Myth – To get rid of unwanted fat around my waist all I need to do is sit-ups and abdominal exercises.

Reality – Many people fall into the trap of believing this myth, however it is not factual. Spot reduction with body fat simply does not exist. As you lose body fat, you will lose it proportionally throughout your body based on your genetics. Working your abdominals will strengthen your muscles but it will not trim away the fat. In order to lose the fat in your mid section you will need to decrease your overall body fat through lean muscle gain and a decreased caloric intake.

Myth – The more weight I lift the more muscle I will build regardless of how I lift the weights.

Reality – It is often a common misconception that people need to lift extreme amounts of weight in order to see an improvement in their musculature build. While lifting heavier weights does promote more muscle growth, it is not the quantity of the weight lifted that matters but the quality of the lift. When you cheat lifts in the gym to impress others you are only cheating yourself. Improperly moving heavy weights is often counterproductive resulting in injuries and poor execution habits.

Myth – To increase fat burning and tone my muscles I need to perform higher repetitions with lighter weights.

Reality – When you train with higher repetitions and lower weights you will not burn more fat than you would doing heavier weights and more moderate repetitions. Diet and cardiovascular training is key to most fat loss.

Myth – It doesn’t really matter which muscles I work each day.

Reality – Success in the gym is directly related to the type of lifting you do and the type of routine you maintain. It is important to have a regular schedule and alternate muscle groups worked. Also you must remember that certain exercises use other muscle groups as secondary muscles. For instance every time you work your back, your biceps are also heavily worked as assisting muscles. Therefore, if you work biceps the next day you are over working them and it may be counterproductive to your progress.

Myth – I am working my lower abs through leg raises.

Reality – Leg raises produce burning and fatiguing sensations in your lower abdomen that are often mistaken as the lower abdominals being exercised. However, this sensation is actually from working the iliopsoas muscles which are commonly referred to as your hip flexors. During leg raises there is little to no contraction movement in you lower abdominals, but instead act as stabilizing muscles that produce static tension. In order to work your lower abdominals it is best to do exercises such as sit ups and hip raises that promote full contractions of the these muscles.

Myth – Lifting is only for certain people.

Reality – Regardless of your current age, gender, weight, or physical condition it is never wrong or too late for you to begin weightlifting or start a fitness routine. Weightlifting is for everyone not just certain people. Anyone that is medically healthy enough can and should try weightlifting for its wellness, shape, and self esteem benefits.

Myth – Lifting everyday or twice a day will help me more quickly gain muscle.

Reality – Lifting excessively will not accelerate your muscle growth but will instead result in overtraining which will greatly decrease the chances of you reaching any goal. Your body needs time to sufficiently recover between workouts before it can be used again. The best way to do this is to eat healthy protein enriched diets and get plenty of rest each night.

Myth – If I begin lifting now I can expect to see immediate results.

Reality – Lifting is a process that takes lots of hard work and dedication. You will not suddenly become huge over night. It will take a good diet and routine for results to appear. Bodybuilders you see on television or in magazines have been lifting and working hard for years in order to achieve those results.

Myth – If I don’t want to gain any fat all I have to do is eat a low fat diet.

Reality – The truth is that regardless, if your caloric intake exceeds the amount of calories you burn each day you will gain fat. The only shade of truth in this myth is that reducing fat will aid in reducing your caloric intake since 1 gram of fat is equal to 9 calories while 1 gram of protein or carbohydrate is equal to 4 calories.