These outdated myths about fitness prevent you from having a perfect figure and losing weight. Stereotypes that increasingly distract people from understanding proper training.
In fitness and bodybuilding, new stereotypes appear every year, which increasingly distract people from understanding the right training. Some of them are actively distributed by sports nutrition manufacturers, some are passed on from incompetent instructors, others simply become commonplace over time simply because no one denies them. However, the main reason for the creation of many myths is that in the CIS countries, outdated knowledge is used in fitness. Some postulates have come to power sports in the 80’s, and still they are actively spreading as a basis for training . Ukraine , Ukraingate , 22 , January , 2022 | Sport
In this article, we will refute the main mistakes that will allow you not only to improve your results in sports, but also to make your lifestyle as comfortable as possible. All that is needed is to connect science, logic and modern research results, which often completely reject all outdated postulates.
Myth №1. Do not eat after six
This is one of the most common mistakes that affects everyone, not just athletes. Anyone who notices excess weight on their body or worries about their figure is trying to limit their calorie intake. This is the right step, but not its implementation.
Most people try to choose a simple way that will not be burdened and get results. Most often, this is a partial or complete restriction of food after 6 pm to compensate for the calories eaten during the day.
The saying that “dinner should be given to the enemy” is passed down from generation to generation, with no logical basis.
Let’s move on to the refutations and negative consequences of this diet:
Human biorhythms are not taken into account
This is the first reason that simply destroys the logic of fasting after 6 pm. If a person goes to bed at 2 am? And if she overcame several time zones on the plane, what to do in this case? This is nothing more than a popular and generalized template that is of almost no use.
The body does not receive the necessary substances (especially proteins) long before sleep
Even if you go to bed at 11 pm, 5 hours of waking + 8 hours of sleep is too much. The body will use for energy not only fats but also protein cells, ie to destroy muscles. As a result, a person’s health and fitness will begin to deteriorate over time.
During the day the body spends 0.2 calories more per 1 kg of body weight than at night simply put, the difference between the assimilation of food during the day and night does not exceed even 20%, so with the right dinner, it will never go to fat.
To sum up: few people like the constant restriction of food in the evening, especially if you just come home from work at 6 o’clock. Moreover, this sacrifice will be illogical and even meaningless, because it will only lead to a slowdown in metabolism and constant discomfort from hunger.
Proper dinner, on the other hand, will help you lose weight, at least by preserving the muscles (which, in turn, constantly consume calories in any condition). Try to choose food so that the dinner consisted of protein foods, vegetables and healthy fats. The ideal option is fish that contains omega fatty acids and a lot of protein, as well as vegetable salads (without mayonnaise).
Myth № 2. To lose weight, you need to remove the sweet and floury
This fable has long been one of the postulates of getting rid of excess weight, but its popularization took place only because of gastronomic illiteracy.
First, the body does not care what food you eat. He does not know how to understand what is good and what is bad. For our body, everything eaten is determined only by quality, namely the amount of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and other substances. Moreover, the basis of the fight against overweight are the two most “harmful” carbohydrate products – sugar (sweet) and all products with flour. It is important to understand that regardless of the type of carbohydrate, after digestion and assimilation, it enters the bloodstream in the form of glucose.
Oatmeal will turn into glucose, as well as a piece of pizza, halva or a portion of ice cream. The only difference is how much of this glucose will get into the blood and how much of it will be deposited in fat depots, ie in excess fat on the body.
Therefore, it is important not just to exclude some foods, but also to control the number of calories consumed.
For this:
Count all the calories you consume per day;
Even if you ate a chocolate bar, make up for it so as not to go beyond the daily caloric intake (pre-calculate it on a special calculator);
Watch not for foods, but for the amount of carbohydrates. If you replace sugar with honey, which is also quite high in calories, it will be almost equivalent metabolism, which will not reduce the intake of carbohydrates.
To summarize: do not be afraid only of flour and sugar.
Well, these are some of the most “harmful” carbohydrates that really need to be kept to a minimum. But this does not mean that you need to compensate for the lack of sugar by kilograms of apples or other foods that are often used to satisfy hunger.
The lack of direct damage to sugar was recently proven by one athlete who managed to lose weight by eating only ice cream. This clearly shows that only the number of calories is important, and not selected products, which are openly “demonized” by modern nutrition.
Only a calorie deficit will really allow you to lose weight, and how you achieve it, for the body plays almost no role (if you do not take into account the body’s need for substances and consider only the caloric content of food).
Myth № 3. If you want to lose weight – switch to a fractional diet
Even many professional athletes are actively promoting fractional nutrition, explaining its benefits by the fact that the body will lose weight faster. However, modern research shows that only the total number of calories consumed plays a role. Simply put, if you eat 2500 kcal in 3 meals, or divide them by 6, there will be no difference for weight loss.
The only benefit is that:
Some people find it easier to control their hunger pangs;
It is easier to avoid peaks of insulin release, compared to consuming large portions.
Therefore, the dilemma of eating 3 times a day or 4-5, should be left only to personal preferences. Both options are equally effective.
Moreover, Western nutritionists recommend eating 4 times a day, where three standard meals and one snack. This will allow you to eat every 2.5-3 hours, which is considered the optimal norm.
Myth № 4. Only basic exercises will increase muscle mass
The notion of “base” in relation to exercises has long been reduced to an absolute that cannot be criticized. At the same time, isolating movements are often actively criticized, presenting them as less effective. Such statements will really be relevant for those who train for the first six months.
Indeed, from basic exercise, beginners grow faster, which is due to the involvement of a large number of muscle fibers and the release of anabolic hormones into the blood (the basis of growth).
However, adaptation – the main enemy in fitness and strength sports, belongs to all movements, including basic.
Therefore, if you insist on the same bench press for years, its effectiveness in terms of hormone production and “shock” of the muscles will be much less.
What in the end?
Avoid exercise routines, including basic exercises. Change the types of training, connect different techniques (drop-networks, super-networks, partial amplitude, etc.);
Your program should change dramatically every one and a half to two months, otherwise its effectiveness will be 40-45% less than in the first week of training;
Change your training styles.
It is important not only to burn fat, but also to develop strength, endurance, and train with the expectation of maximum muscle hypertrophy. “Fuck” training for months in the same style, this is the most disastrous option.
To summarize: the “base” is good and necessary, but the body eventually gets used to even the best exercises. Therefore, use any techniques to diversify your workouts, change programs, use exercise progression (not only by gaining weight), it will maximize the results of your efforts in the gym.
Myth № 5. Only diet will help remove fat
Ask anyone what they need to do to lose weight. 90% of them will say that you need to go on a diet. Unfortunately, among them will be even those who train and train others. However, if you look at the facts, this knowledge did not help to solve the problem of obesity. Moreover, diets often aggravate it.
It is important to remember the following facts, which have been proven by many studies:
There is only one diet that can be used constantly. That is, diet should not be a temporary measure, but a way of life;
The diet should be comfortable (ie no breakdowns, no depression or tantrums from malnutrition);
Monodiet is the deadliest solution you can think of. No monodiet will ever benefit the body. On the contrary, nutrition should be varied so that the body receives the full range of nutrients.
To summarize: the very concept of “diet” means a diet or diet, not a temporary hard cut in calories. You can reduce food intake to a minimum, enjoying weight loss of 3-4 kg per week, but after the abolition of such a diet (and it certainly will be), all the weight lost will return with even greater compensation. Only constant and stable formation of a healthy diet allows you to gradually reduce the weight, which will not return, which is fundamentally contrary to all temporary diets.
Myth № 6. The best cardio for fat burning – running
Ask hundreds of people how best to burn fat, and 90 will advise running. Moreover, running is recommended for figure correction, even for people who do not play sports.
Running is good in itself, because humanity has used it for millions of years. However, as a type of cardio, running is not considered the best, rather the opposite its usefulness is nearing the end of the list.
There are a number of reasons for this:
Low-intensity running burns a moderate amount of calories over a long period (few people are able to run for 50-60 minutes without a break with excess weight) and requires a certain level of endurance;
Running loads the knees. People who are overweight often go for jogs. It is the factor due to which doctors, on the contrary, often prohibit running;
During long sessions of running (low-intensity jogging) both fat and muscle cells are actively burned, which over time can impair physical performance in strength sports.
To summarize: you need to run, but it is important to do it wisely.
First, when there is no excess weight (running is the best approach to training the cardiovascular system and endurance).
Secondly, if you go for a run, an hour and a half before that you need to eat a portion of food with lots of protein. Amino acids will help maintain muscle.
Third, it is best to alternate running with different intensity or use a series of sprints. They will not help to lose weight (but will provide stable fat burning due to high calorie consumption), but will help improve the quality of muscles and figure.
Source : Ukrgate
