Total Guide to Fitness: 3 Classic Myths

Our fitness experts got together and decided to come up with some classic myths about fitness workouts.

Myth #1: Lifting light weights for high reps will "shape and tone" your muscles.

The main difference between a "lean and toned" physique and a "bulky" physique is the amount of body fat that surrounds your muscles! Basically, the "lean and toned" look that most people desire is a result of having muscle that isn’t hidden under layers of fat.

Generally speaking, this means challenging yourself with moderately heavy weights in the 6 to 15 rep range. It doesn’t mean using an insignificant resistance for a countless number of reps. This will do little to change your appearance. Remember, it’s the muscle on your frame which gives you your shape. Muscle also increases your metabolism which helps your body burn extra calories throughout the day.

Myth #2: The best workouts make you sore you the next day.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had clients say, "You didn’t even make me puke" after a workout. My response is usually, "I didn’t make you puke because I didn’t want to make you puke. Making you puke would be easy. Getting you stronger, faster and more flexible actually takes some work."

I’ve never read any research that links post-exercise soreness to strength gains, hypertrophy gains or improved athletic performance. Who the hell wants to be sore anyway? Think of DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) as an unfortunate side effect of training, not a goal of training.

Remember that it’s easy for a coach to make an athlete tired, but it takes a true professional to get an athlete stronger, faster, more flexible and better conditioned.

Myth #3: Women should not weight train.

This myth just won’t go away, mainly because of bodybuilding magazines. People associate females who strength-train with the female bodybuilders. Professional female bodybuilders usually resemble men because of the massive amount of anabolic, androgenic drugs they consume.

1) Much of the difference in muscle mass between males and females is attributed to hormones, specifically, Testosterone. On average, men produce ten times more testosterone than females. Unless you’re a female who's taking anabolic steroids or other male hormones, lifting weights will not make you look like a man! It’s actually harder for most females to build muscle compared to their male counterparts.

2) There's also a difference in muscle mass distribution between men and women, especially in the upper body. If you do build a significant amount of muscle, you still won't look masculine.