Debunking Common Exercise Myths, Part 1

Dieting And Exercise Advice

Here's a great article about cardio workouts which talks about the great ways that exercise helps you lose weight fast. Basically, the healthier your diet and the more calories you burn by increasing your metabolism, the more weight you'll lose. Of course, with some extra help from a real good cardio program, things will go even faster. Read on for more advice on finding the best exercise program for you.

Myth #1: Heavy weights make you "bulky"Heavy weights typically do not lead to increased muscle mass, moderate weights do. Muscle mass is more of a function of volume (ie. number of sets x number of reps). Muscle mass is best gained using multiple sets (3-5) for moderate repetitions (8-12) at moderate loads (70-80% 1RM). Using heavy loads (85% 1RM and above) for repetitions in the 1-5RM range will lead to strength gains with minimal hypertrophy.

Hence, heavy weights do not make you "bulky."Myth #2: High repetitions are for toningI don't know how many times I've heard this. Too many times to be sure. Toning (a term I hate to use) is a result of losing fat and building muscle tissue so that you develop a degree of muscle definition. While there are rep brackets better suited for body compositional changes, there are no rep brackets that "tone." Body compositional changes are a result of the program as a whole, not just the rep bracket being used. As for high repetitions, repetitions of 12+, they are better suited for developing muscular endurance.Myth #3: You can only burn fat by doing cardioYou would think that by now most people would have realized that cardio is not the only means by which you can burn fat.

TIP: As you can tell by reading this, there's a lot of stuff to know when you're deciding whether or not to use this approach. In the meantime, be careful choosing which foods you eat, determine how much fat is in a serving portion, and balance your body's nutritional requirements so as to maximize fat reduction over total weight loss.

However, nearly EVERYONE I speak with in the club where I work only knows fat loss by one method: cardio. Sure, cardio can result in fat loss, but it is most effective the first 6-8 weeks of an exercise program due to the changes in hormonal response that occurs with adaptation. Ever notice how many people perform long duration cardio day in and day out only to leave the gym looking exactly the same? I rest my case.An overlooked method of burning fat is weight training. Many people understand that by adding muscle mass you burn more calories around the clock, which may result in more fat loss. However, what most people fail to realize is that a weight training routine can be manipulated to achieve a specific hormonal response that is conducive to fat loss.

In other words, you will get a different hormonal response from doing high repetitions as opposed to doing low repetitions. The key then is to manipulate training variables in such a way that it will promote fat loss. I will elaborate further on this topic in a future article.Debunking Common Exercise Myths, Part 2...coming soon.

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