as an afterthought? Simple, because it is perceived as easier to swallow a pill or to not swallow food, than it is to engage in a vigorous exercise program.
Diets represent the quickest path to short-term weight loss. And sensible eating is necessary. But the best way to ensure healthy weight loss is to engage in an exercise program aimed at increasing muscle mass.
When you do this, you increase your metabolism. It is the increased metabolism that causes you to lose excess weight even while sleeping. And once you add muscle to your frame, it doesn't take a lot of effort to keep that muscle.
Myth 5: Stress is bad for me.
Stress has been given a very bad rap over the years. We use terms such as "stressed out" to describe ourselves when we can't handle situations. So is stress really bad for us?
Consider this: You can't take a breath without stressing yourself. Not only is stress not bad for you, but it is absolutely essential for life. Your body thrives on stress (both physical and emotional). No change can happen with your body without something or someone applying stress to it.
Keep in mind that exercise is a form of stress. Studying a book is also stress (mental). The key is that stress, like anything else, can be overdone and must be used judiciously. If you can't handle it, then it becomes destructive. Otherwise, it is completely productive and necessary. So let's give stress its due respect. Without it, we just couldn't survive.
Myth 4: Lactic acid causes post-exercise soreness.
Just as with most other fitness myths, this one is perpetuated by fitness and health professionals themselves! If you hear it from your doctor, it must be true, right?
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is real (as we all know). However, DOMS is not the result of lactic acid build up. Your muscle chemistry simply doesn't work that way. Here is the real scoop. Soon after you begin to exercise, your body must use glycogen (the stored form of sugar) for energy production. The result of glycogen breakdown is lactic acid.
Now, when you are exercising aerobically, there is enough oxygen present for your body to resynthesize glycogen from the lactic acid. However, if you are working anaerobically, then you will go into oxygen debt very quickly. And you know what comes with any kind of debt -- that's right. Pain! This particular pain (burn) is the result of lactic acid build up in your muscles (acidosis).
However, you will notice that once you stop exercising, the burn begins to go away. This is because your body is "paying back" the oxygen debt. In other words, the lactic acid begins to go away because there is again plenty of oxygen.
So why the soreness the next day? The soreness results from the breakdown of muscle and tendon fibers. When this happens, hydroxyproline is released into the muscle. And this chemical is largely responsible for that sore feeling.
Myth 3: When exercising, my knees should never go over my toes.
You hear this all the time, but there is never a good reason for it. Sure, you may hear something about how the patellar tendon can be overstretched, but how valid is that? Mostly, what you will hear is that "it is bad for the knees if they go over the toes," and the real reason is "because I heard someone else say it."
Have you ever worked in your garden or played with your kids or done anything else that required you to squat? What happens to your knees? They go over your toes, especially if you squat all the way down. Should you never squat? That would be ridiculous.
If the only time you do deep squats is when you have to work or play, then you are asking for problems. The thing to do is train your body to handle the stress. In Chinese martial arts, they do stances in which the knees go over the toes all the time, and they not only lack knee problems, but have very powerful legs!
Myth 2: Sit-ups and leg lifts are bad for my back.
This one is much like the previous myth. There is the idea that any exercise that involves the hip flexors is evil because the hip flexors are evil. What? An evil muscle group? Well, how many exercises do you practice which are designed to strengthen the hip flexors? Probably not many.
The idea is that because part of the hip flexors attach at your lower back, they can be harmful to your low back. So, the isolationist mentality is to try to strengthen the abs without involving the hip flexors.
The reason this myth is so bad is it attempts to eliminate some of the best core exercises known to man. The problem is your hip flexors are designed to be integrated with your abdominals and back for effective core movement. Not only can't you eliminate the hip flexors, but you should make sure you train them thoroughly. Without good hip flexors, you couldn't run, jump, or swim very well. Athletes have used situps and leg lifts to achieve powerful, defined mid-sections for decades. They have always worked and will continue to work as long as they are done properly and integrated into a comprehensive training regimen.
And the No. 1 all-time myth: Don't do that!
The story goes like this:
Patient: "Doc, my arm hurts when I do this"
Doctor: "Well, don't do that"
How many times have you heard this? This is the "solution" to so many physical ailments these days. If a particular movement hurts, then the thing to do is avoid the movement altogether. The reason this myth is at the No. 1 position is because, in my estimation, it hinders so many from gaining and maintaining full use of their bodies. If we avoid pain, we can never overcome it.
I firmly believe there is nothing that your body is capable of doing that you shouldn't do. I practice finger tip push-ups, bridges on my face and front splits. I do these things because they keep my strength and flexibility above what I normally need, and they help to ensure that I am not easily injured.
There is no movement that I classify as "illegal." Look at what kids do on the playground. They aren't concerned about whether their toes go over their knees or if they are positioned just right before moving. They just do what comes naturally. They move. This is a lesson for every adult. Just do it. If you take the necessary precautions and get the green light from your doctor, then you are good to go.
For an even more in-depth look at my top 10 fitness myths, please go to www.yourbodymechanic.com and sign up for a free copy of my e-book.
Jeff Wooten is a certified fitness trainer, certified specialist in martial arts conditioning, and licensed massage therapist. Jeff trains his clients in Raleigh, North Carolina where he integrates personal training, martial arts techniques, and bodywork therapy for a truly unique fitness experience.
