|
• Basic
• Strength Chart
• Beginning Workout
• Home Workout
• Basic Stretches
• Specialized Sport Workout Tips
• Detailed Workout Routines
Available
• Online Training
Sign up for our FREE Health Newsletter!
Health-
Fitness Contest
Free Subway
|
Exercise Myths
Lifting weights will turn my fat to muscle... ?
This is absolutely false.
I have heard a lot of people in the gym say this. Fat and muscle have totally different
makeup. Can you turn a apple into a banana? When you lose weight your fat cells
deflate but are still there. The muscle fibers grow bigger and sometimes
atrophy, get smaller.
Back to Top
I always lose weight by only doing cardio... ?
You can see great
loss success by doing all of cardio exercise but this is not a lasting loss.
See, too much cardio will burn muscle nutrients too then, as your metabolism
slows down and you start eating regularly again and will gain weight. Most
people gain most of the weight back, as soon as they slow down and end up
gaining more fat percentage than they had before. You can't starve yourself and
run around like you are on speed forever.
Back to Top
I can use diet pills for any weight loss... ?
Diet pills are mostly
all the same, some type of speed, appetite suppressant and sometimes a thyroid stimulator.
Diet pills are usually used as a easy weight loss fix. Just take a pill without
exercise, starve and get skinny. Then I know, all your girlfriends say how good
you look, you feel awful so, you try to keep up your front till you have a
breakdown. You can't starve yourself and run around like you are on speed
forever. Over-half of the people gain the weight back and end up gaining more
fat percentage than they had before. The end result of this is almost the same
as the cardio question above. This is certainly not a long term weight loss
solution.
Back to Top
Any good exercise program will work for anyone... ?
There are a lot
of general exercise programs or even someone else's personal program. We are all
different body shapes, sizes, fat areas, personal habits and weekly schedules to
exercise. A program that works for some fitness guru or a bodybuilder is
designed to their goals and to positively stimulate their body type. If
you happen to be similar body type and muscle fibers as the fitness guru, you
might see some positive response, for a short time. That is why a personal
trainer can design a personal fitness program just for you and your goals,
schedule, body type. After a while, our bodies will get accustomed to activates
and we need to change it up again, to continue to get results. Having a personal
trainer to help you, will be able to set an initial fitness program and be there
later to help you to continue stimulate your body. The sky is the limit with the
body, it's totally up to you whatever you like to accomplish with it.
Back to Top
I can lift more weight and get bigger by bouncing the bar... ?
A
lot of gym people like to bounce the weight off their chest or such, they can
lift more weight and it helps to keep their ego high. This is only used in some
power lifting training or meets. The sport of power lifting's goal, is to lift
as much weight as you can If it's excepted and everyone else is cheating
in the exercise, you will lose an advantage by not using the same practice. For
everyone else, drop the ego, make sure to keep safe, proper and controlled form
on every exercise. By not using momentum and letting the muscles do the work,
you will get stronger, bigger and less chance for injuries. There is nothing
wrong with demonstrating power during the lift only, no cheating against gravity
(bouncing or using momentum) and make sure to train your tendons first for this.
Be safe and have fun in the gym.
Back to Top
Full incline sit-ups are the best way to get all the
abdominal muscles... ?
When the body is lying down flat or on decline,
the hip flexors, little quads are all working with the abdominal muscles. If you
use weight on chest, you will find that you are stronger this way because, you
are using a handful of muscle groups at a time. There is nothing wrong with
working other muscle groups, they need it too. To effectively work the abdominal
muscles, they need to be isolated, meaning that this is the only muscle group
working, besides a few stabilizer muscle groups. When the abdominal muscles
contract, they pull the chest area down-towards the stomach. Your body will look
like the letter C, thus the name curl. If it looks like a U, you are extending
out too far and going over the hip area. For the most effective, try to stick
with the good old floor crunches, cable crunches, side crunches, twist crunches,
and medicine ball catch crunches.
Back to Top
If I'm short on time to get fit again, I can workout
everyday...?
The body recovers quicker from cardio exercise and can be trained more often,
sometimes even daily basis. When exercising the muscles, they need to have a
recovery period, of a day or two. Not just weight lifting but, any exercise that
works the muscles, to name a few, hiking, any climbing, running hills and
sprinting, See when we work the muscles we tear down the fibers, from repetitive
strenuous contractions. The body needs this time period to repair the muscle
fibers and prepare them for a stronger load next time. By muscle exercising more
often or daily, the fibers never get a chance to fully repair. They are open to
injuries, won't be able to get stronger or bigger from the exercise. Working out
constantly without any rest on the muscles is called over-training. People that
enjoy working out, it can be easy to be over-training and not even know it. If
you work out all the time and aren't making any strength gains, take a week off
lifting. When you go back to the gym in a week and are stronger than you
were the week before, then you know you were over-training. Your muscles got to
repair and had a rest so, are ready to go again for you.
Back to Top
All I have to do to get results is work harder...?
True, as you
are able, exercising harder, more intensely, can bring about great and even
quicker results. This process is a progression of lifting and you would increase
the intensity, weights as you feel comfortable and know your body is ready. As
your workouts increase so does your daily nutrition intake, water, protein,
carbs, good fat, vitamins and consistent good sleep have to increase. You also
have to be more mindfully into your workouts because as you increase to work
harder, increases chances for injuries too. Always be aware of the exercises
that you are doing, angle of exercise, muscle being worked especially, if you
are extra tired that day, just make it a lighter day. You want to get the best
results in the least amount of safe time and a injury could stop everything and
set you back a couple months or years.
Back to Top
I will enjoy going to the gym or exercising as, I
force myself to do it more often...?
Some of this is procrastination
that everyone seems to face from time to time. But the word "force" in
the question, if you honestly don't like to exercise you may have to initially
push yourself to exercise. Untimely you should enjoy exercising and this
shouldn't be a dreaded activity. If you don't particularly like to lift
weights then, find some other activity that will keep your mind busy while, your
muscles are exercising. The fitness field is wide open to activities, you could
even invent your own, as long as it is forcing tension on the bones and muscles,
for an extended period of time. I always say even to regular weightlifters
if, you don't feel like being at the gym that day, then leave. Keep your
exercising are, activity as a happy place in your mind and don't let it get associated
with any misery feelings. Keep in mind this process is only temporary and
should only last for a day or two. If you are sad, down after that time period,
you have a more serious mental situation and may need to talk to your own
personal physician.
Back to Top
All I have to do to lose weight is watch my carbohydrates
intake...?
People say this all the time, especially women that
controlling carbs is the weight loss secret. When we have extra calories left
over in our system, they then get stored as fat. If you are trying to lose
weight, just match your carbs with your activity then, lower the amount just a
little. Protein is a very important source, even more than carbs. People tend to
neglect protein intake when, working to lose weight, protein will help increase
the process and make the weight loss last.
Back to Top
I will exercise as soon as I get that newly advertised
equipment or DVD...?
This is another form of procrastinating remember,
tomorrow never comes. It's good to have fitness goals but keep them personal
goals and not relying on someone or something else. We need to decide to
exercise and change our bodies for our self; if we get a DVD or helpful
equipment, that is just a bonus. Just because it is advertised to work for
someone doesn't, mean it will work for your body too.
Back to Top
I will get healthier and start exercising when, the kids are grown and gone...?
I hear a lot of people say because they are more preoccupied with their
career, hobby, children, just to name a few. Remember tomorrow never comes when,
it's the next day, it's today. It's true, we all have the same amount of time in
a day. Our fitness-health has to be a high priority so, we can continue to enjoy
our other duties and not be in agony when we do them. It's not being selfish to
put yourself above your kids, for health-fitness, to be able to be there for
them longer.
Back to Top
I will get the same results by buying the products a fitness guru say worked for them...?
A
few products might have some success but the fitness gurus are promoting the
service/product and are getting paid to say that. Even if the product doesn't
work at all, they are aware and not worried because, they are getting a big fat
check. Ask around friends, personal fitness trainer, professional that have used
the product and don't have any financial connection with the producer. Even some
money back guarantee periods, have some fine print that know one is going to
tell you. Can't return on Tuesday if the sky is blue, customer service hours are
only Mon. from 8-10 in the morning and have a waiting period of an hour or more,
I know some of these sound silly but, this is true in big business, be careful.
There might be a very small handful of fitness people, that honestly care about
helping people, feel better and not by the all-mighty dollar. You need to
research them first, their background, what kind of person are they away from
camera? If no research available and are unfamiliar, you may have to try
some services, to help build your confidence that, they are there only for you.
We have written all over our site, Our success is only your
success and it is very true. We are not just saying this
because, we wrote this article but, we hope you try us and we help build your
confidence that we do believe this.
Back to Top
If I don't eat very much and almost starve myself, I
will lose weight...?
True, you will lose weight on the scale. We see all the time about people in
other countries that actually don't have any food and you can see their bones.
This is a method that the body uses for ONLY survival, in times of starvation.
We usually aren't starving but simply wanting to lose a couple pounds. This is
no long term fix and we end up gaining a higher fat percentage when, we gain the
weight back again. Any weight loss program has to encompass the fundamentals,
strength exercise, cardio and proper nutrition percentages. There is no general
formula for weight loss, body type, gender and personal habits can, all be
factors to consider. If you are not sure how, or what to do, see your physician,
dietician and a profession fitness trainer. We have many fitness
training services, office, online, on-site. See HERE! We don't stop until, only
your success is our success.
Back to Top
Any person with a body that looks good or very fit
can help others, to do the same to their body...?
This is obviously not
true. A fit muscleman, fit women, bodybuilder, fitness model, that looks good in
tight clothes, to name a few, all are listened to, like a professional just
because, the way they look. You don't know if they had a fitness trainer to help
them get that way, it may be some natural genetics, they were raised
fitness-healthier by parents. Another good example to relate is, a person that's
good at cooking, can they always teach others to cook? No not always, someone
that looks very fit, may not even know how they got that way much less, to teach
someone else about it. I agree, a fitness trainer, shouldn't be big and fat and
telling others to be fit. Being a professional fitness trainer, is a lot more
than looking good but, being able to teach and personalize a program to meet the
clients fitness goals, in a reasonable amount of time. We have many fitness
training services, office, online, on-site. See HERE!
We don't stop until, only
your success is our success.
Back to Top
It doesn't matter if I do the exercise fast or
slow...?
It does matter greatly with the speed that a exercise is
performed does matter depending, on whether you want to tone, size or build
strength. Doing the exercise faster with lighter weights, like a 1-2 second
count, is used more for toning the muscle. Doing the exercise really slow, like
10-12 second count, is used for building strength. The right combination
of some fast and slow repetitions, are used for building size. Remember if you
are doing faster movements, you always want to keep momentum out of play, as
much as possible. Faster movements exercises have a greater chance for
injuries so, make sure your form is always correct.
Back to Top
Short people can get stronger faster than tall
people...?
This is a tricky question. You probably hear tall people complaining about how
easy it is for the short guys to get bigger. People that are vertically
challenged usually have shorter limbs. Shorter limbs will include a smaller
distance for the tendons to pull the angle. It seems to be easier for these
people to build muscle size and some strength quicker than people with longer
limb extensions. Here's the catch, it takes the taller person a little
longer to build the same appearance of muscle but, when they do, they will be a lot
stronger and look more muscle bound than the short guy.
Back to Top
Nutrition doesn't matter as much as people say, most people can get bigger
by working out harder...?
This totally false. Anyone that has been
exercising for years and not getting proper nutrition wonders why they are not
making bigger gains. There are two main fundamental components of all
fitness/health programs, exercise and nutrition. After a hard day at the gym, if
the body doesn't get the proper nutrients in about a 2 hour period, it will deplete
your current storages therefore, defeating any muscle gaining process. True, you
will get better results out of working harder in gym but then, will need a
larger amount of nutrition than was needed previously. Your nutrition quantities
has to increase as your muscle/body grows bigger, to continue to fuel the body.
Your percentages of fat, carbs, and protein will change depending on what you
are trying to accomplish, from your fitness program.
Back to Top
If you have been told not to exercise by your doctor, because of your health condition, wait for this program, or any other, till you have full clearance. Stay within the guidelines of your doctor till you have clearance to move to a higher exercise level.
|
Please consult your physician before performing any exercises.
At any time during your workout, if you feel faint, dizzy, loss of breath, or extra tired: Stop Exercising Immediately! |
