5 Exercise Myths Debunked!

Tackling Common Myths!

So here's the thing, we live in a world where we no longer have to worry about how we are going to find answers to any question we can possibly have. We literally have the opportunity to google ANYTHING within a matter of seconds in our palms at at time of the day. Technology driven world at its finest! Most of the time this is fantastic news!! However, along with that also comes SO much different information that we are left wondering what is actually valid and what isn't. I know this first hand, I'm currently taking a Intro to Nutrition class right now and in some of my projects I have to go out and research different meal plans and decide whether or not they are an effective treatment for any of my given patients. Let me tell you, there is SO much misinformation out there that will lead you down the wrong path if you aren't careful!

With that said I wanted to take some of wrong information or myths I hear the most often and shed some light and clarification on them! So let's get started!

Myth #1: You only need to do cardio to lose weight.

Y'all, I cannot even begin to count how many times I hear this! It's simply not true! Women will spend hours upon hours walking on a treadmill or using the elliptical with the hopes of shedding some major lbs. The thing about cardio that throws people is yes, you will burn more calories in those moments of exercise BUT what they don't realize is that once you are done, the calorie burning is over as well! Whereas, when you strength train and start building lean muscle, you continue burning calories throughout your entire day! So my best advice is to incorporate both! It's always a good idea to keep your fitness interesting but just remember, strength training is important!!

Which leads me to my number 2 myth..

Myth #2: Women will get bulky and "manly" looking when they lift weights.

This is probably one of the MOST common things I hear on a regular basis and it makes me want to hug these poor women and let them know how very very very wrong they are! I used to be one of those girls too! The big bulky guys over by the weight sets in the gym terrified me and I would keep my happy little booty on the stair climber! So here's the thing, men and women have very different hormone levels. One of them being testosterone, which is what makes men bulk up and women don't! It would literally take HOURS upon HOURS at the gym DAILY, not to mention a TON of specific food preparation for women to bulk the way men do. What does happen when women lift weights is they build strong lean muscle which in turns burns more body fat and calories (even at rest!). 

Myth #3: You can spot reduce fat from certain areas of your body.

That would be the dream wouldn't it? Unfortunately darlings, it just doesn't work that way. :( This is the most common when people talk about wanting flat tummies and these awesome abs. If that was the case I would have a six pack a YEAR ago when I started my fitness journey! Ha! The key to having a flat tummy, a nice round booty, killer cut arms and nice quads is all over body training! You body is going to chose on its own what is going to go first and there is nothing you can do about it! Funny for me, usually the area women start losing weight first is their chest (which actually upsets most!) and as we all know that just simply wasn't the case for me! I worked and worked and shredded and shredded but my chest was a stubborn little biotch. For me, the rest of my body got so much smaller that the size of my chest became more and more uncomfortable so I actually ended up having a surgery to help. (But that is a whole other story for another time!) So the point I am trying to make, just start and keep going and eventually everything is going to fall into place! 

Myth #4: You can out-train a bad diet.

I said it above and I'll say it again, that would definitely be the dream wouldn't it?! Can I get an amen!? Ha! I have said it time and time again. I was THAT girl. I would train HOURS at the gym and then on the way home I would stop at chickfila for their chicken mini breakfast. E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y. I mean obviously, busted ass at the gym so I DESERVED those delicious mini heaven chicken bites! Yeah, I wondered why I didn't see the results I wanted! BUT WHERE ARE MY ABS?! Alissa, they are hiding underneath all those bad eating habits. So here's the thing, eat well, that means real whole-foods. Vegetables, fruits, HEALTHY fats. whole grains. Your nutrition accounts for about 85% of your results. So why on earth would you want to kill yourself going hard at the gym only to completely cancel it out with that greasy burger and fries? Now if you've been following along with me, you know that I LOVE to preach about the 80-20 rule. Eating clean and healthy 80% of the time and indulging in my favorite treats the other 20%, its all about finding a good adequate balance!

Now, for our last myth..

Myth #5: You have to severely restrict your calories to get that goal body of yours.

I keep hearing about all these SERIOUSLY calorie depleted starvation diets that are circling around social media. Just hop on Pinterest or Instagram and you can see a ton of examples. So here's a little inside scoop, these fad diets are NOT healthy!! Or even effective. Sure, you'll lose a few pounds while you're on it but as soon as you start eating normally again they come jump right back on. Not to mention, is it really worth the misery you put yourself through? Not for me! So what is the best way to get your goal body? Filling up on nourishing whole foods! Don't overeat but don't obsess over calories. That just makes for a miserable life. Did you know I don't count a lick of calories and have never on my journey of losing 30+ lbs? Thanks to my handy dandy color codes containers from my homegirl Autumn (from the 21 Day Fix and Fix Extreme) I have not had to worry about calorie counting, carb counting, measuring out meat, etc. I have had the ability to learn how to effectively eat a correctly portioned day of meals consistency and ((SHOCKER)) it's been the ONLY thing that has helped me lose weight and KEEP IT OFF! 

If you are interested in finding out more about this program or any other Beachbody program be sure to leave me a comment below or find me on facebook and send me a message here!