The five biggest fitness and diet industry myths

The sad truth is that there are a lot of myths out there in the fitness and diet industries that just won’t die. Companies or influencers with large platforms create these myths to gain clicks, purchases, followers, etc. by making us think that we need to do or believe whatever it is that they’re preaching. But the truth is, there’s a lot of bullshit out there. So let’s break down the biggest fitness industry myths once and for all.

1. Lifting weights will make you bulky. First, “bulky” is a made-up term to prey on women and scare them away from lifting weights. The fitness industry has led us to believe that the moment we start lifting heavy, we will turn into a Hulk-like bodybuilder type who looks like they might be on steroids.
   
   Yes, lifting heavy (which is relative to the individual) can help you build muscle, which is a great thing. Muscle helps us live a longer, more independent life and is also the most metabolically active tissue (meaning having more muscle can increase our metabolism). But lifting heavy will not automatically turn you into Arnold Schwarzenegger.
   
   The truth is, getting bulky takes many, many years of consistent hard work in the gym along with eating in a caloric surplus to put on muscle mass. If you’re lifting weights 2-4 times a week and eating around your maintenance calories (the amount you need to maintain your current weight), you can still see positive changes in your body composition without looking bulky. In fact, you’ll probably finally achieve the toned look you’ve been desiring. Don’t be afraid to lift heavy!

2. Sweat and soreness are a good indicator of an effective workout. I know it feels so great to be dripping with sweat after a workout or feel sore the next day. But truly, these factors don’t say much about how effective a workout was. How much a person sweats is dependent on the individual (some people just sweat more than others), their hydration status, the temperature, and other factors. You can sweat more doing the same exact workout just by turning up the thermostat 10 degrees.
   
   As for soreness, it can be one indicator that you pushed yourself during your workout, but it is not the only indicator. Soreness typically occurs when we do something new that our bodies aren’t used to. For example, the first week of a new training program you will most likely experience a lot of soreness. As the weeks go on, that soreness will probably become less and less. That doesn’t mean the workouts aren’t working—it just means your body is adapting to the stresses you’re putting on it. Some soreness is a good sign that you adequately challenged yourself, but the goal should not be to be as sore as humanly possible the day after every single workout. If that’s the case, you’re likely switching it up way too often and/or you aren’t fueling yourself enough to recover from your workouts.
   
   Better indicators that your workout was effective include increasing your weights or reps on a given exercise, feeling your form improve, being able to move the weights with more control, improving your speed or endurance, and being less gassed after a workout or recovering faster.

3. You can determine where you lose fat on your body by doing exercises that target that area. Ahh, the old spot reduction myth. Unfortunately, doing more ab exercises will not shrink your midsection. We can’t target where we will lose fat on our bodies. Rather, we lose fat all over (provided that we are in a caloric deficit). Where you gain and lose fat first and last largely depends on your genetics.
   
   That said, exercises that target a specific area can help you build muscle and shape those areas (i.e. a shoulder exercise will help you build muscle in your shoulders). But a shoulder exercise won’t burn fat directly from your arms. Ab exercises can certainly help you build a stronger core and grow your abdominal muscles, but they won’t necessarily help you get a six-pack unless you lose enough body fat overall and get lean enough to see abs. The body fat percentage at which you might see visible abs is also largely based on genetics.

4. Eating “clean” is the key to weight loss. I hate this term because it implies that there’s clean and “dirty”—or good and bad—foods. Yes, some foods contain more nutrients than others and some foods are less processed than others. And yes, we want to eat those foods most of the time to be healthy. However, the key to weight loss is being in a calorie deficit (i.e. intaking fewer calories than we’re outputting).
   
   You can eat perfectly whole, unprocessed foods and still gain weight if you’re in a caloric surplus. Alternatively, you can eat only highly processed foods and still lose weight if you are in a calorie deficit, but you will likely not feel very good. Eating mostly whole foods that come from Mother Earth will certainly help you feel your best and be best for your overall health. But clean eating alone will not lead to weight loss unless you are in a calorie deficit. In short: quality and quantity matter.

5. Training fasted is better for fat loss. There is no evidence to show that training fasted will lead to more fat loss than training fed. If you like training fasted or you typically work out first thing in the morning and just aren’t hungry yet, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, it’s not better. In fact, training fed and fueled will likely lead to better performance and higher output in your workout because you’ll have more energy. You do you, but if you’re training fasted because you’ve heard it’s somehow better for fat loss, just know that that’s a myth and you can absolutely eat something before you train, even if it’s early in the morning.