"Feed a cold, starve a flu and workout on an empty stomach..." wives tales, misconceptions and myths, life is full of them and so is exercise and fitness. The body is complex, knowing exactly what action caused which response is difficult at best.
To help stop the madness, we've debunked six common health-related notions that have lead some people to avoid exercise completely. Drum roll please...
Increased heart rate improves fitness
If this idea were true, criminals, airline pilots, and anyone under cross-examination would rate as some of the fittest people around. In reality, heart rate is merely an indication of physical activity, nervousness, illness and state of mind.
Endurance athletes can't get heart disease
This quackery reached its zenith in the 1970's when the so-called "Bassler hypothesis," stated that marathon runners were immune to heart disease. The death of author and running guru Jim Fixx to a heart attack while jogging killed that theory (sorry, we had to). While highly trained endurance athletes have a lower risk for heart disease, if there is a history of heart trouble in the family and you live on a diet of cheeseburgers and fries, you're just as susceptible as the late John Candy was to a heart attack.
Hours of exercise is better than minutes
Sustained physical efforts greatly enhance conditioning and weight loss compared to short outbursts of effort. A Stanford University study found that people who completed three 10-minute runs at a moderate pace three times per day were just as fit as those who ran 30-minutes a day, five times a week. However, endurance events (marathons, bicycle races, cross-country skiing, etc.) still require endurance training.
You only have so many heart beats
Without question, everyone has a prescribed amount of life (2 to 3 billion heartbeats) on earth. Working out, however, won't send you to an early grave. In fact, a conditioned heart will actually beat more slowly at rest - thus, saving heartbeats. Individuals shouldn't worry about wasting precious heartbeats to exercise.
Exercise feeds the appetite
Who hasn't returned from a hard workout feeling hungry? It's a natural response to caloric expenditure. But, the idea that increased activity promotes glutinous behavior at the dinner table is ridiculous. In fact, just the opposite is the case in numerous athletes whose appetite suppression is believed to be caused by physiologic responses, including lactic acid, plasma catecholamines and core temperatures.
Spot reduction works
Although the topic of numerous infomercials, ad campaigns and fad diets, spot reduction is pure fiction. While increased cardiovascular activity promotes the expenditure of calories, simply ridding them from the stomach, thighs, love handles, etc. just isn't possible. A study conducted by the University of Massachusetts found that subjects who did 5,000 sit-ups all lost the same amount of fat from their thighs, butts and stomach.
Spot reduction works
Are you taking into consideration "body sculpting" which can be done thru weight training? I firmly believe that if you work your biceps/triceps you will get results that say someone doing only cardio will not get. Thoughts?
Yes you can build muscle through weight training but if you do not do cardio and reduce the fat then it will be buried under fat, thus, not spot reducing.
No, thank you I know that - I'm just saying if you are in shape and work on a certain area by lifting weights - it is possible to work on that one spot.....
I know you should do cardio also...
I am not sure but I think they mean that you can not reduce the area, only create more muscle. I don't think weight lifting itself reduces much fat. YOu can work on the spot by increasing muscle but not reducing...??? anyone else?
Anita and Mrs. JIm - Thank you - that was what I met - you can improve (build) an area with weights, but not reduce it....
Which brings another question. If you build your biceps and you think they are alittle too big, what happens if you stop lifting weights? Do they get smaller (probably) or do they get flabbing? I guess what I'm asking is, if you lift and then stop (one area) will that area lose the muscle and look flabby?
Star, I've been there & done that. It (muscle) just got smaller at first then with not much activity got flubby. I was in a couple of car accidents in one year and was working with weights before. So results vary between individuals, and the elasitcity of their skin. For example when women become pregnant some will get stretch marks and others don't. So it really depends on the individual.
I guess I'm odd, I eat less after a work out, and don't feel hungry after working out. If I work out before breakfast or lunch, I tend to not eat as much.
true- here are some thoughts from the personal trainer i had:
building muscle is important because the more muscle you have the more fat you can burn all day long (that's why weight lifters can eat 3000 cals a day, because that is what all their muscle burns throughout the day not necessarily workouts)
also, when you burn fat, each body will burn it in different areas stored first. for me, i lost it in my back, legs, and face first. my lower abs, hips, and inner thighs will most likely be last. that's why you can't spot reduce. in order to see muscle definition you have to reduce the fat that covers your muscles (body % of fat). those people with six pac abs have body fat % in the mid teens which is really hard to do.
that's all i know on the subject...oh yea, never excersixe on an empty stomach, my trainer said your body needs fuel to burn or it'll burn muscle.
Exercise: Myth Busters! READ THIS!
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