Exercise Fact vs. Myth

MYTH 1: Is it possible to tone one part of your body faster if you simply work it out more (example: doing a million crunches to develop a six-pack)?

FACT 1: You cannot spot reduce no matter how hard you try. Doing a million crunches will make your abs stronger; unfortunately, they will not remove the fat from your waste line. If you really want those six-pack abs, you need to follow a strict diet and exercise on a regular basis.  Remember, the only way to get rid of fat is to burn more calories through exercise than you consume through diet.

MYTH 2: Weight lifting has little effect on fat loss.

FACT 2: This myth is completely false. Weight lifting is more beneficial than cardiovascular training when it comes to fat loss. The fact is, the more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn. Muscle is metabolically active tissue; it is tissue that constantly burns calories with every concentric, eccentric, and isometric movement.

MYTH 3: Women will develop big, bulky muscles if they lift weights.

FACT 3: Women will NOT develop big, bulky muscles when lifting weights. Testosterone is the hormone directly responsible for muscle growth. Women do not produce enough testosterone to build muscles like men. The one and only exception to this, however, is genetics. Some women are born genetically with the ability to produce more testosterone than the average female. In this case, a woman can develop larger muscles than someone who does not produce that much testosterone.

MYTH 4: Stretching is a good way to warm up before exercise.

FACT 4: Stretching a cold muscle is not only ineffective, but it is also a good way to injure yourself. Studies have shown stretching cold muscles slightly decreases muscle strength and power for up to an hour after stretching. The best way to prepare your body for exercise is to perform movements similar to the exercises you will be doing.

MYTH 5: Your muscles will turn to fat if you stop exercising.

FACT 5: The fact is, muscle and fat are two different types of tissue. When you stop exercising, the muscle fibers you have gained will start to shrink through a process called deconditioning. Once the deconditioning process has begun, side effects will occur. Fat gain is the most common side effect people experience next to diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. The fat gain occurs because you are no longer burning the calories you consume, so your body stores them as energy. When you stop exercising, your body eats muscle and builds fat, so it is easy to see why this myth has been around for such a long time.




Kent Tarburton is Cheer360’s Co-Founder and Director of Fitness. He holds Personal Training certifications through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the American Aerobic Association International (AAAI), the International Sports Medicine Association (ISMA), and is a certified Mental Game Coach.