21 Biggest Myths About Exercise (4 of 4)

To Get Larger, Lift Larger

One study in 2016 uncovered a pervasive exercise to be a total myth. The study took a group of lifters and put them into two groups. One was given heavy weights to lift and had to do 8 to 12 reps. The other group were given lighter weights and were asked to do 20 to 25 reps.

The end results showed that both groups gained roughly the same amount of muscle. This study has gone to show that two factors matter in getting larger: both the reps and the weight lifted.

The More You Sweat, The More Fat You’ll Burn

While you might think your cardio is allowing you to shed pounds in real time, that’s really not the case. A study in 2018 found that while you do lose weight whenever you’re sweating, it’s worth noting you’re losing water in that moment rather than fat.

This makes sense since even on a hot summer day we are sweating and that doesn’t mean we’re losing weight by merely standing out in warm weather. Instead, sweating is our body’s way of cooling ourselves down. When we’re actually sweating, it means that we need to rehydrate.

Cardio Machines Calories Burned Count Are Always Accurate

There is a sense of satisfaction from going through a workout session on an exercise bike or a treadmill and reading how many calories you’ve burned. While many people believe that those numbers are accurate, a study in 2018 found that elliptical machines overestimate your numbers.

Specifically, for every 30 minutes of exercise on those machines spent, they’ll be off by 100 calories each time. It also seems to be current on all machines that have these particular features.

The Way To A Six Pack Abs Is Crunches And Sit-Ups

Crunches, sit-ups, and other exercises that focus on abs are great for building core muscles and with enough frequency can help toning your abs. All of this is dependent on how good of a diet you’ve got in place.

With this in mind, it’s clear there is more to getting shredded, cut, or ripped. Some of it boils down to the aspects mentioned above, but also down to biology too. If you’ve got a thick layer of fat surrounding your abdomen, it’ll be tough to create that six pack that you’re looking for.

And let me tell you, no amount of exercising is going to fix that. Doesn’t matter if you can deadlift 400 pounds or you’re doing 100 sit ups and crunches per day.

Sports Drinks Are Good For You

When you’re looking for a way to rehydrate, some people turn to sports drinks to help them out. The thing is though, in most circumstances, those sports drinks will do little benefit to you and can actually hinder your progress.

Why?

Well because they are filled to the brim with sugar and in other cases it’s unnecessary calories and sodium too. In a 2019 article, the site livestrong.com found that the drink helped in delivering specific electrolytes to your body. If you don’t need them it’ll be unhelpful as a single 20-ounce bottle of Gatorade contains upwards of 34 grams of sugar alone.

If You’re Gaining Weight, You’re Getting Fat

The final myth to uncover is one that some may be the most familiar with. If you’re just getting into exercising you may find doing a regular routine will give you two results: either nothing has happened or you have actually gained weight.

While seeing the weight gain can be disheartening for some, it doesn’t always mean you are getting fatter. In most cases it’s likely due to the your body adding muscle tissue. In other words your muscles are getting stronger little by little.

What this boils down to is a saying: muscles weigh more than fat.

So in cases where you are not losing any weight it may be because your muscle gains are equal to the amount of fat that you’ve lost as well.

At the end of the day this comes down to what you are looking for in your health and what tools you are using to measure it. If your goal is to lose body fat and build muscle, a typical run-of-the-mill scale is probably not going to be a good indicator for you. Instead you’re better off looking for more advanced body composition tools that’ll show you the percentages of fat, bone, muscles, and water in your body.

There are all kinds of information out there about health. But before you get into believing them, it’s worth looking at the studies that support those claims. Make sure you verify the information before you start acting on them immediately.