Have you not come across a new weight loss tip, which guarantees you weight loss or even single digit fat percentages by investing only a couple of minutes in the gym? Most of these are myths, which have never been validated. People succumb to these since shortcuts are the norm. To help you move away from this I will touch upon some of the most common Myths which you are likely to come across –
Working on my Abs will get me a washboard: This is one of the most common myths that people step into the gym with. Far too many people think that working on Abs every day will help them get a flat midsection. The one thing, you can do to get there is to ensure that you bring your fat percentage to less than 10 %.
This happens with what & when you eat and not necessarily through your exercise regimen. Yes exercise is important but the logic that “Abs are built in the kitchen” is true. Therefore focus on your food intake, which is the main driver of your body fat percentage. If your most important reason for hitting the gym are washboard abs, then examine your diet first.
Doing more cardio will help me lose weight: I have seen too many people spend hours in the gym doing cardio and then complaining, that they are not losing any inches. You might spend hours doing cardio but if you do not focus on your diet & sleep pattern, then it is time wasted. Focus on a mix of cardio, body weight and if possible some resistance training in your exercise schedule.
Add to this, a good sense of discipline in the critical areas of food intake and sleep. Cardio will help you burn calories at that particular moment and not for long post the workout.Hence I personally do not spend too much time on doing cardio in or outside the gym.On an average, the maximum I would go is about 20-25 minutes.
Machine Exercise is advanced & superior: Some of the machines in the gyms today are advanced no doubt, but remember that only working on these will not get you far. Real fitness requires all of your muscles to work in unison. Therefore consider doing bar/dumbbell lifts irrespective of whether you are a man or a woman.
Some of the long term benefits of free weights exercises are irreplaceable. I am a big advocate of free weights and always follow a mix and match approach. As usual begin with the basics and then you can always move on.Be responsible when you are with weights and give it the respect it deserves.
Working out in gym will make me big: Well this is what humorous me the most, especially when I hear it from women. Working on getting big is a hard & persistence effort and not for the faint hear ted. Therefore, throw all old wives tales and focus on the real benefits.
The biggest change you will get by lifting free weights a couple of times a week will be with toning your body, which I am sure, is what you want.Working on getting big is a mindset and it does require different set of goal settings.
Of course there are loads of Fitness Myths which I can add up, to make it one hilarious blog. Remember, there are far too many myths going around rather than pure logic and truth. Therefore do not succumb to any of these and derail your fitness journey even before it begins.
I strongly advocate each one of you to invest some time in referring to some great books/magazines which bring out cutting edge and result driven programmes, either in the printed or digital format. The best teacher will eventually be yourself, when you open up to learn.In my opinion learning helps you to grow and evolve and so it is when it does come to your own fitness.
As always I would love to hear from all of you. Do share this blog with your friends & family, so that they do not need to go through this learning curve. I look forward to hearing from you on my mail Id coach@satishrao.in or at my FB Fan page www.facebook.com/B.N.Satishrao.
In addition, if any one of you wants to interact with me November 22nd Friday (1530-1700 Hrs IST) , I will be available on Google hangout; details are through this link https://plus.google.com/u/0/+SatishRaoLifeCoach/posts .I will also look forward to connect with you in person