THE 5 BIGGEST FITNESS MYTHS – SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT!
by John Harris Fitness
The internet is filled with advice and expert tips about the right training and the supposed one true path to achieving your dream physique. Who hasn't experienced this? You want to learn about proper training online and keep coming across the same pieces of advice and fitness myths that persistently endure. Whether these are really true, we often don't know – at least until now. Because we're here to debunk the most popular myths for you, so you can finally have clarity.
1. Fat Burning Only Starts After 30 Minutes of Exercise
How many times have we wondered if the first half-hour of our workout is even effective? But all those doubts were basically unnecessary, because this myth is definitely false! From the very first moment of exercise, the body burns more energy than at rest. However, our body needs some time to get fully engaged, so fat burning at the beginning of your workout is present but relatively low. After about 20 to 30 minutes, fat burning is already significantly higher, and muscle building is in full swing. So what should we learn from this? No matter how short your training session is, it contributes to fat burning and is better than no physical activity at all.
2. Sit-Ups: The Ultimate Path to a Six-Pack
Well, if it were really that simple, almost everyone would have a chiseled six-pack. Of course, exercises like sit-ups target the abdominal muscles, but whether you see a six-pack in the end mostly depends on your body fat percentage. This percentage can naturally be lowered through intense training and balanced nutrition. However, the body is an interconnected system, and we can't selectively choose where body fat is burned. A six-pack is therefore the result of a healthy lifestyle.
3. The More Trained You Are, the Less You Sweat
This myth is probably one of the most common and persistent ones. However, it's completely false. The exact opposite is actually true. Athletes have more active sweat glands that are accustomed to producing sweat to cool the body during physical exertion. Therefore, trained individuals usually sweat more and earlier than untrained ones. But regardless of the amount of sweat lost, it's important to compensate for fluid loss by drinking enough water.
4. Long Cardio Sessions Lead to More Fat Loss
Giving it your all for 90 minutes on a cardio machine – is that the key to success? Probably not. Successful cardio training that actually yields results can be achieved in two ways. The first method involves short, intense sessions that burn a lot of calories and stimulate the afterburn effect. The second method consists of longer, moderate sessions that improve endurance over the long term. However, both approaches are not combinable, as otherwise, fat burning won't be activated. Choose one of these methods, and you'll soon notice the first signs of progress.
5. No Pain, No Gain
A saying often encountered online. However, pain is not an indicator of successful training, and the intensity of your muscle soreness doesn't indicate whether you've trained effectively. Muscle soreness results from tiny tears in muscle tissue, and these can only heal with sufficient recovery time – you can find more information on this topic here. So remember, pain doesn't reflect the quality of your training.
