This is a guest post by Taylor Ryan from The Trinity Training System, the complete fitness system for women.
Have you ever been afraid to try something new because you had been given the impression that it could be bad for you, or it wouldn’t work or maybe you had made you mind up all on your own.
With the falsities popping up in the fitness industry it’s really no shock that you’re not getting the results you want. The magazines recommend workouts that are most often short on the elements to give results, they don’t care if you get results or not they just want you to pick up the next month’s edition. Then of course there are the infomercials bragging a bout some new piece of equipment that guarantees results with only 6 minutes a day!
What ever it is the fact is that there’s a lot of false information floating around the fitness world. That’s the whole reason I got into this field…to dispute these myths and help women finally get results that not only shows quickly but that lasts!
To make sure you’re not being held back by these myths let’s hit on them and set the record straight now so you can get on the path to success.
Top Women’s Fitness Myths:
Can Muscle Turn Into Fat?
This one comes from the idea that if you stop working out you’re muscle is going to turn into squishy, icky fat. And I am here to say it’s completely false! Muscle is muscle and fat is fat.
So where did this come from… well if anyone stops working out, their muscles will atrophy (get smaller) and metabolism will decrease. Remember muscle is a great metabolic booster and the more you have the faster your metabolism, so if you lose muscle you lose your calorie burning ability. And that means your body stores fat more easily. This process occurs simultaneously so it does look like your muscle turns into fat but really that’s not the case at all.
How long does it take for this to start happening after you stop working out? The experts say that after 1-2 weeks of no working out you’ll start having a decrease in muscle strength and lose some hard earned muscle.
Is It True If I Lift Weights I Will Bulk Up?
When it comes to fitness, Women are from Mars and men are from Venus. The way that our bodies react is completely different. On one side, men have the sex hormone Testosterone which is responsible for adding muscle bulk to their frame. Not to mention their muscles are naturally larger on their skeleton.
Women on the other hand have estrogen and a much smaller dose of testosterone. Estrogen is a fat storing hormone which is why we have hips, breast, a monthly friend and more body fat naturally than men. Since we lack the testosterone amounts, it’s really hard for most women to add any bulk. Instead women get leaner and more toned without getting broad and bulky.
Of course there is a small percent of women that can add muscle easily but if they know this then their workouts can easily be designed so they get great benefits and stay more feminine.
I Will Gain Fat If I Add Muscle
If you have ever talked to a bodybuilder in your gym you’ve heard them mention that to add muscle you can’t help but gain fat at the same time… not true. We’ve come a long way in our abilities to design workouts specific to our goals.
And unless you’re on the path towards becoming a bodybuilder you can add some lean muscle to your body without adding body fat. It’s all about the program and the amount and the kind of foods you put in.
Of course you follow a clean eating diet which means you can keep lean, toned and sexy while adding more muscle to your physique.
Guess what else, you can actually lose fat at the same time too! I know that’s going against the bodybuilding motto but it’s true. With a clean eating diet paired with an intense workout, you can get the results you want. Now let me stress, if you are going after a bodybuilder’s physique you are going to have to take in a TON of calories and take appropriate (and safe) supplements.
Few women are able to be bodybuilders not just because of our genetics but also because of the discipline you need to have to take in such a huge amount of calories. We’re told all of our lives to eat like a lady, count calories, and eat dainty. But to add huge amounts of muscle you have to devour the right kinds of foods and take in more calories than you can imagine.
Running & Other Forms Of Cardio Are Best For Losing Weight
Of course this is a natural idea to believe. From middle school PE class girls were forced to run around the track, and any time our moms had to lose weight we saw them lace up the running shoes and head out the door.
The boys were shown the weight room and girls were introduced to the treadmill so it’s only natural now that when you feel the urge to workout or lose weight you should want to lace up your sneakers. But this isn’t the answer.
Cardio, especially steady state cardio can actually hurt your results. To keep your body going for your run it turns on its muscle stores for energy so you lose muscle mass, and if you lose muscle mass you lose metabolism too.
So believe it or not cardio can make it harder to lose weight and the weight loss may be contributed to muscle NOT fat.
The best way to lose weight?, A program based on strength training and cardio. Strength training boost your metabolism not just because you increase muscle mass but because during the workout you’re working hard, and hours after your done your body is repairing and building and that means you’re metabolism is raised for up to 48 hrs post workout.
That means you lose weight and not only that you lose fat! That’s what it’s all about losing the right kind of weight.
Those are the 4 biggest myths holding women back from getting real results with their bodies. Now you know them and you are not longer pinned down by what money hunger fitness “gurus” are saying. You have the knowledge to know what’s best for your body and what’s going to deliver you the physique you’ve always wanted!
Get more info on Taylor’s Trinity Training System for women.