Fitness Myths Busted

Fitness myths seem to take on a life of their own, causing many people to work harder than they have to or deterring people from their goals. 

Today, we’ll tackle 6 common fitness myths, cover why each one is false, and cover the solution(s) to some of these issues.

(video below)

Myth 1 – You must eat within the anabolic window in order to make or preserve gains.

Recent research has debunked this hypothesis. You do not need to rush home and eat or drink a shake within 30-60 minutes of training. 

As long as you’re getting enough quality protein, carbs, and fats throughout the day, the timing is not as important.

Myth 2 – You can “tone” your muscles.

Toning, as it turns out, is simply a term coined by fitness marketers. It’s just a combination of muscle mass and overall leanness. 

In order to appear more “toned”, one typically needs to reduce overall body fat. This leanness will make the muscles appear more defined, leading to a “toned” look. 

If you don’t have enough muscle mass, a 3-4 month period of building can help. 

You may need to do a small cut to reveal your muscles after the build.

Myth 3 – You must perform static stretches before training.

Static stretching, or stretch and hold, can create micro-tears in the muscles. Lifting also creates micro-tears, which are necessary for making gains. 

To reduce chance of injury, save your static stretching for after your workout. 

Do dynamic stretching, or stretching through an active range of motion, before your weight workouts for the best results.

Myth 4 – Low carb diets are the best for fat loss.

The only factor that matters for fat loss is that you’re in a caloric deficit! So, if you wanted to eat fast food and/or junk all day, as long as you burn more calories than you take in, you’ll see progress. 

You’ll most likely be hungry all the time if you choose to do this, so it can be helpful to get enough high quality protein. 

Protein improves feelings of satiety, boosts metabolism, and improves muscle maintenance. 

If you love carbs, you can absolutely eat a high carb diet and still lean down – and the same goes for a high fat diet. 

So, eat the healthy foods you love, and just make sure you’re in a caloric deficit.

Myth 5 – In order to ensure gains, you must be sore after a workout.

Soreness does not equate to gains. 

Soreness can be an indication as to the amount of stress you put your muscles under. Soreness is actually the electrical pain threshold of the muscle fascia, therefore it’s not a good indication of gains. 

It’s also important to note that soreness very much depends on the sensitivity of an individual – some people feel very sore after a workout, while some people never get sore.

Myth 6 – Doing abs exercises will give you abs.

The truth is that reducing overall body fat percentage will give you abs.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to spot reduce, or preferentially lose fat from specific areas. 

If you want abs that protrude more, you can do weighted abs exercises to build up the abs. 

Adding muscle to the area can make the abs appear more “3D”, but reducing overall body fat percentage is still key for muscle definition.

Are there any other fitness myths that you’d like me to cover next? Let me know!

Thanks for reading and for watching!

Until next time, train smart and train hard!