Fitness myths

Muscle gain

I just wanted to do a short blog post on how much muscle you can expect to gain and a little truth behind some of the fitness myths.There's plenty of tips on my blog for muscle gain, and LOADS on the internet. My biggest advice would be to educate yourself on it, research and learn about it. Knowledge is the key to success when it comes to fitness, there are so many theories..people telling you that things are beneficial for you, and other's saying to avoid the same thing completely.It's confusing! More than anything, you have to figure out what works for you, what your body responds well to. There's a reason why fitness models/competitors are so good at slimming down when they need to, they KNOW their bodies. 

Here are some fitness MYTHS I'd like to address. 

1) Lifting lighter reps for more sets gives you muscle definition or as some people call 'the toned look' 
This is actually incorrect, muscle definition comes from building muscle, building muscle comes from lifting heavy. A low body fat can be achieved by building muscles..this gives that 'toned' appearance that so many desire. 

2) The only way to build muscle to eat chicken and brocoli
This of course is incorrect and has been deemed 'bro science' chicken and brocoli do contain vital nutrients, but they won't provide you with everything you need. Muscle building isn't just about protein/carbs/fats. You need to replenish your muscles with vitamins and minerals for them to grow.

3) The more you sweat, the more you're burning fat
Actually, sweat has nothing to do with fat burn..it's the bodies way of getting rid of excess heat by evaporation. 

4) You can eat as much fruit as you want
I was guilty of this, I thought because it was healthy I could eat as much as I wanted. This isn't the case, fruit are easily acccessible carbs which tell your body you don't need to burn body fat for fuel. Fruit is not a bad thing of course! It's great stuff, full of nutrients and you shouldn't cut it out completely (especially if you're addicted like me) just make sure you have some kind of limit on it and an awareness of it's sugars.


5) Protein is bad for your kidneys
Protein actually makes your kidneys work harder, meaning they're actually benefiting from the protein. It's fine to eat a lot of protein but make sure you drink lots of water too. 

6) Cutting carbs is the only way to lose fat
Nope. Nope. Nope. Keep an eye on carbs, they're not all created equal. (I have my favorites) But the way to burn fat is to fuel your body so you can exercise, have a good weights routine and a little cardio here and there. That's sustainable fat loss for you.

7) You can gain muscle relatively quick
lets be realistic here, over a life time a guy can be expected to gain around 40-50lbs of muscle, a woman ..unfortunately 20-30lbs. Women can be expected to gain about 0.12-0.25lbs of muscle a week, which really isn't a lot. It's unfair yes, but the changes really are exciting and this definitely out weights how long it takes. Factors to consider when gaining muscle are: Genetics (some people just have better genes) age (a 16 year old with crazy hormones can gain a lot faster than say a 50 year old) Diet and exercise of course. So basically, if there's some person or crazy product that claims to gain a ridiculous amount of muscle in a short space of time, think unrealistic. Set realistic goals for yourself every month, perhaps it's as simple as increasing your weight slightly or focusing on a better form. Don't be discouraged by the slow process, learn to love it, it really is amazing. 

Those are just a few of many! 

I hope this helped guys,
Be sure to mail me on some ideas on blog posts/things you'd like to know. :)