Myth #1: Doing lots of cardio will make you lose weight faster
Fact: Yes, you may lose weight faster by doing lots of cardio, but not the right weight. Cardio alone will not only burn fat but muscle. As stated:
“Cardio is great if you’re training for an endurance event, but if your goal is weight loss you need to add strength training. Even when you’re not exercising, your muscles burn calories—the stronger they are the more calories they consume. A combination of strength training and cardio equals greater caloric expenditure and will get you to your weight loss goals faster” – Travis Hawkins
The weight you lose through cardio only will only make you weak in the later stages of your life and you won’t be able to do much about it by then. It is best if you incorporate a combination of cardio and strength together to obtain the best results that are long lasting and do not harm you later.
Myth #2: Fasted cardio means faster results
Fact: So we’ve all heard this one. The idea is that doing cardio on an empty stomach will causes your body to utilize your stored fat supply, and therefore lose more fat. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Research by Harowitz and colleagues (*) showed that when training at 50 percent of your max heart rate, there was no difference in the amount of fat burnt by subjects whether in a fasted or fed state. If anything, fasted cardio can have a negative effect of muscle catabolism (muscle loss).
Myth #3: Lifting weights will make you bulky
Fact: This one is for our female readers. Aside from a very small percentage, women do not get bulky. Women lack the right balance of hormones, growth hormone and testosterone to be able to build muscle mass the way men can. However, what can happen is women can start lifting, they feel bulky due to inflammation, fluid retention or just over-eating. Lifting weights helps to tone the body and many women prefer their body composition. Only the women with a goal to gain muscle and mass get big because they train in that particular direction to gain. The rest of you won’t gain mass, instead you will feel strong and have more strength than most of your gym partners.
Myth #4: Skipping meals will make you lose weight faster
Fact: This is far from the truth and usually has the opposite effect. Here’s why. Without a regular supply of calories your body will go into starvation mode to conserve all its energy. This causes your metabolism to slow and any food eaten isn’t burned efficiently.
Skipping one meal makes your blood sugar go down causing you to feel unwell and affecting all your organs. Your metabolism stays slow, your brain function changes and causes huge hunger pangs that cause overeating late in the day. When you eat after a long break, your body which is already in starvation mode starts consuming fats with double times its original pace and causes you to eat more and intake more calories. Your metabolism slows down, resulting in lethargy and frequent headaches. It is only better to control your meal portions and have at least 6 small meals a day.
