Fitness tips are everywhere. They’re on our screens, regardless of which devices we’re using. They’re at the gym, too, even if some are unsolicited. And devices. They even turn up in health and wellness information, which makes them virtually impossible to avoid.
This is a good thing to some extent, but it also comes with a major downside. It spawns a lot of fitness myths, and many of them don’t look like fiction when you first see them. There’s a lot that goes into recognizing these myths, so here’s some help with some of the most common ones, which can easily creep into your workouts and mess up your training plan.
Fitness myth #1: Calories in, calories out is the best way to lose weight
This advice has been around forever: The basic theory is that if you eat less and exercise more, you’ll come out on the right side of this equation and lose weight.
Sounds like a plan, right? The problem is that life isn’t a stable math equation. Variables like genetics, metabolism, diet, and lifestyle all come into play, and in ways that can’t be calculated in calories.
That makes this mantra a myth for many people, and it’s also fertile ground for supplement sellers, diet plan hawkers, and all sorts of other cash grabbers. But if you ask top-notch celebrity and athletic trainers like Justin King, who consults for RAW Nutrition, to weigh in on this, they’ll tell you that this equation isn’t the end-all and be-all by a long shot.
“Don’t get me wrong — when all other variables are controlled, fat loss and muscle gain can most definitely be that simple,” he says. “Unfortunately, in the real world, variables run rampant.
“This doesn’t take into consideration your gut health and the ability to uptake nutrients and minimize the negative effects of certain foods. It doesn’t take into consideration the effects of inflammation from foods and your environment. It also doesn’t take into consideration the reality that most people deal with, which is the power of the mind!”
So while this one can be true, it’s not always true for everyone.
Fitness myth #2: No pain, no gain? Why you don’t have to be sore after a workout
Speaking of the power of the mind, this adage is everywhere, too. It’s the epitome of old-school macho, and some variation on “no pain, no gain” is firmly entrenched in the mindset behind nearly every sport and athletic endeavor, especially at the college and pro levels. It’s a part of workout and fitness training culture as well, but that doesn’t mean it has to be. Break it down a bit, and the universality of this particular mantra starts to fall apart in a hurry.
If you ease into whatever fitness activity you’re doing gradually, though, you’ll have a completely different experience. The same thing applies to improvement — small increments often lead to big results over time. There may be discomfort at times, especially if you’re still mastering the techniques for lifting, running, or whatever else you’re doing. But pain is another issue entirely.
Soreness often comes from pushing boundaries. Some trainers would argue that it’s necessary to make significant gains, but pain doesn’t have to be part of the basic formula. And many of those same top-tier trainers will tell you how important rest is when it comes to making those all-important gains.
The bottom line is that if you sub in “less is more” as your mantra of choice occasionally, most of your workouts will be a lot more fun, and you may experience those gains at a faster pace, too.
Fitness myth #3: You can work out to reduce fat in specific spots
To some extent, this myth is based on semantics. It is possible to reduce fat in certain areas, and nearly everyone wants to trim fat from the belly, hips, and thighs.
But the ability to go beyond that and do spot reduction is largely a myth. You may be able to achieve it if you’re a professional bodybuilder or athlete, but fat reduction is typically a systemic and holistic process, so set up your training routine accordingly.
Additionally, this is another myth that is frequently exploited by fitness frauds. If you see phrases like “fat burning” in any fitness regimen and it refers to spot fat reduction, that’s a big yellow flag, so take it with the appropriate amount of salt.
Fitness myth #4: Running is bad for your knees
This one burns me, to the point where I occasionally take it personally. As a lifelong runner, I’m a slow-moving example of what a crock it can be for certain people.
We’ll start with the legitimate aspect of it, though. Many people do experience knee pain, especially if they’re new to running or their basic goal is to shed a few pounds. A good pair of quality running shoes will often solve the problem, especially if you look for shoes with more cushioning and pronation protection.
But I paid the big price tag for some of those shoes for years, and every time I approached 30 miles a week, I’d start to get knee pain. Trimming my mileage solved the issues, but I’m stubborn, and I wanted to go further. Then I tried minimalist shoes, and everything changed. My knee pain disappeared, I started to lose weight, and my weekly mileage jumped to 50 and more. I run barefoot now, and I have no plans to go back to conventional running shoes.
I’m not advocating this, of course. My point is that everyone is different, and avoiding knee pain while running isn’t a universal solution.
Fitness myth #5: Lifting weights automatically adds bulk
Ask a bunch of guys why they want to lift, and you’ll hear the words “ripped,” “shredded,” and “jacked up” a lot. Which is fine if that’s what you want and you do it correctly, but the universality of these words has led many people to think that lifting = bulk.
“This couldn’t be further from the truth,” King says. “I’ve taken a skilled NFL athlete and in four weeks added 15-plus pounds + of lean mass to his frame, and his vertical [leap number] went up. Your body is simply contracting under load and creating a coordinated movement. In an Instagram era, it’s very difficult to determine what actually works in the training and fitness space when you see giant, beautiful physiques repping out crazy weight with partial range, no control, and no “know-how” behind what they’re doing.”
The bottom line is that, when done properly, you can use that coordinated movement to attain any number of goals, including core strength, increased muscle, toning, and even weight loss with the right training plan. As King concludes, the point is to “do it the smart way and the right way.”
