5 false myths about exercise and strength training

Today, there are many false myths in the world of fitness and strength training that can confuse people and discourage them in their efforts to achieve their health and wellness goals. 

These myths can create a distorted belief about what it really means to be fit and how to achieve it.

In this blog, we are going to debunk the five most common myths about exercise and strength training. This information will help you make better decisions in your life to achieve your health goals and be more FIT. 

This is the most common myth among women. Gaining muscle mass is not easy at all. In addition, people who aim for it perform exercises with a lot of weight and isolate certain muscles. So this myth is false.  

The reality is that strength training will help you develop more muscle mass, but the amount you can develop depends on genetic and hormonal factors (men's testosterone levels give them an advantage in this regard). In addition, muscle is denser and takes up less space than fat. Therefore, you will have less volume with muscle than with fat. 

The goal is to be FIT, and it is more likely that you will look slimmer by being strong, and not bulkier. 

Exercise is not only recommended to improve body composition (being leaner or fitter), but also to regulate and improve many factors that influence overall health.

Being slim does not necessarily mean that you are FIT or fit, and much less healthy. 

Regular exercise, including strength training, is essential for maintaining a healthy heart, strong bones, and a robust immune system.

This false myth is based exclusively on the number of calories burned during exercise. When you do cardio, you burn more calories in the moment, but that does not indicate that you will lose more fat. Cardio, (such as running at a good pace) does not promote muscle growth and typically uses glucose as an energy source, not fat.

Instead, strength training is ideal for losing fat for several reasons: It helps increase muscle mass, uses metabolic circuits that favor fat burning, and increases metabolism. Muscle is the organ that consumes the most energy, so the greater the volume, the higher the energy expenditure, and the easier it is to lose weight.

That to be more FIT you have to spend more hours in the gym is completely false. Physical exercise creates positive stress on health and regulates hormones and your circadian rhythm, but too much physical exercise can generate negative stress.

It is important to understand that it does not affect a beginner in the same way as an athlete or professional sportsperson. Consistent training will give you greater capacity, but there is no need to overdo it to achieve good results.

Training quality is more important than quantity. It is better to do a short, intense workout than to spend hours in the gym doing low-intensity exercises.

False. Although this does not mean you should stop exercising. Consistency is very important to achieve results. 

Muscle and fat are two completely different types of tissue, and one cannot turn into the other. But, if you stop exercising, you will lose muscle mass and accumulate fat. Due to changes in your metabolism and activity level.

Lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle, together with diet, are the main culprits behind fat accumulation. That is why it is very important to maintain a daily exercise routine and reduce sedentary behavior. 

Exercising regularly and maintaining a balanced diet is extremely important for optimal health. 

If you want to be FIT it is important to combine strength exercises with other types of exercise to increase muscle mass and improve overall health. 

Don’t be misled by these common false myths about exercise and strength training. 

Keep going and reach your goal of being FIT!

References: 

1. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jun/06/just-dont-do-it-10-exercise-myths

2. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/top-10-workout-myths