Consider these fitness myths busted.
[Image via Shutterstock]
Most of us have heard that it's good to do a lot of crunches if you want to see a flat stomach, but even though you're killing it at the gym you're not seeing the results that you hoped for. Or when you don't have time to have a meal you figure a protein bar is a good supplement. Well, these are just two of the many fitness myths out there that you need to forget.
Firstly, when it comes to a flat stomach, you want to burn off fat around the midsection, and according to Health, crunches are not the best way to do this because they don't burn a lot of calories and therefore don't contribute much to weight loss. Instead, if you want to achieve more dramatic results consider bridges or planks.
As for protein bars? Well, according to BodyBuilding.com, unless you're making the protein bars yourself they're not a good meal substitute because they tend to be highly processed.
It's important to replenish your electrolytes after every workout. This is another myth because sports drinks filled with electrolytes are only necessary for those who have been working out vigorously, for a prolonged period of time. In fact, drinking a sports drink (which is also packed with sugar) could actually do more harm than good if you have not been training hard. Instead, just drink water.
Sweat equals a lot of calories burnt. Unfortunately, that's not the case, because the sweat could just be due to overheating — it's a normal response from your body to cool down your skin and regulate your body's temperature.
Cardio should be first in your workout. According to Men's Fitness, most people tend to do a cardio workout first, before strength training, but for a more effective workout, these roles should be reversed. Why? Because doing cardio as soon as you hit the gym can make you tired and deplete your glycogen levels, therefore making you less likely to train as hard as you should.
It's best to work out in the morning. According to The Independent, this is not necessarily true, because what works best is whatever time allows you to work out consistently — so if you can only hit the gym every night, then do that. Ideally, as the publication notes, you should be exercising once a day.
However, some researchers do think that exercise in the morning may help with weight loss because it allows the body to burn fat throughout the day.
[Image via Shutterstock]
Most of us have heard that it's good to do a lot of crunches if you want to see a flat stomach, but even though you're killing it at the gym you're not seeing the results that you hoped for. Or when you don't have time to have a meal you figure a protein bar is a good supplement. Well, these are just two of the many fitness myths out there that you need to forget.
Firstly, when it comes to a flat stomach, you want to burn off fat around the midsection, and according to Health, crunches are not the best way to do this because they don't burn a lot of calories and therefore don't contribute much to weight loss. Instead, if you want to achieve more dramatic results consider bridges or planks.
As for protein bars? Well, according to BodyBuilding.com, unless you're making the protein bars yourself they're not a good meal substitute because they tend to be highly processed.
It's important to replenish your electrolytes after every workout. This is another myth because sports drinks filled with electrolytes are only necessary for those who have been working out vigorously, for a prolonged period of time. In fact, drinking a sports drink (which is also packed with sugar) could actually do more harm than good if you have not been training hard. Instead, just drink water.
Sweat equals a lot of calories burnt. Unfortunately, that's not the case, because the sweat could just be due to overheating — it's a normal response from your body to cool down your skin and regulate your body's temperature.
Cardio should be first in your workout. According to Men's Fitness, most people tend to do a cardio workout first, before strength training, but for a more effective workout, these roles should be reversed. Why? Because doing cardio as soon as you hit the gym can make you tired and deplete your glycogen levels, therefore making you less likely to train as hard as you should.
It's best to work out in the morning. According to The Independent, this is not necessarily true, because what works best is whatever time allows you to work out consistently — so if you can only hit the gym every night, then do that. Ideally, as the publication notes, you should be exercising once a day.
However, some researchers do think that exercise in the morning may help with weight loss because it allows the body to burn fat throughout the day.