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Fitness Myth 1: Females get bulky performing resistance training

Muscle growth or hypertrophy takes place when specific demands are placed on the muscles of the body. Th e SAID principle (specifi cadaptation to implied demands) and lots of high resistance training gives a male increased muscle bulk and strength due to the high levels of testosterone in the male body. A female has much lower levels of this hormone and will normally fi nd it very difficult to bulk up doing heavy resistance training. Females do benefit from resistance training: it gives a lower BMI, the maintenance of bone density to curb the onset of osteoporosis and a lean and toned body.

Fitness Myth 2: Females who avoid weight gains as they age will remain healthy

As you age and your metabolism slows down, the amount of fat in your body slowly increases. Females experience an even greater fat percentage increase than men do. What does this mean to the average person? It is important to
maintain a healthy body and not accumulate excessive fat. After menopause, a female’s body fat distribution tends to shift — less in the arms, legs and hips, and more in the abdomen. Some females even experience a widening
waist without gaining any weight. Although you may not be gaining extra fat, your abdominal fat is increasing as limb and hip fat decreases. Even in women of a normal weight, too much fat concentrated in the midsection is unhealthy and results in high levels of visceral fat. Visceral fat lies deeper inside the abdomen, surrounding the abdominal organs. Gaining this type of fat has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other health problems. Subcutaneous fat, located between the skin and the abdominal wall, is more visible but also less likely to be a health risk. So you see weight measurements only tell you half the story and a more comprehensive body assessment is required.

Fitness Myth 3: The fat burning zone is best achieved by steady state cardio

Steady state cardio is achieved by long slow walks or jogging for fat loss, but it burns few calories whilst performing the exercise and burns very little if any in the hours after your finish. Fat burning hormones and enzymes are produced at low levels during steady state cardio and the body adapts by becoming more energy effi cient, meaning your body has to work less to perform the same workout because new and changing demands are not placed on the body. Interval training is far better for losing weight because you will burn far more calories and it will keep your metabolism revving manyhours after you finish training. Interval training is short bouts (10-60 seconds) of high intensity exercise broken up with periods of low intense exercise. Th e good thing with this is that you can burn more calories in a shorter amount of time. Substitute 20-25 mins of interval training including your warm up and cool down, instead of 45-60
mins pounding away on a treadmill.

Fitness Myth 4: Spot reducing

No matter where your body is inclined to store fat, there is no evidence that you can fatten up or slim down in specific spots at will. If you usually store fat in your chest, when you gain weight, your breast size may increase, too. But if you store fat on your thighs, as you gain weight, extra fat may go to your legs, not your breasts. It is genetically determined how fat stores change with weight loss.

Fitness Myth 5: More is better

Too much of a good thing can be detrimental to your training. If you’re training too frequently, for too long or without enough rest you may suff er from overtraining. Overtraining can lead to sickness, depression and injury. Th e typical signs of overtraining include:
• Insomnia
• Achiness or pain in the muscles and/or joints
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Elevated morning pulse
• Sudden inability to complete workouts
• Feeling unmotivated and lacking energy
• Increased susceptibility to colds, sore throats and other illnesses
• Loss in appetite
• Decrease in performance

Fitness Myth 6: Using a treadmill is better for your legs compared to running outside

On the basis of lower in vivo strains and strain rates – tested with intra muscular electrodes - treadmill runners are at lower risk of developing tibial stress fractures, but less likely to achieve tibial bone strengthening, than overground runners. You will probably get less knee problems running on a treadmill but you also fail to gain the bone mass gains
achieved from running outside.

Fitness Myth 7: An aerobic workout boosts metabolism for hours

Despite a huge amount of literature on the subject, diff erences in experimental procedures mean it’s hard to make meaningful comparisons and draw overall conclusions. So far these medical theories are widely accepted:
1. Exercise may signifi cantly increase metabolic rate for between six and 36 hours after exercise.
2. There may be a threshold effect for intensity and duration - possibly 70% VO2max, for 90 minutes or longer.
3. Regular endurance exercise may boost levels of activity during the rest of the day.
4. Gender seems to be a factor; women’s metabolic rates seem less affected by exercise.
5. Resistance exercise may be a good way to off set the decliningmetabolic rate typically found as age increases.

 
Fitness Myth 8: Stretching before a workout is necessary to prevent Injury

Static stretching before exercise does not lower the incidence of injury. Scientific research and studies on Australian Army recruits support this fact. So what is the ideal preparation before a workout or competition? A gentle warm up followed by dynamic movements that mimic the actions found in the sport being undertaken, are recommended.
Dynamic warm-up and flexibility training should be an essential element of any pre-practice or pre-competition routine.

An effective warm-up does five very important things:

1. Increases body temperature allowing muscles to work more efficiently.
2. Gets the heart and lungs ready for vigorous activity.
3. Stretches muscles actively, preparing them for the forces experiences during exercise.
4. Engrains proper movement patterns and the coordination needed.
5. Wakes up the nervous system and gets the brain talking with the muscles.

A dynamic warm-up, which involves stretching with movement, accomplishes all of these tasks. You’ll gain more flexibility if you stretch after exercising. Be careful though - being too flexible can increase your possible risk of injury.

Fitness Myth 9: BMI measurements are an accurate measurement for fitness and body mass

The BMI is meant to put people in populations for statistics only. The BMI accuracy in relation to actual levels of body fat is easily distorted by factors such as fi tness level, muscle mass, bone structure, gender, and ethnicity. As a general rule, developed muscle contributes more to weight than fat and the BMI does not look for this. Th erefore a person with more muscle mass such as a bodybuilder will seem to be overweight. According to the Medical Journal of Australia the waist–hip ratio is the preferred measure of obesity for predicting cardiovascular disease, with more universal application in individuals and population groups of diff erent body builds.

Fitness Myth 10: Weightlifting belts will protect your back when you lift

The use of both weightlifting belts and immobilising lumbar braces must be observed in terms of their appropriateness. The fact that there are benefi ts to wearing these devices tends to create the perception that they should be worn at all times, during any lifting activity. This is a myth that will only lead to decreased performance and potential injury.
Electromyographic activity of the stabilising musculature is reduced when a weight belt is worn, which in turn could lead to atrophy of the postural muscle groups. Injury potential is obviously higher in muscle tissue that is devoid of
the optimal training stimulus. Furthermore, lumbar support devices that increase Intra Abdominal Pressure must be tightened to be eff ective. High IAP, however, may impede blood flow back to the heart as well as signifi cantly raise blood pressure. Wearing a weight belt at all times would certainly appear contraindicated when all the criteria are examined.

Fitness Myths 11: No pain no gain

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) causes most of the pain when you overtrain. Many people believe that if they aren’t sore, they didn’t work hard enough. Th is is not true. Most scientific evidence supports the theory that overtraining causes an excessive amount of micro-tears in the muscle fi bres. Th is is what you feel in the days following a very hard workout. It is also the reason weight lifters construct a split program so that their muscles have time to rest, grow and repair. If you are training everyday try to include a variety of exercises in your program and mix
them around. It is fun to change your program every 6 to 8 weeks.

Fitness Myths 12: Eating late at night makes you fat

Eating more calories than you use all day leads to weight gain; eating fewer leads to weight loss. So, in theory, no matter when you eat them, as long as the number of calories you eat each day matches how many you burn, you won’t gain weight. Since the body slows down in the evening, calories consumed at night may be more likely to be stored
rather than used. Not only is a person less active, but all cells operate according to circadian rhythms, or fluctuations in their patterns of activity throughout a 24-hour period. Body processes - such as gut motility in digestion or the absorption of nutrients from food - also seem to operate on a kind of body clock, showing decreased activity at night. But there do not appear to be studies that prove that if you eat past a certain time you will gain weight because of it. It is important to eat a variety of foods in small amounts and to distribute your meals over regular intervals.

Fitness Myths 13: Supplements are required to keep you fit and healthy

There are a few, very few, supplements that can actually do something for you. “Anti-aging” supplements have understandable appeal but no scientifi c merit. Exercise won’t turn back the clock but there are sound reasons to believe it can slow the aging process. Bodily disuse contributes to many of the physiologic changes that accompany ageing, and exercise can slow the rate of change. Regular exercise prolongs life. According to the calculations of the University of Chicago’s Dr.Willard Manning and his colleagues, each mile you walk as part of a regular exercise program will extend your life by 21 minutes. Supplements can alter the internal workings of your body and interact significantly with prescription medications. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before your take nutritional supplements.

Fitness Myth 14: More sweat mean more fat loss

Current scientific research indicates that sweat is not indicative of energy or calorie expenditure. Your body has an inbuilt cooling system which means that as your body temperature rises it starts to release the excess heat in the form of perspiration.

Fitness Myth 15: A sports drink is a workout must-have

Staying hydrated during a workout is important, but unless you’ll be sweating it out for 90 minutes or more, don’t drink anything but water. The body’s not working so hard that it’ll run out of electrolytes or glucose, so a sports drink will only add unnecessary calories to your diet. A sports drink is sensible to take when engaged in longer workouts: its electrolytes help you sweat more effi ciently so you retain precious water. After a workout you need to replace glucose
and supply the body with protein for muscle repair. Current scientific research indicates that drinking a chocolate milkshake is ideal as a post workout drink.

By Ben Fazio

Article contributed by
Ultra Fit magazine
www.ultrafit.com.au