Exercise Myths

Exercise Myths Busted!

Determining fact from fiction when it comes to exercise and fitness is not as easy as conducting a scientific experiment to determine if the myth is real or "busted".

However, based on my research and the feed back from the experts, these exercise and fitness myths are busted.  

These ones are still widely believed by many, but be sure to read why they are fiction and not fact.

By gaining knowledge and knowing truth from lies you can get the most from your exercise routines.

6 Common Exercise and Fitness Myths

Check out the common fitness and exercise myths to ensure you know fact from fiction.

Exercising alone will make me lose weight, I can still eat it all and tone those trouble spots.

The truth is, if you build muscle and don't lose the fat, all you have accomplished is getting rock hard abs that no one will see.  Your six pack will be hidden beneath a layer of fat.  

You need to exercise and tone but still focus on eating right to reduce the fat.  Your weekly workout should include both strength training and aerobic exercises to really burn calories and fat.  

Be sure to check out this article on fat burning exercises to make the most out of your workout and start to lose your body fat and tone up your muscles.


I can spot reduce fat by doing targeted toning exercises.

This exercise myth is widely believed by many people. However, no matter what the latest and greatest diet pill or exercise program will tell you, you cannot target one area and one area only.  To lose body fat you must workout your entire body including both aerobic exercises and strength training.

Unfortunately it is not up to you where you will lose body fat first.  Your genetics and body determine this. So in order to tone up those trouble spots you have to workout your entire body in order to shed body fat.


Strength training will create large bulky muscles.

Strength training does not create bulky, large muscles.  

However it will help you tone and firm the muscles.  

Women generally do not bulk up unless that is what they are training for.  Women do not have the hormones needed to build the big bulky muscles.  

Even men struggle to get those big bulky muscles and have to train very hard to achieve this.

Weight lifting is the most common strength training exercise.  However as an alternative you can try doing resistance band exercises or dumbbell exercises. These are a great alternative to weight lifting and is more affordable.


Muscle turns to fat when you stop exercising.

back muscles on fit manMuscle is muscle and fat is fat.  The one cannot become the other.  

The reason this exercise myth is believed is that generally when you stop exercising, your muscles atrophy or become smaller. 

Additionally, when people stop exercising, and if they still eat the same amount of calories, they will begin to put on weight, which will likely increase the body fat.  

With the increased body fat and the smaller muscles, people assume that the muscle has turned to fat.  



If I do more repetitions this is better for building muscles.

The most common exercising myth is the belief that if you 100 reps during strength training it is better for them than 25 crunches.  The truth is any exercise worth doing is worth doing right. 

Don’t rush the exercise.  Make sure you’re doing it right and you will get great results from fewer repetitions. 

Of course there is nothing wrong with doing 100 reps, just make sure you are doing them correctly to get the benefit of your strength training exercises.

Here are instructions on how to perform the top 3 most effective abdominal exercises.



My calorie burn keeps going even after I’ve stopped exercising.

flat stomach of womanThis exercise myth does have some merit to it.  You will continue to burn calories after your workout, but this burn only lasts for a few minutes. 

After approximately 20 or 30 minutes, your body returns to the normal basal metabolic rate (BMR), the rate at which you burn calories while at total rest. 



One type of exercise, interval training, has shown that you can keep this boost to your metabolism and calorie burn up to 5 times longer than the easier low to moderate aerobic exercises.

With exercising however, especially strength training exercises, you will eventually increase your BMR, therefore, by exercising you really are increasing your metabolism that will continue to burn more calories even after you exercise. 

This is due to the increased muscle mass, which in turns increases your BMR.

Now that you know the exercise myths, be sure to find out all the benefits to exercise.


Additional Articles

Senior Exercise Myths
If you are over 50 then read these exercise myths and find out why exercising at any age can be okay. Staying active at any age is important, but for seniors there are so many more health benefits.

Weight Loss Myths
Make sure you know the difference between fact and fiction for weight loss to make the most of your diet.

Exercise Tips
If you are just starting out building your workout plan, then check out these tips. These tips will help you get set up with the right equipment, environment and the right exercises.