Myth #5: If I am not sore the following day, I should work harder.
DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is not a good indicator of a workout. One should focus on acute muscle fatigue. That is, either fail or come close to failing once you are at your desired rep range (e.g., if you are trying for ten reps, you should not be able to perform fifteen). The more rest you get, the more you stretch, and a proper diet will all contribute to you recovering quicker and not being as sore.
Myth #6: It’s okay to train abs every day.
Your abdominal muscles are just that—a muscle. That being said, just like any other muscle they need to time to recover. If you’re doing just a few reps here and there then it is okay to do daily. However, if you are training them intensely—that is, doing multiple sets and reps for ten minutes or longer—then you should allow at least a day to recover.
Myth #7: If I want to tone up, I should do high reps and low weight.
This is not necessarily true. Your diet and cardio will play larger roles in the definition of your muscles. Lifting will shape what you have, but it is the diet and cardio that will burn the fat and allow for more definition to be seen. Again, remember we burn from within, so the places you store the most will be the last places to see. High reps will typically burn more calories than doing heavier weight and lower reps, but will not do much for building muscle. This is why it is important to manipulate your reps and sets and determine which body parts are stimulated with light weights and which body parts need to have heavier weight.
Myth #8: In order to lose weight, I need to do hours of cardio and cut calories.
This is not necessarily true. You may be burning the candle at both ends. If you restrict your calories to an amount that is below your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), your metabolism can slow down and force your body to want to store fat. If you’re just doing cardio, you will not be building muscle, which burns more calories than fat. (1 pound of muscle burns 20 to 100 calories per day, and 1 pound of fat burns only 8 calories per day.) Most women should not eat less than 1200 to 1300 calories and most men should be around 1700 to 1800 calories a day. Contact either me or another certified trainer and/or dietician to help you determine your daily caloric needs.
