| ext">After 25 years in the fitness and | | | | set) to stimulate muscular growth and strength. |
| bodybuilding community, I have had the | | | | Some great exercises for increasing mass and |
| opportunity to talk to thousands of people about | | | | improving shape in the legs are: the squat, leg |
| their health and fitness concerns. So many are | | | | presses, hack squats, leg curls, and dead lifts. |
| wrapped up in what I call, | | | | 3)MYTH: Protein builds muscle |
| myth-information; false information that | | | | TRUTH: Not all by itself, it doesn’t. |
| they believe to be fact. | | | | Although protein builds and repairs muscle tissue, |
| This is the problem. We have so much information | | | | weight strength training has to come first and you |
| available to us, that the average person | | | | have to train with intensity and regularity to |
| doesn’t know how to decipher it all. | | | | stimulate that growth. Intense training creates little |
| Infomercials are on every night promising, more | | | | microscopic tears in the muscle tissue, which is |
| often than not, some quick weight loss fix. Movie | | | | considered normal, positive stress. The body |
| stars are writing diet books. Fitness magazines | | | | needs rest to promote growth and repair. Proper |
| are full of articles by athletes telling the world | | | | recovery through food, sleep, and a good solid |
| what diet or exercise program works for them, | | | | scientific approach to weight training is the ideal |
| but usually their methods are not meant for us. | | | | combination to build muscle. |
| Even some self-taught personal trainers are | | | | 4)MYTH: High protein diets are healthy. |
| teaching what they do, to their clients, instead of | | | | TRUTH: High protein diets are not usually |
| the science of exercise and nutrition! | | | | considered healthy. Usually high protein diets are |
| Below, you’ll find what I think are some of | | | | low in carbs, too. This causes dehydration, which |
| the most common myths. Let’s put them | | | | causes poor nutrient absorption, slow thinking, and |
| to rest once and for all! | | | | possible electrolyte imbalance, to name but a few |
| 1)MYTH: If I do a lot of abdominal work, | | | | side effects. High protein diets put unnecessary |
| I’ll melt away the fat on my | | | | stress on the liver and kidneys, especially if you |
| mid-section. | | | | are not drinking, at least, 8-10 glasses of water a |
| TRUTH: There is no such thing as spot | | | | day. These diets can even pull calcium from the |
| reduction. Body fat is stored in and comes off | | | | bones, setting us up for osteoporosis. However, |
| in a genetically pre-determined manner. By | | | | the proper amount of protein (varies based on |
| creating a calorie deficit through exercise and/or | | | | activity level, type of activity, goal, and body |
| diet, the fat will come off. You have a higher | | | | composition) strengthens the immune system, |
| likelihood of burning the fat off your abs by | | | | drives your body’s catabolism/anabolism |
| burning 300 calories on a treadmill, than by doing a | | | | (tear down/build up) cycle, and boosts the |
| few crunches. | | | | metabolism, too. |
| 2)MYTH: If I run or bike, I don’t need | | | | 5)MYTH: Aerobics is better for shaping up than |
| to train my legs in the gym! | | | | weight training. |
| TRUTH: If your goals are aesthetic, building your | | | | TRUTH: Weight training can significantly increase |
| upper body through weight training but neglecting | | | | your metabolism, which is the rate in which your |
| your legs, can result in a body that looks out | | | | body can burn fat. When you gain muscle, your |
| of proportion. Although running and biking are | | | | body requires more energy to maintain that new |
| great activities for developing muscular and | | | | muscle. Weight training also re-shapes your body. |
| cardio-vascular endurance, these exercises do | | | | Even though aerobic exercise burns calories and |
| very little in terms of increasing girth | | | | helps you lose weight, your overall shape will |
| measurements or re-shaping the lower body. The | | | | remain the same. You become a smaller version |
| joints in the lower body need to go through a full | | | | of your former self with aerobic exercise. |
| range of motion, with enough load (8-12 reps per | | | | |