By David Pollitt, BPE, CSCS*D, CFC

Published exclusively for Revolution Athletics (November 2005)

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I hear some pretty strange questions as a fitness coach.  I like to spend some time with each new client to help dispel some common myths so that they can shrug off that form of thinking and get down to the business of getting healthy.  The following is a collection of my favorite myths I have heard, and what my scientifically based answers to those myths are.

Getting Bigger

Many women ask me about gaining weight and “bulking up” from strength training.  I can respect this concern but believe me it is unfounded.  Women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormone testosterone (which mostly dictates muscle hypertrophy or increases in muscle mass).   What will happen is you may gain 3 to 10 lbs of muscles mass from exercise, but the increased muscle you build will help burn off more fat each day.  The end result is you stay the same overall weight, but your body composition is vastly different.  To illustrate, a 130lb women with 15% body fat looks nothing like a 130lb women with 25% body fat.  In general the body likes to stay exactly where it is in terms of size, weight and fat percentage.  It takes a great deal of effort to deviate from this norm, and it does by no means happen overnight.

When You Stop Training, Your Muscles will turn to Fat

Fat is fat, muscle is muscle.  They are two different types of tissue and cannot possibly turn into the other.  The truth is that as you stop exercising the muscles do shrink (atrophy), so the fat you have will be more visible.  As the muscles shrink so does you’re metabolism and therefore you tend to put on more fat at a faster pace.

Aerobic Exercise is the Best Thing to Burn Fat

While many people believe this, it’s simply not true.  Technically, you burn a greater percentage of fat calories with the slower workouts (long jogs or walks), but high intensity workouts such as weight training or intervals will burn more calories overall, so you burn more fat in total.  Not only that but strength training or hard anaerobic activity elevates the fat burning mechanism for many hours after cessation.  I certainly advocate using both types of training to achieve your goals, but generally my clients prefer the shorter, more intense workouts as they are finished sooner and saves them time. 

When Exercising You can Eat anything You Wish

Not if you like to look good naked!  If you buy an expensive sports car, why would you give it 87 octane gasoline?  It simply won’t run the way it was made to run.  Similarly why would you sabotage your efforts of turning your body into a sports car by feeding it junky food?  You simply won’t get the results your after.

If You Don’t Work out on a Regular Basis, It’s a Waste of Time

While you may not ever look like a supermodel with one workout per week, it’s better than sitting at home! I would prefer people workout at least 3 times per week, studies have shown that even moderate activity such as walking or gardening has a tremendous benefit.  At the very least you will decrease your risk for heart disease and give your mind and body a much needed break from your ordinary routine.  I encourage folks to do as much as they can even if it’s just one or two workouts a week.

Sweating while Exercise is Not Healthy

Actually it is healthy.  It’s a sign that the body is efficiently trying to cool itself.  In fact I always question a client who comes in saying they hardly sweat when they exercise.  A healthy body should produce more sweat, so when I tweak the person’s diet and make sure they are hydrated; they often find that they sweat much more during exercise…as it should be.

Your Appetite will Increase with Exercise

Actually if you exercise frequently it has been shown to suppress the appetite.  I find that after a hard workout the last thing I am thinking about is food.  If you eat your 5 to 6 meals a day (as I outline in the nutrition chapter) and drink plenty of water throughout the day, you won’t feel too hungry.

I must be fair however and talk about an interesting physiological occurrence that happens when you have your exercise and nutrition really hammered out.  The body starts to enter into a fat burning stage where you tend to be sleepy, there will seem to be an increase in body temperature and you will always be hungry.  What is happening is your body is really trying to fight the fat burning process but everything is just too perfect and you continue to burn fat until your body finds a way to equalize itself.  During this process (this usually doesn’t last too long or very often), enjoy the ride.

It’s in my Family History to be Fat

Certain folks have genetic traits such as having big arms or wide hips, this is natural.  Some people do have a genetic history or thyroid condition to carry higher amounts of body fat.  In some situations a doctor may need to evaluation your blood for signs of deficiency (such as various vitamins, minerals, circulating hormones, etc.). Having said all of that, more than 95% of the population can do wonders with your overall body composition and fitness levels from correct eating and regular exercise.