The Top 10 Fitness Myths (summarized)
1. Static stretching decreases risk of injury
Pre-activity static stretching increase the risk for injury. This doesn't mean static stretching is not good. Static stretching should be a part of every persons recovery and rehabilitation plan.
2. Getting in shape is good for fat loss
Your body will accommodate to whatever training method you utilize after a certain time period. Doing your everyday aerobic video, run or body pump class will have diminishing returns after a little while and not provide the benefit of fat loss. Confuse the body as some infomercials say. If you're confused, email us.
3. Long-distance cardio is good for fat loss
The only people that should ever do long-distance cardio are competitive endurance athletes. For those of you that aren't competitive endurance athletes, pay close attention. Long distance cardio can do more to de-train your body than you may have imagined. Long duration cardio can cause a significant loss in lean body mass (muscle) which will make a person more prone to tendonitis. Also, if your lean body mass is diminishing, your ability to burn calories is diminishing too! Ask any marathoner about theit IT band or hamstrings. Also, marathon runners have been often compared to sprinters with regard to body fat composition and found to have a higher body fat percentage and less muscle.
4. Pasta is the ultimate pre-workout meal
This was popular when I was watching the Flinstones and people still believe it today. Evere wonder why 2/3 of America is overweight, consider our infatuation with carbs.
5. A quick jog and a few stretches is a sufficient warm-up
Not even close. But then again, why go with what works, stick to whatever your used to doing everyone else does. But actually, a dynamic warm-up is the best way to go. Ask Everett, Vicki, Kelly or myself about dynamic warm up.
6. More is better
Training more is not better. Running longer is not better. Adding another training day to your regime is not better. The key to improved athleticism and better performance lies in your bodies reaction to training. In order for your body to adapt, it needs sufficient recovery time.
7. Strength isn’t important for distance running
Why are endurance athletes always dealing with some type of ache or pain? It’s true that every distance runner doesn’t need to be and, well, shouldn’t be built like a powerlifter. With that said, every distance runner should be doing some form of resistance training. Google some images of sprinters and marathon runners, which one has more muscle.
8. Basketball shoes protect against injury
High-top basketball shoes were invented in an attempt to minimize the risk of rolling an ankle as a result of landing on someone’s foot. These shoes, which increasingly have ankle support that mirrors ski boots, effectively limit side-to-side ankle motion. A loss of normal movement at one joint (the ankle) will cause an increase in movement at an adjacent joint (the knee).
9. Squatting is bad for your knees
People that don't like to squat, have never learned to squat correctly or tend to be experts on things they know nothing about. Those anit-squatters hold this ancient belief that squatting is bad for your knees. The reality is that for most people, squatting is bad for their knees and here is why. The average person that I come across in my office doesn't squat correctly. So the average person is not a candidate for squatting in their workout. Throw the baby out with the bathwater. Who needs to squat? Well, do you ever expect to bend down to pick something up or sit down in a chair?
10. Crunches are the best way to get a six-pack
Everyone believes that to get great abs you need to work your abs. Hmmm. And just how fit is America? I could go on for days on how and why classical abdominal training is bad for you, but just ask one of our trainers.
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