5 Common Fitness Myths Busted!

By Author: Jamie Hanson
Total Articles: 3534
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Crunches are the only way of getting a 6 pack

Years of poorly written men's magazine articles and crappy infomercials selling us useless products promising to make us as ripped as the models they use to advertise has drilled the idea of crunches being the ultimate form of exercise. This is sadly completely untrue. While crunches are a fantastic way of toning up your abs they do nothing to counter the big layer of fat on top. All men have a six pack the only problem is that for most it hides under layers of fat. So while crunches can improve the size and definition of your abs you should include some cardio into your routine to make them visible.

It's best not to eat anything before a workout.

This one seems like it should make sense since exercise burns calories and an empty stomach has no calories to burn so the body immediately starts burning fat for fuel... unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Your body needs energy to run, lift weights etc so when you exercise on an empty stomach the body tries to provide energy while looking for it at the same time This can not ...
... only result in the risk of dizziness or even fainting in extreme situations it also reduces the effectiveness of your workout since low energy levels will stop you from performing at levels you should be aiming for.
The best option is to have a small snack about ten to fifteen minutes before working out. Carbohydrates are the best source of energy, so have a slice of toast or a banana. Bananas also help the body fight against cramps and hence I think is the best option.

Running on a treadmill puts less strain on your knees than running on concrete

This is untrue. Your knees are exposed to great pressures no matter what surface you decide to run on. If you love to run and really want to make a difference to the amount of stress your knees are exposed to get a decent pair of running shoes. Don't be shy to try on a few different ones at the store and go for the most comfortable one. Asics and Mizuno are two fantastic brands that make excellent quality running shoes. Thinking about the long term effect on your knees, mix up your cardio routine a bit. Include biking. since it's no contact it greatly reduces the strain your knees undergo.

Swimming burns more calories than running.

This is completely untrue. Whilst swimming the water actually supports your weight so you work less harder moving through it than say running on ground. This is not to say swimming isn't a fantastic exercise. It is great for targeting multiple muscle groups at the same time but when it comes down to numbers activities like running, skipping and steps are just better at burning off calories.
If you aren't sweating you aren't working out hard enough.
Sweating has nothing to do with the number of calories you are burning it is simply a method the human body applies to regulate its temperature. So in hot climates you'll sweat even whilst doing nothing more than sitting outside whereas in colder climates you'll hardly break a sweat doing more strenuous activities such as jogging. So sweat is by no means an accurate indication of how hard you're working

No Pain No Gain

Human bodies really are remarkable creations. They are designed to be pushed hard without failing when need be. This is the reason whilst working out you can overdo it without realising at the time. Since your muscles are warmed up and adrenaline levels are higher than normal you often don't feel the soreness straight away. Just remember if it hurts a lot you are doing something very wrong. Quite often people used to working out quit for a while and when they return to it they expect to perform at the same level they did a few months ago. That just isn't possible so take precaution and always ease yourself into a work out plan.

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