1. I must eat more protein if I want to build muscle from a strength training program.
False: The majority of diets contain more than enough protein to build muscle. Unless you are a high performance athlete, a well balanced diet will provide enough protein.
2. Cardio is not necessary if I am not overweight.
False: Aerobic exercise is necessary for optimum health, even if you're not over weight. Aerobic exercise is closely tied with many health benefits including lower risk of heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.
3. Stretching will help me avoid injuries.
False: Research studies to date have not confirmed that stretching actually reduces the chance of injury. The best time to stretch is after exercising. Static stretching (holding a stretch for 30 seconds or more) has been shown to lower power, strength and speed for 60-minutes afterwards. So stretch after! Prior to exercise, you should engage in a dynamic warm-up.
4. When women weight train with even light weights it leads to "bulky" muscles.
False: While weight training is recommended for women, it will not lead to bulky muscles. Women lack the testosterone levels that men have. Testosterone is one of the hormones responsible for increasing muscle size making it very difficult for women to obtain huge muscles.
5. Running will wear down my joints over time and lead to osteoarthritis.
False: Research shows that runners develop osteoarthritis at a lower rate than non-runners.
6. Exercise is a good way to lose weight.
False: While exercise is essential for optimum health, it's very difficult to lose weight from exercise alone. Exercise burns far less calories than most people think. Also, people often eat more as a form of "reward" from exercising - totally defeating the purpose of exercising in the first place! The focus of a good weight loss program should be on healthy habits and diet.
7. I should be drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day.
False: Let thirst be your guide. Much of your daily fluid needs can be met through eating food. If you're thirsty, that is your body's way of telling you to drink more water.
8. Coffee should count towards my daily water intake.
True: Although coffee is a diuretic (it will make you pee), your body will retain more of a coffee's fluids that you lose. With that said coffee contains caffeine and should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Limit yourself to 1-2 cups per day.
9. Working your core will help you get rid of your belly fat, trim your waist and lead to 6-pack abs.
False: Spot reduction does not exist. Working out a particular body part will not decrease the amount of fat on that part of the body.
10. My muscle will turn into fat if I stop lifting weights.
False: That equivalent as a person saying they can turn water into gold. It’s not possible. Muscle and fat are two different types of tissue.
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