I’ve worked with many clients in the gym for the past 4+ years, so I’ve heard a lot of crap about weight loss. Some of this nonsense also came out of the mouths of so-called expert personal trainers.
Here are some of the most common things I hear that make me want to turn to the person saying it and say “You idiot!” want to shout But I keep my cool and just roll my eyes.
1) The fat burning zone is where you should keep your heart rate
The “Fat Burning Zone”, note the citations, is a myth based on misinformation. It was made by people looking for a good gimmick who didn’t bother to think things through.
Basically, the fat burning zone myth states that there is a certain percentage of your maximum heart rate, actually quite a bit lower, at which your body will burn the most fat. If you hit the “fat burning” button on your cardio machine at the gym, this is the level you’ll be working at.
Man, I hate those buttons!
In fact, at this stage, you’ll burn the largest percentage of your calories from fat. This doesn’t mean you’ll burn more total calories from fat. The funniest part is, as you’ll see in my response to lie #2, it’s probably not even fat that you should be concerned with burning in the first place!
But let me put it another way to drive the point home.
If, for example, you burn 300 calories in 30 minutes working at an average of 80% of your heart rate, 60% of those calories come from fat.
Conversely, for another example, let’s say you burn 150 calories working out at 45% of your maximum heart rate for 30 minutes, of which 100% of those calories come from fat.
As for the “fat burning zone,” the second example is better because you’re maximizing your fat-burning percentage.
In reality, though, you actually burn 30 fewer calories from fat and 150 fewer calories overall by staying in this “fat burning zone.”
I could come up with other examples that make “fat burning zone” theorists really stupid, but we both have better things to do with our time.
Just don’t look at the “fat burning” button or any button for that matter at the gym!
2) You need to exercise continuously for more than 20 minutes to burn fat
This myth is similar to the first one in that it is based on negligence. It may be true that it takes 20 minutes of continuous exercise to burn fat as energy.
Fair enough.
But by working out at a high intensity, by that 20-minute point, you can use up a lot of carbohydrates as energy. And let’s think, in what form are carbohydrates stored in the body?
Fat
Personally, I focus on burning as many carbohydrates as possible to avoid storing excess bodyfat. To do this, I use short bouts of intense work during my workouts. Yes, most of my workouts are 45 minutes to an hour, so I’ll be using some fat as fuel as well. But this is not my primary concern.
Unless you’re working out at a very low intensity for a very long time, so you’re using muscle tissue for energy, you want to burn off as much stuff as possible by working at a relatively high intensity in relatively short bursts. .
3) Cardio is better than resistance training for weight loss
not true. Cardio, and by cardio I mean aerobic exercise, is good for burning some extra calories, but not too many. Resistance training burns more calories per minute of exercise, builds muscle to increase metabolism, and creates a greater caloric expenditure after exercise as the body works to return to a resting state.
For weight loss purposes, 45 minutes of resistance training three times per week mixed with a little cardio is better than 60 minutes of cardio a day with a little resistance training mixed in.
And don’t worry, you won’t grow up unless you really want to!
4) Lighter weights and more reps to tone muscles
If by muscle tone you mean small, weak muscles with fat surrounding them, then yes, lighter weights and more reps are better.
But if by tone, you mean a solid, defined muscle with little fat around it, you probably want to work in the 6-12 rep range. This will have you working at a higher intensity, which is better for muscle growth, maintenance and fat loss.
And no, you won’t get bigger as long as you stick to 1-2 sets and don’t eat like someone who wants to get bigger.
5) Crunch is the best exercise for flat stomach
No. Crunches are generally a waste of time unless you want huge abs and a sore back. Crunches build your abdominal muscles in the same way that chest presses build your chest. They don’t work very well for getting rid of belly fat.
You need a combination of a solid nutrition plan and a total body exercise plan to get rid of belly fat. Try exercises like planks, woodchops and mountain climbers to work the muscles in the core area. These will strengthen your core to protect your lower back instead of putting extra strain on it.
If you’ve spent time at the gym or read a few magazines, you’ve probably heard most of these lies and half-truths before. There is so much information out there in the world today when it comes to weight loss. Hopefully, what I’ve said in this article makes sense and clears up some common misconceptions for you. There are many others, but this is a good start.
Don’t be fooled by fools!
Source by Matt Joseph
