Top fitness myths debunked

There are countless persistent fitness myths out there but I would like to dispel these three because I come across them frequently:

Myth #1 Don't let your knees go beyond your toes/squatting is bad for your knees

Squatting on your haunches is a very natural human position. In fact, many people in the world still squat to go to the bathroom. When it comes to exercise, the squat is an absolute must and Paul Chek includes squatting as one of the six primal movement patterns—patterns that form the foundation from which all movement originates.

In my years as a personal trainer, I have had a few clients say to me that they don't want to squat, mostly because they are worried about their knees. But in fact we know that, because squats build all the muscles around the knee joint, squatting is good for your knees. Very few knee issues make squats contraindicated and there are so many variations of the squat that even with a knee issue, there is usually a way to squat without making a pre-existing condition worse. 

I am concerned that people are eliminating this vital and beneficial exercise from their fitness routines. If you go to the bathroom, if you get in and out of a car, and if you go up and down steps throughout your day, then you NEED to squat.

Myth #2 The fat burning zone (the long slow burn)

On most if not all cardio machines, and you will see a little chart that shows what intensity to work at to burn fat, which is low intensity (about 65%). Although this is based on fact, it has been taken out of context to the point that it is no longer accurate—in fact, it is very misleading. 

Yes, if you work at 65% of your maximum capability, then a higher percentage of calories burned come from fat. BUT, if you work at a higher intensity, you burn more calories and even though a smaller percentage comes from fat you have burned more total calories. The ratio is NOT IMPORTANT. If you want to burn fat then do workouts that burn lots of calories. 

When it comes to maximum fat burning, you need to work in both aerobic and anaerobic systems. I recommend read this excellent article on the "fat burning zone". Shin Otake, a reputable trainer and a former competitive athlete, coach, and chiropractic soft-tissue therapist agrees with me: "fitness is intensity dependent NOT duration dependent.”

Myth #3 You can "lengthen" your muscles (long, lean muscles)

What does this even mean? Toning or lengthening our muscles is not helpful, partially because it is inaccurate. Muscles respond to exertion in a certain way and it is the same for every human. The more we understand about our own bodies the more we can modify our expectations regarding our fitness goals. This short video illustrates how our muscles work.

I feel sad and frustrated when I hear women say they do not want to build muscle. It means their focus is visual rather than capable; that working out is about looking a certain way instead of feeling a certain way (i.e. strong).  I would like to see more women weight train and working to build up their muscle mass. The benefits are numerous and include:

• increased fat loss

• better sleep

• stress release

• prevent muscle loss due to age, prevention of joint deterioration

• prevention of osteoporosis

• reduced Cortisol levels, which reduces belly fat.

In an op-ed piece in Forbes magazine, Jennifer Cohen outlines several strategies that burn up cortisol to reduce belly fat. Cortisol is a hormone in your body that depletes lean muscle and holds on to fat in the abdominal region. One of the most important ways to prevent this process is to reduce stress in your life, because stress causes cortisol levels to spike. Other strategies that help reduce your cortisol levels, include getting enough sleep and doing short bursts of high intensity training-more on this in my next article.

I hope I have provided enough information to dispel these myths, as a personal trainer for nearly 20 years, it has been difficult to see my clients become frustrated when they do not see the results they are expecting.  

The actual workouts are only part of the process; management of expectations and setting realistic goals are also key. To manage expectations when it comes to our fitness goals, we need to have a basic understanding of our anatomy and physiology. The goal of this website is to help provide that information.