We’ve all been mislead by a myth before, unfortunately when it comes to the fitness industry there seems to be a lot of misinformation flying around. Below are the top 5 fitness myths that companies have profited from.
1. Small resistance bands will grow your glutes
Muscle hypertrophy has been proven to be the most successful when the concentric part of the movement is performed as fast as you can. A lot of videos you see when people are using these bands, are performing the exercises at a slow rate for time under tension. This means they are holding the muscle under tension for a long time, this method carries its own benefits, but no studies show that it produces any quicker or better results than what we already know.
The limb length and genetic makeup of a person will give some people an advantage over others on certain movements. Unfortunately, a band will not be the answer to this problem for those who do not have the correct limb length to grow certain muscles as easily.
2. HIIT training is an ideal way to lose weight
This became the case over lockdown with numerous home workouts being sold following the HIIT principle marketed in a way to lose weight. The science tells us that our BMR slows down during intense exercise as a defence mechanism because the body recognises high intensity training as stress, so focusing your workouts on this style when trying to lose weight can be counterproductive and sometimes dangerous.
Studies have shown that too much HIIT can deplete our glycogen and energy stores. Glycogen is used as fuel during exercise and is usually restored at rest, but if you aren’t giving your body considerable time to rest it will struggle to fully replenish. This will make you feel burnt out and negatively affect your body’s recovery. We could write a whole blog on the negative effects of HIIT so keep an eye out for it!
3. The “burn” is an indication of you burning fat
We’ve all heard the phrase “feel the burn”, people tend to believe that when they feel this familiar sensation, they are burning fat. In reality, this is not the case. The “burn” is lactic acid building up in the muscles, it does this when the muscles are unable to get enough oxygen due to your body working at its greatest capability.
Some personal trainers will put together exercise programs based around the “burn” which gives their clients a false sense of fulfilment because they feel like they are getting a pump. This leads clients to give these personal trainers more credit than warranted. Unfortunately, the “burn” is not a clear indication of an effective workout and can lead to injury if done excessively. For more info on this, read our blog, the burn is not real.
4. Detoxes used for weight loss
This may be the most marketed myth I’ve seen. This one comes in many nasty forms – pills, teas, soups, shakes, coffees, appetite suppressing lollipops, the list goes on. Often aimed at women and young girls usually posted alongside a picture of some popular (but incredibly useless) celebrity who doesn’t know the first thing about health or weight loss. What makes it worse is that those who endorse these ineffective and dangerous products have had invasive surgeries such as Brazilian Butt Lifts, fat transfers, liposuction, injections, implants and all the rest – it’s pure deception.
Brilliant activists like Jameela Jamil have worked hard to ban the sale of these products on platforms such as Instagram where young, misinformed women are extremely vulnerable. Most of these products simply act as a laxative or are packed full of sugars. Don’t fall for the lies!
5. Low calorie diets
If it looks too good to be true, then it usually is. Some personal trainers sell weight loss packages that claim to help you lose a big amount of weight in a short amount of time. They put their clients on unnecessary calorie restrictions so that within a short window their client loses an amount of weight that’s worthy of a before and after picture which attracts more clients. But what most people forget is that weight loss is a lifestyle, there is no quick fix and being on a low-calorie diet is extremely unsustainable.
These kinds of diets will affect your energy, focus, concentration and motivation. In addition to that, it is known that those who are overly restricted tend to binge eat which causes a whole array of other problems that could be easily avoided all together. A good personal trainer will still allow you to eat full meals and even enjoy a takeaway or chocolate from time to time.
It can be very frustrating and confusing trying to separate the truth from the myths. If there is ever anything you are unsure of, don’t hesitate to get in touch for a second opinion you can trust!
