Now, although I believe that it is always a good idea to ask questions, sometimes I do wonder though...
Lately I have been asked a ton of crazy health and fitness questions and I thought it was time to get some facts out there!! Now, like I said before I am no professional, but over the years I have gained quite a bit of health and fitness knowledge. So here is my best effort in setting the record straight on some pretty common health and fitness myths.Q: How can I lose my double chin and belly without losing my butt or getting big arms?
A: This is basically a question about spot reduction. You cannot pick a spot on your body and reduce its size without your whole body going through a change. Blasting fat away from the stomach by doing sit ups, or side bends to reduce love handles is not realistic. If you exercise those areas you might in fact add lean muscle mass decreasing body fat percentage, however, it's missing one key component.....which is actually losing body fat. You can target certain muscle groups, not certain fat cells...now pass it on and tell your friends!!
Q: What should I do at the gym to lose weight without lifting weights because I don't want to get bulky...
A: One thing you can do is probably change the way you think and start incorporating resistance training into your regimen. One important thing to understand is that everyone has different goals! The false expectation of becoming a bulky woman is created by images of females that are bodybuilders. Here are some of the top reasons why you will not look anything like a bodybuilder
~ the specificity of your workout is much different from theirs (if not, you may end up looking like a bodybuilder)
~your diet is completely different from what theirs most likely is
~women do not have the same amount of testosterone or human growth hormone that men do
~most likely you are not injecting steroids (not saying that they are either....)
And if that's not convincing enough, the pictures you see of these shredded "bulky" women, well.... they only look like that for less than 24 hours after cutting serious water weight and extreme dieting.
Q: I want a bigger butt, what can I do besides squats because I hear they only work your quads?
A: Squats only work your quads? Craziness I tell you!! Ok, seriously though... Squats are a great workout for your Glutes, Quads, and Hamstrings. Building a butt will start with squats! If you are not feeling the burn in your butt, have a buddy check your form to make sure that you are engaging the correct muscles while preforming the workout. It would also be wise to consciously squeeze your buns tight during the movement, that way you are fully engaging them! But, if you are still searching for the right work out to build your butt, try some of these great moves! Lunges, plie squats, split squat, stiff legged deadlifts, glute bridges, or step ups to name a few!
Q: Is it true that weight and\or BMI (Weight (Kg) / Height (M)^2) defines your health?
A: Let me answer your question with a question.... If you line up two men of the same height and weight (BMI), one being an athlete his entire life and eating a clean raw diet. The other man being Joe at the office sitting for 14 hours of his day and eating fried, genetically modified foods... Are they inclined to have the same level of health despite having the same BMI? The measurement of your Body Mass Index is a generalized guideline of what is desirable for someones height and weight, it in no real way defines someone's "health".
P.S. Nowadays health is often mixed in with wellness, which is a much better indicator of an individual's health. Overall health/ wellness really encompasses many aspects of life such as emotional health, physical health, social health, spiritual health, occupational health, and intellectual health.
Q: I want to work on my cardio, but I hate running.
A: Cardio, in reality stands for Cardiorespiratory System training. It is not specific to just running long distances. In reality what we are training is our aerobic system, which is the system in our body that uses oxygen for energy during long bouts of exercise. Great news is that any exercise lasting more than 2 minutes that is of long duration and lower intensity becomes primarily aerobic which means there are a variety of ways to work on your "cardio". Some surprisingly great ways to train your Cardiorespiratory System are weight lifting circuits, kickboxing, dancing, biking, etc., you get the point.
Q: Do I have to cut out all carbs from my diet to lose these last ten pounds?
A: Wrong, the fad of carbohydrates being the culprit in the weight loss battle has been very popular the last few years. First thing to know is that we need carbohydrates for brain health and to maintain mental clarity! Not only that, but to fuel our kick ass workouts too! Empty calories such as cake, soft drinks, beer, ice cream, margarine, and other foods containing no real nutritional value are the real problem! Whether it is a fat, a carbohydrate, or a protein, consumed in excess ...it will cause you to gain weight! You do not have to cut out carbs to lose weight, you just need to take in complex carbohydrates (whole grains and vegetables) to sustain energy throughout the day. Do not forget that the most important part to losing the last 10 lbs, is to stay motivated and stay moving!
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