There is so much misinformation out nowadays that it is hard to know what rules to follow. Being in the fitness world, Matt and I have heard so many things from people starting their fitness journeys that we want to call them out. Below are 10 fitness myths that we hear WAY too much and want to further explain.

1. Carbs make you fat

Carbs do not make you fat. They are essential for providing energy to fuel your workouts. Most people don’t understand how carbs are processed and society makes you think they make you gain weight.

The best explanation for carbs that I have heard comes from Chris Powell. Chris explains that as soon as you ingest carbs your liver takes the first 60-100g and sends them to other organs to boost your metabolic rate and keep metabolism high. As soon as your liver is full the next 250-400g will flow to your muscles. Once muscles are full the rest of the carbs you eat go into your system and convert to fat. To not have carbs stored as fat we need to be active. Carbs are the fuel that your muscles use. Being active helps burn them off.

The bottom line, carbs are not bad. It is more about the quality of your carbs and making sure they come from whole foods and not from processed or refined carb sources.

2. All I need is cardio

Yes, cardio can be a great tool for fat loss through your weight loss journey, but strength training should be your number one focus. Building muscle, through lifting weights, has so many help benefits. From protecting your bones to increasing your longivity. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn throughout the day. Doing light cardio, like getting in your 10,000 steps or taking walks after dinner to balance your blood sugar is great for your health, but If you are only doing cardio and not lifting weights you will lose muscle mass which can lead to other issues long-term.

The most efficient way to lose fat is to incorporate weight training AND light cardio into your workouts. That will give you maximum results over time.

3. Spot reduction is possible    Spot reduction isn’t possible. We all have different genetics and can’t tell our bodies where to lose fat first. For some people, in order to see abdominal definition it requires very low body fat percentages. 15% body fat will look different on different body types. Building muscle and losing fat takes a lot of time, commitment and consistency, for years.

Compound movements (such as squat, deadlifts, bench presses, etc.) work more than one muscle group. Exercises like these help with overall fat loss. The more fat you lose, the less cellulite you will have. Focusing on specific “trouble zones” is only going to hold you back from actually losing fat in those areas because you are not focused on the bigger picture. If you want to lose fat in your lower body, your main movements should be squats, leg press, and deadlifts while incorporating other accessory movements and maybe some cardio. The same applies for upper body. Remember it is important to train all muscle groups. If you are just getting started a full body routine or upper/lower split works well.

4. I have to go on a diet to lose weight  

This is somewhat true, but not to the extent of some of the trends that are out there. There are so many diets nowadays. Juice cleanses, keto, fasting, low carb, carb cycling, IIFYM, low calorie, the list goes on and makes it harder to know which is right for you. The most important part of any “diet” is sustainability. If you aren’t able to maintain the diet long term then it isn’t going to work. You will never be able to only consume juice for the rest of your life or eat low calorie every single day. Those are not sustainable and will eventually leave you feeling defeated. In my opinion, these quick fixes or diets are terrible for you because they trick you into thinking this is the only way to eat in order to lose weight. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Food is amazing, and delicious, and fuels our bodies. We should never program ourselves to have an unhealthy relationship with food.

You need to find what works for you so you can still enjoy food with family and friends and not feel deprived.

5. Lifting makes women bulky

I’ve heard this so many times and it makes me sad to think women don’t want to lift because they are afraid to become bulky. I completely understand where this comes from, but women’s bodies are built differently than men’s. We aren’t pumping enough testosterone through our bodies to become bulky like a man. Women who lift will see an increase in fat loss that will begin to show more muscle definition (what I like to refer to as toning). The more fat you lose the more muscle definition will show. Unless you are pumping testosterone it’s going to show up as beautiful defined muscles, not the Incredible Hulk.

6. I need xyz supplements to reach my goal

Can supplements help, yes. Are they necessary to reach your goals, absolutely not. There are so many pills and powders on the markets it’s hard to determine which ones will actually work for you. The bottom line is you want to be healthy. Take a multivitamin and make sure you are getting enough protein and sleep. Try to get your protein and vitamins from food FIRST. Focus on the basics and become really consistent with them and you will begin to see changes.

7. I gained weight overnight

We’ve all been here. We step on the scale one morning and somehow we’ve gained 1-5lbs overnight. How is that possible? It’s probably not! Weight gain can show on the scale in many different ways: water retention, hormone changes, maybe you ate late the day before and your body hasn’t processed the food.

The best way to determine your weight is to average it out. I’m not big into weighing myself every day. I will weigh periodically through the week and see where I am. Matt weighs every single day, averages that number at the end of the week, and compares it to the previous week. On one hand it is a little obsessive, but on the other he knows exactly where his weight is at all times. If he raises or lowers his calories he can determine if he is still above or under in order to gain or lose weight.

8. The scale is the only accurate measurement in fat loss 

Muscle building should be your goal. Remember muscle takes up less space than fat so the more muscle you build will actually create the appearance that you are leaner. When you first start out you may see a lag in the scale, but that is okay. There are so many other ways to track your fat loss. Inches lost, how your clothes fit, and how you feel. Yes, the scale is a measurement, but should never be the end all be all. As you can see from #7 there could be a variety of reasons why the scale isn’t showing the number we hoped for. Some other ways to gauge fat loss are:

• Taking progress photos: this can help tremendously in showing where you are losing fat.

• Measurements: when your clothes fit better that is a sure fire way to know you have lost fat, but you can also take measurements throughout your journey to know where you stand.

• Measuring BF%: some gyms or supplement stores will offer a body analysis test. This is a great way to see where you stand as far as fat loss. There have been many times where my muscle has went up, my fat has gone down, and my weight stayed the same or increased. That is AMAZING because in the end fat loss is what it’s about.
  

This is a body scan test from Complete Health. It showed me that I lost only 1lb, but gained muscle and lost 2.5% body fat which is HUGE! I was very proud of this.

9. I will lose gains if I take a rest day

Rest days are actually good for you. Weight training breaks your body tissues down. Resting allows them to repair. Not taking a rest day can cause overtraining which can lead to irritability, lack of motivation, higher stress, and not getting enough sleep. With that being said, sleep is super important as well. REM sleep allows your body to repair muscles and is equally important. It is great to be active every day, but be careful with training the same areas multiple days in a row or overexerting yourself too much. This will only lead to higher stress levels and potential injury over time.

10. Eat XYZ food to lose weight

Focus on healthy foods that fuel your body. We make sure we get clean quality protein first, good fats and veggies with some fruit. Eating Whole Foods with not only fuel your body, but will lower your inflammation which could be some of the reason why you can’t lose weight.