The nature of the fitness industry means there is so much information floating about. Everyone has an opinion, and a lot of these opinions are complete and utter bullshit. This means that loads of individuals are following the wrong advice or believing inaccurate things about fitness. So, let’s debunk some of the most common myths!
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MYTH 1: You can target areas of your body to lose fat
How many times have you seen a video or an article that tells you how to lose stubborn belly fat? Loads of people want to lose fat from specific areas of their body. This can be the arms, the legs, the waist, etc. So, you look up exercises that claim to help you do this. Unfortunately, you can’t lose fat from specific areas of your body. If you want to lose belly fat, then you have to enter a caloric deficit that means you burn more calories than you consume. This is what burns fat, and you can’t target a specific area. So, don’t focus on exercises that say they will help you burn fat from one part of your body, it’s simply not possible.
MYTH 2: Girls shouldn’t lift weights
Again, loads of newbies think that women shouldn’t lift weights. They think it’ll turn them into a bodybuilder with huge muscles. In reality, this will never happen. Women don’t make enough testosterone to produce the muscle mass that men have. Weight training is actually a staple in a healthy lifestyle. It helps you burn calories, it develops muscle tone – which makes everything look tighter and firmer – and it develops strength. All girls should train with weights, especially if you want to see improvements in your body – like bigger glutes or more toned abs!
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MYTH 3: Gyms are overpriced and not worth it
There’s been a fitness trend of home workouts over the last few years. This plays to the idea that gyms aren’t worth it – and are overpriced. In some ways, gym memberships can be expensive. But, this is when you’re forced to pay an annual contract all in one go. With places like Fitness 19, the idea or affordable rolling contracts has come into play. This makes gym memberships easier to afford, debunking that myth.
Secondly, gyms contain far more equipment and machinery than you’ll ever have at home. While home workouts can be very effective, there will come the point where you stop seeing progress as there’s no way to make the workouts harder. One of the ways you see fitness results is by increasing the intensity of your exercise sessions. This comes from adding more resistance. In a gym, you have machines that can go up in levels to increase the resistance, and you have more weights to keep going heavier and heavier. So, they are definitely worth it if you have the money. Home workouts are usually best in cases where you have no money, or you’re a beginner that wants to start their fitness journey and gain confidence before joining a gym.
Have you fallen for any of these myths? If you have, then they’ve probably held back a lot of your progress. Now you can consume the right information, get back out there, and start achieving your goals!
What fitness myths have you been told?
Thank you for reading!
