1. No pain, no gain has been a common mantra heard in gyms around the country for years. No doubt it has it's roots in the truth that you have to push your body when exercising or it does no real good. However to take that to the extreme where you don't feel that you have gotten a good workout unless pain is involved is just not true. In fact, the opposite is true. Pain is your body's way of telling you that something you are doing is not right and it usually warns you before major injury happens. So heed the warnings. Realize that some mild discomfort may be experienced when you push your body beyond it's current capacity, but when you go to the point of pain you have gone too far.



2. Another myth is that weight training for women will make them look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's just not true. Women have a completely different physical makeup than men, that emphasizes more fat deposits and less muscle mass. It's simply not possible for a normal woman to produce huge muscles by weight training alone. Instead weight training can help strengthen and condition women, improving overall stamina. So don't listen to the myth, some form of weight training is beneficial for everyone.

3. Many exercises have heard that you need to workout on an empty stomach to burn more calories. Again this is just not true. Burning calories has absolutely nothing to do with what is in your stomach at the time when you work out. Burning calories is tied to the length and intensity of your workout. In fact, if you engage in an intense workout on an empty stomach you could risk dizziness and fainting from not having enough energy to keep up with the muscle demand. That's why it's often a good idea to have a small carb snack 10-15 minutes before your workout.

4. Another very popular myth is that a person has belly fat because their stomach muscles are weak. It may be true that their stomach muscles are weak, but belly fat, as well as all fat, is put on the body by overeating and little exercise to burn it off. In other words, you can do all the stomach crunches you want and still not have a flat stomach if you are still eating too much and not burning those calories efficiently.

5. Another myth - protein builds muscle. What actually builds muscle is working your muscles out regularly. Protein is good to have in the diet but too much of it can actually be detrimental and cause health problems. So if you want to grow your muscle mass do what works, work out longer and more intensely.

Understanding the popular fitness myths can help you focus on the real truths of exercise instead and get the results that you really want.