The greatest thing about fitness is how welcoming it is to all. There’s a method of working out for everyone that can fit into lifestyles and help them reach their goals. On the other hand, there’s still much to learn about specific fitness ideas due to their outdated evidence that no longer reigns true. That said, here are the most controversial fitness myths debunked that could change your perspective on your routine.
Crunches Are the Sole Way To Get Abs
Despite what some individuals swear by, crunches are not the only way to get a six-pack. If having one is on your goal list, you’ll want to ditch the floor crunches for something less painful and more efficient.
Experts encourage a combination of carb cycling, getting adequate sleep, avoiding stress, and interval training to see the abdominals of your dreams. Another pro tip? Consider acquainting yourself with compound movements like squats and deadlifts that focus on engaging those core muscles.
Never Squat Past Your Toes
A famous and highly controversial myth, the idea of squatting has many individuals believing that you should never squat past 90 degrees, as it is damaging to the knees and biomechanics don’t allow it. The truth, your body’s biomechanics will enable you to squat way past 90 degrees and touch the floor if you’re feeling ambitious!
The most effective way to squat is allowing the knees to pass over the toes, bottom to the floor, with your hamstrings covering your calves. Remember to avoid hunching over by keeping your chest upright throughout the entire movement.
No Pain, No Gain
Following the no pain, no gain philosophy can be extremely dangerous and lead to overtraining, injury, and regret.
Cardio Is the Only Way To Burn Fat
Many swear by cardiovascular activity being the holy grail to losing weight and getting in shape, and while a dose of cardio can aid in weight loss, the real key to shredding inches lies in strength training.
Weight training has many advantages that range from stronger bones, improved cardiovascular health, and fat loss.
Heavy Lifting Bulks Up Women
Lifting weights is beneficial to everyone in that it tones and shapes the body. However, women have nothing to fear. Picking up a deadlift bar won’t make you look like a bodybuilder.
Exercise Cancels Out Bad Eating Habits
It’s safe to say that while exercise helps to transform the body for the better, the true key to losing weight is in your diet. If your meals resemble after-school snacks with minimal nutritional value, exercise won’t be as effective as you expect it to be.
Debunking these controversial fitness myths opens a world of variety in fitness regimens so individuals can train efficiently and reach the results they’re searching for. Maybe they’ll inspire you to incorporate change into your current fitness regimen.
