As someone who works within the Fitness Industry, let me be the first to say … I hate the Fitness Industry. I think it has next to nothing to do with helping people live healthy active lives and much, much more with online grifters trying to milk as much money from an uninformed or misinformed section of the public.
While there are definitely a lot of highly educated, well intentioned voices out there, some of the most popular Fit-Fluencers (Your Liver Kings, O’Hearn’s, V-Shreds, etc) are misleading their fans about their status as ‘Natural Bodybuilders Status’ and what they had to do to accomplish their physiques in order to sell products.
With that in mind, I wanted to take a look at three fairly common Fitness Myths in order to keep people on the right path along their fitness journey!
CHEAT MEALS WON’T RUIN YOUR WEIGHT LOSS DIET! A CHICAGO HOME PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER EXPLAINS
We’ve all seen the posts from certain Influencers/Movie Stars/Former Pro Wrestlers where they surround themselves with tables of junk food and declare #CheatMeal!. They like to give the illusion that, if you eat very healthy for 6 days a week you can binge junk food, brownies, pancakes, s’mores, etc. on that magical seventh day without losing any progress.
This is complete nonsense. I have seen Clients who eat perfectly for six days erase any and all progress with one enormous meal. Think about that! You’ve spent 6 days making smart, informed food decisions and denied yourself alcohol and junk food in order to reach your weight loss goal … only to negate any calorie deficit you’ve created with one night of pizza and cookies and beer.
DON’T DO IT! If your goal is weight loss, you need to be all in. You need to maintain a calorie deficit and a clean, nutrient dense diet throughout the entire weight loss phase. It is so easy to be discouraged after a night of heavy eating when you see that scale and realized you’ve gained back some of the pounds you fought so hard to lose.
When it comes to weight loss, avoid cheat meals and stick to your plan!
YOU CAN’T LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT HIGH INTENSITY CARDIO
It has somehow been installed in our minds that sweating = weight loss. Maybe it’s the commercials for athletic shoes or sports drinks, but so many people actually think that sweating is literally 500 calories dripping out of their body. And this of course means that the only way to lose weight is by doing High Intensity Cardio like burpees and box jumps and battle ropes, right?!
No. Perspiration is your body regulating its temperature. I can stand perfectly still in a room with the thermostat at 85 and eventually, I’ll start sweating. It doesn’t mean I’m actually losing meaningful weight or building muscle or having a really great, effective workout.
To be honest, I rarely sweat during my workouts. And I have GREAT workouts. I’ve gained massive amounts of muscle in my life and my weight never fluctuates. Humble brag, I’m 37 and I still wear the same 29/30 jeans from high school.
And I NEVER do High Intensity Cardio. Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance is all about nutrition. Are you burning more calories than consuming? Are you eating the proper amount to fuel your body without storing excess?
As I always say, the very best cardio you can do is walking because you can do it for the longest amount of time with the least amount of damage to your joints. High Intensity Cardio will of course increase the total amount of calories you burn, but it is absolutely possible to lose weight without it.
So don’t sweat it … (sorry, Dad joke).
HOLLYWOOD BODY TRANSFORMATIONS (CHICKEN, BROCCOLI, AND RICE)
Maybe it’s because I’m in the fitness industry (And used to work in Hollywood), but I roll my eyes every time Thor or Captain America or Wolverine or whomever explain how they achieved their impossibly perfect superhero physiques and claim it was ‘Six months of training and eating nothing but Chicken, Broccoli, and Brown Rice’.
Get the F*** Out Of Here. First … you cannot have that amazing of a body transformation in six months. Can you make gains? Of course. But your body cannot add these massive amounts of muscle to your frame in that short of a time frame … unless you’re having a little help from well, let’s say your ‘pharmacy’.
Also, they are not JUST eating Chicken, Broccoli, and Brown Rice. They would be grotesquely micronutrient deficient if that were the case.
The reality is, these celebrities are working with expert trainers, dietitians, personal chefs, and if they really are achieving these physiques in ‘six months’, a lot of chemical help as well.
Now, why is this myth so important to bust? Because a lot of people think they can achieve the same results as their favorite celeb or influencer and then get discouraged and give up when they don’t. Celebs and Influencers are selling a dream to the Average Joe and setting impossible expectations for 99% of the population.
My advice? Avoid the Celebs. Avoid the Influencers. Avoid the ‘compare’ game. Focus on realistic goals, healthy choices, longevity, quality of life, and you will make amazing gains over the course of your life.
Silence all the Hollywood and Social Media noise. Do your best and trust the process.
For More Fitness/Nutrition Advice, Book A Free Consultation Call Today! Reach Your Weight Loss, Cardio, and Fitness Goals With A Chicago Home Personal Trainer!
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