5 myths in fitness that ruin the results

We were all newbies at the gym, we all made mistakes, and we all believed the most common myths in the fitness world.

(Of course these myths are false)

# 1. You can eat anything as long as you go to the room

Let's start with an essential topic, food. It is often believed that being in good shape, with a slender and dry figure is due to physical activity. Yes to a certain extent, it is a truth, but it is not the most important part. Some bodybuilders are rather strong but with a wrapped or even fat physique. Going to the gym doesn't necessarily mean you can allow yourself any food gap.

Two parameters must be taken into account, quality and quantity. Eat healthy, nutritious foods rather than industrial and processed foods. Refer to our Food Plan tab for more information. And eat in sufficient quantity but without excess. Learn to spot the hunger sensation of gluttony.

If however you eat too much and you still have this feeling of hunger, take a step back on the sessions that you do: do you only do high intensity sessions, with heavy loads, vary the intensities enough, are you really hungry? Question yourself about how you eat. Eating better also helps to suppress your hunger, mainly with carbohydrates.

Having regular physical activity can allow you to overindulge weekly, for example, because your body should not be restricted at all times. The psychological factor and the pleasure are also determining in the success of your objectives (especially in the long term). This is why "cheats-meals" can be good if they are taken very spaced and infrequently.

# 2. If you don't sweat, you don't work, no pain, no gain

The phenomenon of sweating is a process that regulates body temperature to prevent your body from "overheating". It is in no way an indicator of performance or good training. Especially since it is different for each of us, we all have a unique body and our procedures are all similar but always differ from person to person. Many factors are taken into account in sweating the body and one cannot therefore compare or judge two people on the same physical activity according to their sweating. (Weight, basic metabolism, resistance to exercise, hormone profile, etc.).

The same goes for pain, muscle soreness after exercise means that your body is rebuilding muscle fiber to repair tears during training. These pains are normal after an intensive work session.

On the other hand, during training, you should not feel pain but rather difficulty. Take the runner as an example, he doesn’t spend all of his sessions running fast and long. He has in his program jogging sessions at low pace of long or short duration as well as large workouts.

# 3. Always do more

Your body does not need to constantly seek its limits or to surpass itself, you must imperatively have a structure in your training with phases of progression and phases of consolidation where the level remains the same for several weeks. Strength training is not an endless growth in performance.

The fact is that by doing more you will tire your body, have poor results and you risk falling into overtraining. Fatigue, poor performance, reduced motivation and injuries await you. Take care of yourself, get enough rest and do not overexercise. Remember to have a minimum of 48 hours of rest between each session of the same muscle group.

# 4. To lose weight you have to do a lot of cardio

Cardio will actually help you lose the first few extra pounds, it will allow you to increase your calorie expenditure. However, you shouldn't just do cardio to hope you can lose weight. In addition, cardio quickly reaches its limits if you do not have a suitable program and logic in your workouts. It can also contribute to muscle loss if you do not do weight training next to it or if you do it excessively.

No need to do your 8, 9, 10 km every other day to stay in shape. Two cardio sessions per week are more than enough. To start you can start with a basic endurance session to regulate between 45 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes depending on your level; then another more specific session with a higher and segmented running speed (interval, threshold, maintaining pace).

The Cardio / Bodybuilding combo is optimal for losing weight. Besides, it has often been proven that bodybuilding is more effective in burning calories and therefore theoretically losing weight. In reality it is much more complex than that. Your dietetics, your training methods, your lifestyle, your genetics and other factors also play a role in the equation.

In order not to complicate your task, remember from this myth that cardio and weight training combined are ideal for losing weight. Cardio alone is more limited.

# 5. Eat lots of salad and seeds, diet first and foremost

Well yes and no, in fact the more regularly the food is adapted the better the body will be. However, one should not forget the starting points of each.

Most people go on restrictive diets that give them short-term results. They are often difficult and require a lot of motivation, persistence and sacrifice. Your body doesn't like this kind of diet and sudden change. To be effective in the long run you must never be in excess. Your body will adapt to your new way of eating and look forward to more nutrients. On the other hand if your caloric deficit is too important (higher than 15% of your basic metabolism) then you will train a defense mechanism of the body. It is commonly called the "yoyo" effect.

To explain it more simply, your body accepts the radical changes to which you subject it, then once you re-nourish it more importantly, it will store much more than before for safety, in order to make provisions not to be done surprise again. Because your body does not like immediate change. It's as simple as that.

As we are all designed to move, improve and evolve, your body will more easily accept slight changes in the long term. For any type of current diet, do not exceed the 15% deficit recommended by nutritionists. Bring to your body a new style of diet, richer in protein (animal and vegetable), fiber (vegetables), vitamins (dried fruit, legume, sprouted seeds, fruit juice), carbohydrates, good lipids ( olive oil, almonds, avocado), with the necessary amino acids and minerals. To find out more, see our Food Plan tab.

To adapt in the long term, reduce waste as much as possible (industrial food, processed products) and bring nutrients to your body. Turn the scales upside down, your physical and mental health will surprise you.

Publié le 19/04/2020