Words: Joanna Dase
With the rising popularity of social trends taking over the likes of TikTok, there is a lot of fitness advice surfacing from socalled professionals in the industry. With the influencer sector being saturated, it can be hard to understand what is helpful and what is nonsense. Certain hacks can claim to provide you with instant results, but these can sometimes cause you more harm than good. Real fitness requires patience and willpower. Unfortunately, results can’t happen overnight. Before attempting any new fad, take the time to do your own research to see if there is any truth to the claim. This goes for nutritional guidance too. Investigate the person who is providing the advice as you should only follow the suggestion of registered dieticians. To help you bust some of the biggest fitness myths circulating the web, Joanna Dase, fitness expert at Curves has set the record straight. Soon you’ll be approaching your fitness regime with realistic expectations.
1
‘STRENGTH TRAINING WILL MAKE ME TOO BULKY’
The fear of bulking is a common misconception for many beginners. Strength training with lighter weights and more repetitions will define your body without making you bulky. Don’t be afraid to add on more weights as you will enjoy the benefits of building lean muscle and burning fat. An easy way to start strength training is HIIT as it combines both cardio and weights.
2
‘I CAN EAT WHAT I WANT NOW I’M EXERCISING’
This is wrong. When you are in an exercise regime, it’s important to eat food that fuels your body for everyday activities and your next workout. Eat the right amount of carbs, fat, and proteins to help keep your energy up, and build strength.
3
‘I CAN TURN FAT INTO MUSCLE’
Fat and muscle are distinct tissues and made up of different cells. The loss of fat does not directly lead to the growth of muscle. Fat pockets can be shrunk down whilst you build on the muscle you already have. To lose fat without losing muscle, you need to look at the food you eat. If you are decreasing your calorie intake without eating enough protein, it could result in muscle loss.
4
‘I SHOULDN’T MISS ANY WORKOUTS’
It’s not a crime to miss a workout here and there, and it would be unrealistic to think so. If you do miss one, then focus on what you do next instead. Take time to set up a weekly schedule that fits in with your daily routine and try to stick to it. Once a habit is formed, it will become easier to maintain. Don’t beat yourself up, just use it as motivation to work harder in the next session.
5
‘THE LONGER THE WORKOUT, THE BETTER’
It can be easy to believe that the longer you work out, the more effective your workout will be. However, sometimes less is more, as it does come down to how you exercise rather than how long. You could get the same result in 40 minutes of resistance training as you could in two hours of resistance training, what matters is the intensity.
6
‘I’LL BURN MORE FAT ON AN EMPTYSTOMACH’
Whilst this is technically true, it is the wrong method. The issue is that without any fuel in
your system, you may not be able to achieve the equivalent intensity and duration of workout. A good pre-workout snack will be a mix of carbs, protein, and healthy fats about an hour before your workout so you can push yourself harder.
7
‘EAT ONLY EGG WHITES AND NOT THE YOLKS’
We’ve been told that egg yolks are bad for your cholesterol. While eggs are high in cholesterol, the effect of eggs on blood cholesterol is minimal when compared with the effect of trans fats and saturated fats. The yolk contains most of the vitamins and minerals in the egg as well as the all important protein. Egg whites are nearly fat-free but unlike egg yolks, they are not satiating and will result in hunger cravings sooner
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