Top 5 fitness myths you think are true…
Top 5 fitness myths you think are true…
Hey guys!
Let me ask you this…
How many times have you heard that carbs are bad? Or doing crunches all day will get you a six pack? Or that you need to do lots and lots of cardio to lose weight?
Well, today I’m going to address some of the most common health and fitness myths out there and share with you a better solution instead!
Myth #1 – Crunches are the key to flat abs.
Want flat abs? CRUNCHES ALL DAY! Just kidding.
Doing ab exercises like crunches or sit-ups are great for strengthening your core. But know that ab exercises aren’t the magic ingredient to flat abs and a toned tummy. You need to ensure you are burning body fat so your ab muscles can actually show through! HIIT routines like PIIT28 paired with eating clean are IT.
Doing my POP Pilates videos will DEFINITELY help build those core muscles, but you’ll notice that my workouts contain a lot more than just crunches. We do movements that encourage you to truly engage your core by pressing your back into the mat and lifting into Pilates stance. Right THERE you are working your abs a lot more than doing 100 fast sit-ups. Moves like double leg lifts, hip twists, and train track abs will truly strengthen your abs like crazy! Pair them with HIIT and you will see results!
Here’s a great fat-burning ab routine you can do!
Myth #2 – Carbs are bad.
We hear it over and over again and again – that carbs are bad and should be avoided. But this is WRONG WRONG WRONG!
We need carbs to provide us with ENERGY. And I’m not just talking energy to do our workouts, but energy to simply live, work, think and exists. Have you avoided carbs before and then felt super groggy, drained and even confused? That’s because your brain NEEDS those carbs to function. Generalizing that carbs are bad is just silly.
Did you know that fruits and vegetables are carbs too? Healthy grains like oats and quinoa are also carbs. Not just white bread, white rice and pasta! Healthy non-refined, non-processed carbs are part of a healthy diet! They also carry fiber which keeps us full longer.
Stick to healthy carbs in your regular diet, and try to avoid those not-so-healthy carbs like donuts, cakes and pastries on a regular basis. Even though they are delicious, they aren’t good for our waistline or our health. But of course, enjoy them in moderation because that’s what a balanced diet is all about!
Myth #3 – You can spot reduce fat.
Unfortunately this isn’t true. We all carry more fat in different areas of our bodies. Some of us carry it in our thighs, others in our tummies, or even our arms. So doing a million crunches like I mentioned before won’t flatten your stomach. Doing doing 100 squats won’t lean out your thighs. Doing cardio will help, but we all tend to lose fat in certain areas more than others, and even quicker than others. Hence why the boobs tend to go first! Sad, I know.
So, now it’s time to check in with your diet. Remember, nutrition is responsible for a HUGE part of weight loss. Eating clean, whole nutritious foods and removing processed foods is the best way to help with this. Our bodies are all shaped differently and genetically carry more weight in some areas than others. So it may be easier for one person to maintain a six-pack, but someone who carries more weight in their stomach area will find it harder. It’s about working with YOUR body and doing what you can to enhance your beautiful features.
Myth #4 – Strength training will make you big and bulky.
Many women are afraid to strength train and lift weights because they think they will get all bulky and manly, but that is NOT TRUE! What is “bulky” anyways!? What strength training WILL do is build beautiful lean muscle mass that will show through. It actually decreases body fat and you’ll look leaner even though you have more muscle on you!
And besides looks, you’ll BE STRONGER not just in your workouts, but in every day life. Don’t be afraid to get stronger and push your limits. The results will surprise you.. in a GOOD way! Oh, and another reason many women are afraid to lift weights is because they think they number on the scale will go up. They will gain weight! This may be true, but remember, assess your progress by how you feel, what you can do and progress pics!
Myth #5 – Cardio is the answer to weight loss.
Running for hours on the cardio machine is not the answer to losing weight. So if you do that and you are miserable about it, know that you don’t have to! Of course, if you enjoy it, then do it!
I’m all about doing what makes you happy! But it’s common for people to think that long amounts of cardio is the answer to weight loss. That’s not true. What is more effective is strength training combined with HIIT workouts. Just like my PIIT28 program does – it combines the two!
This is Alexia’s 28 Day transformation. Incredible what effective workouts and clean eating can do! See how she did it here.
This is beautiful Corina! You can read her transformation story here.
Why is it more effective? Because you turn into a fat-burning machine for over the next 24 hours (or more). Yep! Your metabolism boosts after your workout even when you’re sitting on the couch. Another element that is important here is nutrition. Eating healthy is just as important as exercise. You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. So combining a nutritious diet, with HIIT workouts and strength training will get you to your goals much quicker than hours on the treadmill.
There you have it! 5 of the most common health and fitness myths. Which one were you once fooled by?
36 thoughts on “Top 5 fitness myths you think are true…”
There are 36 comments posted by our users.
My life has been freed from all the diet and exercise myths… thank you. Now, I can just do my thing and be happy. Great content
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I cannot even believe the transformation. I have tried to lose weight many times in the past. Some things were somewhat successful, but it just seemed that I kept hitting a brick wall over the last year or so. I was pretty desperate by the time I made the choice to try this program what helped me lose 21 pounds in about 6 weeks
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All fitness myths is new for me. Thanks a lot.
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Great post. On a ketogenic metabolism your body will learn to reglate the blood sugar level and keep it on a balanced and stable level without eating carbs. Carbs are broken down to glukogen (sugar) and is then used for energy. 7-step weight loss plan
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People often say they don’t want to be a product of their environment. For me it’s always been more than a saying; it’s been a necessity.Thanks for sharing this information and nice article.
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Hey Cassey! This post is awesome and very helpful. I have a question – I’ve been trying to work out lately, but am struggling with ab workouts. I always end up straining my neck rather than engaging my core. Do you have any suggestions for how I could fix this? Thanks!
I used to struggle with this too. What helped me was try to “Body focus” on what you were doing. I think most people, when they do abs, they lift with the highest part of their body, which is normally their head/neck. Try to focus on lifting from your chest/abs. It seems silly but I had to do that for a bit before I finally stopped lifting from the neck. Practicing this while doing the 100s or crunches or the like really help. And if you’re doing a workout that requires you to have your hands behind your neck, make sure you keep your elbows out and lightly touch your neck/head, because you could be pulling your head up with your hands as opposed to lifting with your abs.
Thank you for this Cassy 🙂
I love this post!! When I first started working out I was 198 pounds and thought I had to completely cut out carbs, but then LATER found out how darn IMPORTANT carbs are!! I feel soooo much better now with my excercise regimen, and the recipes in my diet!! thank you for this post so much good information. =] If you would like I have a blog that has some pretty awesome Healthy recipes on it I think you would enjoy!! http://brattybrittshonestshenanigans.com/
Just wanted to say a couple of things because I love Cassey and what she is doing and also because her followers seem to be humble and kind. The body only needs carbs if it’s on a glucogent metabolism – if it transform the carbs from food into energy in the body. However the body can produce the sufficient amount of glucogen that the brain needs without an intake from carbs but rather from transforming fat + protein from food and also using the fat reserves in the body, if it’s on a ketogen metabolism. If you stop eating carbs and feel as Cassey mentioned groggy, drained or confused, try eating more fat to get more energy. For those who are interested in this I would recommend to research “keto diet”, “lchf”, “low carb high fat diet” or watch the youtube video “big fat liar” about the myth about fat and colesterol. These are not alternative facts or generalizations but are proven by science and papers in medical journals. Dietdoctor.com is a great website with lots of information, articles, succes stories etc. Good luck! 🙂
No. Please don’t tell people to do this. This is not healthy for you. Putting yourself into a state of ketosis when you don’t need to be is dangerous. Your body CANNOT make glycogen (not glucogen – there is no such thing as glucogen, there is glucoGON which is a hormone your pancreas makes to help regulate blood sugar) without glucose from carbohydrates. What your body makes to run on without the presence of carbohydrates is ketones. Your body was not made to run on ketones, it wants glucose, it’s how your body was designed to work. Getting to a state of ketosis is difficult and unnecessary and the second you have that glass of wine at the end of a long week or a “cheat day” BOOM, you need to start all over again. The only people who benefit from a ketogenic diet are people with seizure disorders and elite endurance athletes who cannot take in enough carbohydrates during a 100 mile race to sustain themselves so they need to run off of stored fat. I have my masters degree in nutrition and am 1 test away from being a registered dietitian, I know what I’m talking about. However, I do agree that there are myths out there about fat and cholesterol. And that people have lost weight on low-carb diets, but again, it is not healthy and can be very dangerous. Stick to a whole foods based diet – fruit, veg, whole grains, protein from meat, beans, nuts and soy, healthy fats, and plenty of water. If you can’t imagine how it grew or imagine the foods needed to make it – avoid it. Timing of your fuel is also incredibly important. You want real, evidence based information and advice? Go see a registered dietitian, don’t get your information off a website called dietdoctor.com who will use poorly conducted research, apparently made-up words, and one or two success stories to push an unhealthy diet upon you. Healthy eating is a way of life, not a diet you undergo for a couple weeks to a couple months expecting life changing results. If you have to cut out an entire food group, it’s a fad diet and I think we can all agree fad diets aren’t good for anyone.
I actually got on here to commend Cassey for saying something about how carbs are not the enemy. I really appreciate her putting that out there for all her followers because it’s the truth no matter what the media has told you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. From my understanding (as a non-nutritionist,) you’re actually depriving your body of essential nutrients by cutting all carbs. There are so many people who profit off of misinformation or promising quick results without bothering to mention (or even learn about) the long-term costs.
Actually there is higher amount of essential nutrients in animal fat than in many fruits and vegetables.
I would also like to say that due to the leached soil, our food does not have a sufficient amount of nutrition anymore. I recommend anyone who thinks they get all the nutrients needed through the food intake (specially through carbs) to revise that and start with vitamin and mineral supplements.
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Hi, I’m following Cassey’s calendar. I love it. I feel it makes me be more flexible and strong.
But, I didn’t know my body make muscle easily. Since I have started Cassey’s Calendar, I got a six pack.
It’s not utter six pack like chocolate but still exist. I don’t want to get six pack sadly… maybe I just would like to get 11 pack in the abs? How can I solve it even if I keep following calendar.
Thanks.
I completely agree with this post!! I was trying to lose weight with just running and because I have not had a running regimen since high school (which was like 15 years ago) I have needed to build up. After over a year and a half, I have not lost any excerpt for the money in my wallet to try and run outside.
I have only doing blogilates for two weeks, I haven’t seen a lot of pounds come off. But I have seen my waist slim down. My clothes fit so much better and I am having fun. Working out is not such a chore.
I’d like to disagree with myth number , because I have done extensive research with the ketogenic diet and that’s what I follow, but to each their own. 🙂 I won’t argue with others who share a different opinion.
And OMG I SURE WISH WE COULD SPOT REDUCE FAT! That would be ideal.
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I can definitely attest to number 4. I’ve been following the Blogilates calendar workouts since last June. I’ve only lost around 5 lbs but I get asked at least once a week if I’ve lost weight because the changes in my body are so drastic. My husband just stares; he can’t believe how fit and toned I look!
Would you say that doing too many leg exercises will make your legs look too muscular? I know that it’s good to be strong but I’m still scared having really big legs!
with blogilates exercises you will not gain volume in muscles. maybe a little bit of muscle mass and then with cardio you will lower body fat procentage. For increasing volume in muscle you would have to lift heavy weights not only your body weight. 🙂 so no worries.
That’s true. Only after I started to eat balanced and doing different workouts, I’ve started to loos weight
AMEN to all of these. I never work my abs- my core is strong because I use it to stabilize as I lift weights. AND 100% to cardio not being the best… weight lifting is really what TRANSFORMED my body and I love feeling strong and powerful!
I am surprised in the abs section she didn’t mention that muscle definition such as six packs are partly genetic. If your not wired genetically for the ripped cut you are going to have to work much harder and may never quite make it. Same thing goes for the pop vein look bodybuilders want. If your not wired for vascularization, you won’t ever have poppy veins, no matter what you do..
This post is awesome. Ive been learning lots of fitness “facts” that contradict one another. The most confusing one for me is eating 6 meals a day is better because it will boost your metabolism because it keeps your digestion going and eating less often makes your body hold on to its fat vs. Intermittent fasting is the better option because it improves insulin resistence, and puts you in ketosis so your body starts to run on fat and the more often you eat your body holds fat. Any chance you Cassey, or anyone could help with this confusion?
To get you into ketosis you will need to limit your carb intake to 20 grams a day. I dont really think it depends on how many times you eat throughout the day or not. To improve insulin resistance you need to eat low glycemic carbs so that your insulin won’t shoot up everytime you eat carbs. Also keep in mind that insulin is the primary inhibitor of lipolysis (breaking fats) that is why it is improtant to keep our insulin levels from spiking so high. So pretty much increasing you proteins and fat intake while decreasing your carbs (which you store 70% of everytime you eat it) will get you into ketosis and maximaze your fat burn.
Right. I actually did some research on the Low Carb High Fat diet, and the most extreme form you limit carb intake to 20-50 carbs a day which is not as hard as it sounds. A lot of foots don’t have a whole lot of carbs. And of course as Sirle said, you want to increase your good fats and protein. This will put you into ketosis and it is great especially for diabetics for the reasons Sirle listed. Also, for about 3 days after starting the diet, you WILL experience some tiredness or headaches and other little things, called the Low Carb Flu while your body transitions. After that, though I felt normal and had more energy than before starting the diet.
For me, portion control works best. I will eat 3 normal portioned meals a day and then one snack if I’m hungry in between meals. It works to keep me from starving and then over eating when meal time comes. I think 6 smalls meals a day, or even 5, would be too much eating for me.
If you have any questions about keto, just ask me! I’ve been at it for 2 years now. 🙂
If you’re eating a keto diet you wont have to eat several meals a day. This is because fat + protein have a very little impact on your blood sugar which you normaly have to reglate by eating several (carb based) meals a day. On a ketogenic metabolism your body will learn to reglate the blood sugar level and keep it on a balanced and stable level without eating carbs. Carbs are broken down to glukogen (sugar) and is then used for energy. The excess glukogen is then stored as fat in your body. I personaly eat between 10-20 grams a day. I only count carbs not calories and I’ve been eating like this for 4 years! I really love the keto diet but it took me a while to understand why it works and what different effects fat and carbs have on your organs and body. Research and reading is key! Don’t settle for just following a diet because somebody said so. Instead, try to learn how the different body organs work and what the different systems in the body do. 🙂
Wow, ok sounds good. Thank you for the reply 🙂
Love this post! x
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