9 Exercise Myths Debunked

Written By Megan Brandt • 5 min read

Exercise Myths Debunked!

So, you want to start exercising? But, you’re not sure where to start. Do you lift heavy or light? Should you skip cardio because it’ll “eat your muscle” gains? Will an expensive home gym setup to get the best results?  Should you aim to workout every single day? If you spend a few minutes scrolling social media or a Google searching for answers to these questions, you’ll find hundreds of exercise myths that can leave you quite confused about where to start.

With so much information floating around, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure about the most effective approach to achieving your fitness goals. I’m Megan Brandt (PFC Fitness Director), holding a Masters Degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. With over three decades of experience in the fitness industry, guiding hundreds of clients toward personal health and wellness, I’m here to bust some popular exercise myths.

Let’s jump right in!

Exercise Myth #1: You Need Expensive Equipment to Get a Good Workout

The truth is, you can get an effective workout with minimal equipment. Bodyweight exercises, like push-ups and squats, are just as effective as those done with expensive machines. Even if you invest in a few pieces of equipment, like dumbbells or a jump rope, you can still get a great workout.

Exercise Myth #2: You Need to Exercise for Hours to See Results

You don’t need to exercise for hours every day to see results. Even short sessions of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can be effective for improving your fitness level. It’s important to find the right balance between intensity and duration when it comes to your workouts. Try a 20 minute interval workout of 1 minute at 90% Max Heart Rate (MHR) and 2 minutes at 70% MHR.

Exercise Myth #3: You Should Do Cardio Before Strength Training

While it may be beneficial to do one type of exercise before the other depending on your goals, for most of us, it is not ideal to do cardio first. When you do cardio first, the body is using its reserves of nutrients during the workout. When this happens, and you then try to lift weights, you will likely have less energy to put towards lifting. This may limit how many reps you can do or the amount of weight you can lift. More so, it also causes fatigue in the muscles which could lead to improper form and injury.

Exercise Myth #4: You Have to Exercise Every Day to Get Results

It’s important to take rest days in order to give your body time to recover and grow stronger. If you exercise too often, you may end up feeling fatigued and unmotivated. Aim for at least one rest day per week, and be sure to listen to your body if it’s telling you to take a break.

Exercise Myth #5: Women Will Get Too Bulky if They Lift Weights

This myth about exercise is that women should not lift weights because it can create a bulky, muscle-enhanced appearance. The truth is, women don’t build muscle in the same way as men do. Men have a higher level of testosterone in their bodies, which helps the muscle-building process. While women will gain strength and muscle tone from weightlifting, they are not going to naturally get “bulky” from lifting. More importantly, lifting weights has been shown to help improve body image.

Exercise Myth #6: You Need to Exercise in the “Fat-Burning Zone” to Lose Weight

The fat-burning zone is a term used to describe a workout where your heart rate stays around 55 to 65 percent of your maximum heart rate. Technically, the body burns more fat than glycogen for fuel during this heart rate. However, you have to maintain this level of exercise for an extended amount of time to burn the same amount of calories you could burn in a high intensity workout. In a high-intensity workout, although your body uses your glycogen stores first for quick energy, it depletes the glycogen stores rapidly enough to force your body to use fat storage after. This means that high-intensity workouts are more efficient in burning way more total calories including glycogen and fat calories.

Exercise Myth #7: Fat can turn into muscle and muscle can turn into fat.

The truth is muscle and stored fat are very different tissues in the body and have different functions. Fat helps insulate the body and it does not burn calories. The entire goal of fat is to store energy for times when there is not enough provided in the diet. On the other hand, muscle tissue increases your metabolism. This means the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when you are at rest. When exercising, a person will burn stored fat to lose weight. To grow muscle, they need to push existing muscles to new limits, causing a split in the fibers that leads to further growth. So, no, your muscle does not turn to fat when you stop working out.

Exercise Myth #8: Spot-training can help you lose fat in a specific area of your body

Spot-training is when you do exercises in a specific area of the body to see improvements in that area. For example, doing only sit-ups as a way to see a toned abdomen. The problem is that, while you can increase muscle tone in the specific area being worked, the body does not lose weight in this manner. During a workout, the body will burn through stored energy reserves to meet the demand, however, it is impossible to know where the body is pulling that energy from.

Exercise Myth #9: You Do not Need to Exercise because You are Taking Weight Loss Medication.

Taking weight loss medications is not a substitute for healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise and balanced nutrition. While these medications can aid in weight loss and metabolic improvements, incorporating physical activity can help encourage the process and prevent muscle loss that occurs with weight loss. Studies have also shown that those who take weight loss medication and exercise regularly maintain the beneficial effects a year after the termination of the medication. Aim to get 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week, as well as, 2-3 times a week strength training.

The Bottom Line:

By dispelling these exercise myths, I hope you feel empowered to make better-informed decisions about your exercise routines and strength training, leading to more effective and sustainable outcomes. Realizing that expensive equipment isn’t essential, shorter workouts can still be beneficial, and women won’t bulk up from lifting weights can help you approach exercise confidently and purposefully. In any case, starting small …can be a wise strategy. Begin with manageable goals and gradually increase intensity or duration as you build confidence and strength. Remember, consistency is key. By incorporating small, sustainable changes into your routine, you can steadily progress towards your fitness aspirations while enjoying the journey along the way. So, take that first step today, and let your determination drive you towards a healthier and happier lifestyle.

Megan Brandt
Fitness Director