Dispelling some myths about Exercise and Training

So in this blog post I’m going to dispel some much talked about myths about weight loss, weight training and exercise.

MYTH 1 - YOU CAN’T EAT CARBOHYDRATES AT NIGHT IF YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT

FACT: I myself used to subscribe to this fact. I used to think the way to lose weight is to not eat carbs at night. Losing weight comes down to the quality of carbs that you eat and the amount that you eat in proportion to energy output, not the timing of when you eat carbs.

MYTH 2 - DOING LONG, SLOW CARDIO SESSIONS IS THE BEST FOR BURNING FAT

FACT: Many people believe that the longer you workout the more energy you will be burning. Yes going for a 60-90 minute walk gets you moving for longer but in terms of toning up and losing body fat, doing a couple of weight training and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) sessions a week is much more effective and will improve your fitness dramatically.

MYTH 3 - IF YOU WANT TO LOSE FAT THEN YOU NEED TO EAT LESS AND CUT OUT CARBOHYDRATES

FACT: What you eat is so much more important than how much you eat. Giving your body the best possible nutrients is far better and will help you achieve a toned body in the long run much more than cutting out food. I have never eaten more than I do not and when I was losing weight. Everyone thinks Carbohydrates are the enemy when in fact they aren’t. Eating good carbohydrates such as Brown rice, quinoa and whole meal breads will help keep you fuller for longer and will stop you snacking on empty calories (lollies, chocolates, chips).

MYTH 4 – EATING FAT WILL MAKE YOU FAT

FACT: Eating fat will not make you fat. It is the type of fat that you eat (trans fats in cakes, biscuits and cookies and saturated fats mainly found in animal products) that makes you fat and adds to visceral fat (the bad fat that is around out organs). Obviously overeating on anything can make you fat but you should not avoid fats. Good Fats such as avocados, nuts and oils give you energy, help rebuild cells and produce hormones.

MYTH 5 - WOMEN BULK UP IF THEY LIFT WEIGHTS

FACT: This is one that I hear ALL the time. Unlike males, women are unable to ‘bulk up’ if they lift heavy weight. Weights shape and sculpt your body, whilst also burning fat and unless you’re taking some serious supplements, they will never make you look masculine or bulky. It takes a lot of deliberate effort with your training and diet to get even close to bulking up.’

MYTH 6 - YOU GET ABS BY DOING LOTS OF SIT UPS EVERYDAY

FACT: You can do all the abdominal work you like, but if you don't eat clean and do full body weight training exercises to remove the layer of fat covering your abs, then you will never achieve the desired definition.

MYTH 7 – WEIGHT TRAINING IS DANGEROUS

FACT: All exercise can be dangerous. Trust me I’ll fallen off a treadmill hahah. But weight training is only dangerous and can lead to injuries if you don’t know the correct technique or try and lift too heavy weights too soon.

MYTH 8: YOU WEIGHT ON THE SCALES IS THE BE ALL AND END ALL

FACT: The scales only tell you how much your total weight is, NOT how lean you are. The best way to track progress is by how you look, how your clothes fit and by taking a measure of your total body fat.

MYTH 9: YOU NEED TO EXERCISE HARD EVERYDAY

FACT: When it comes to exercise it’s all about quality, not quantity. Training hard can actually cause your body stress which can cause it to store fat – not what we want. Focusing on efficient workouts, good nutrition, adequate sleep and incorporating rest days will lead to the best results. Focus on going 5-6 days of training per week with 1-2 days rest. On the rest days you could even do some Yoga, Pilates or stretching to help recovery.