15 Popular Sports Myths

There are a lot of nuances in sports, without knowing which you will not get effective training – you will not get the desired result and, moreover, you can harm the body. Let’s look at the most popular myths and misconceptions in this article. 

When it comes to sports, for some reason, many people think that the main thing is a record. The faster, higher, stronger you are, the better the result will be. But there are a lot of nuances in sports, without knowing which it is pointless to start training – you will not get the effect and can harm the body. Let’s look at the most popular myths and misconceptions.

1. Starvation is always harmful to the body

It is believed that skipping meals and even whole days is very harmful – after a short hunger, the body can begin to accumulate weight intensively. But recent studies show that short-term fasting does not harm, on the contrary, it can speed up metabolism by up to 10%.

2. You can’t skip workouts, because the result will be lost

If you have to skip workouts because of a busy schedule, people usually worry that they will regress. But this fear is not justified. According to studies, the result disappears only if, after regular training, you stop exercising altogether. Then, over time, up to 70% of the achieved effect disappears. If, with a training regimen 2-3 times a week, reduce them to one workout, this is enough to keep fit.

3. Training is more important than proper nutrition

It is difficult to bring the body into shape with just training. If you have everything in a row, without particularly thinking about your goals, it will not work to achieve any noticeable result. After all, diet directly affects the body. To lose weight, you need to reduce daily calories in order to gain muscle mass, on the contrary, increase it. In addition to calories, the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is important, for different purposes it will differ. Therefore, a balanced menu of the right products should appear in your life at the same time as playing sports.

4. Worked out – deserve sweets

Based on the previous myth, many believe that the harm from fatty and sugary foods can be compensated for by an exhausting workout. Yes, for an hour of active exercise, it’s really possible to burn calories from a donut. But such products still harm the body and do not contain any useful substances. And constantly training for wear and tear for the sake of such a reward is a dubious pleasure. It is better to make it a habit to always eat right. Sometimes you can allow yourself junk food, but for success in sports, reward yourself with something else.

5. Before strength training, stretching is required.

Until recently, fitness trainers were advised to stretch before taking on additional weights. Someone still adheres to this point of view, although it has been proven that this is not entirely correct. Even 30 seconds of static stretching exercises will reduce your strength, which will have a bad effect on the result of weight exercises.

6. Daily workouts are the most effective

It is widely believed that the more you train, the better the result will be. And many exhaust themselves with daily workouts, but do not see the stunning effect. Why? The results of numerous studies show that if you make a good training program, follow the exercise technique and pay attention to all muscles, then there is no difference, 1, 2 or 3 workouts per week – the effect will be about the same. Therefore, it makes no sense to engage in at least the same sport every day.

7. The press is formed only in the gym

The press is created in the kitchen. What does it mean? You can’t see abs if they have a certain percentage of body fat. Therefore, no matter how much you pump the abdominal muscles, the desired relief will appear only when the excess weight is gone. And you must have heard that fat goes evenly and losing weight in only one area of ​​​​the body will not work. Therefore, you need to combine training with proper nutrition.

8. Not everyone can get abs.

It is absurd to think that not everyone can build this or that muscle. After all, the structure of the body is the same for all people. Yes, someone may need more time and effort, someone may need to carefully monitor nutrition. But in the end, everyone can have a toned body with traced muscles.

9. The press is not necessary to download at all

It is known that in many exercises the abdominal muscles are tensed in one way or another. Therefore, we can assume that the press does not need to be given special attention at all, it will be pumped up anyway. However, to get a really high-quality result, you still need to do abdominal exercises. Not too often, 2-3 workouts per week of a couple of exercises and 3 sets is enough. But you need to do them regularly. And, of course, do not forget about food.

10. Lose weight = lose fat

When it comes to weight loss, the first association is with excess fat, which must melt with active training. That’s what happens, that’s just

if you suddenly find that you have dropped a couple of kilograms, it may not only be that the fat layer has melted. This may be a loss of fluid, muscle mass. Even the hair on our head has weight, so hair loss affects the number on the scale. When losing weight, it is important that it is fat that disappears, and for this you need to eat properly and balanced.

11. Water and weight loss are not connected.

Few people, starting to train, seriously think about how important water balance is in this matter. Not that the regular use of pure water makes the kilograms melt before our eyes, otherwise few would be overweight. But without it, losing weight is also impossible. Firstly, if you replace all sweet cocktails, tea, coffee and other drinks with ordinary water, the daily number of calories will immediately decrease, which cannot but affect weight loss. Secondly, a glass of water before dinner reduces appetite, it’s a fact. Thirdly, water speeds up metabolism. It has been proven that just half a liter can improve metabolism by up to 30%, that is, an additional 100 calories will go away. In addition, drinking a small amount of water during a workout helps you work harder.

12. Fast weight loss is always good.

Unfortunately, fat is lost more slowly than muscle mass. Therefore, a very sharp weight loss will rather speak of its reduction than a reduction in body fat. Only people who are very overweight are allowed to lose up to 1.5 kilograms per week. The average person should not lose more than 1 kilogram in 7 days if they want to get a noticeable long-term result in the form of a toned, strong body.

13. Getting in shape is difficult and expensive.

Those who are not sufficiently motivated or lazy often look for excuses that sports are hard, proper nutrition is tasteless and expensive, and a healthy lifestyle in general is very boring. It seems to people that they will have to sacrifice all their free time and all their strength in order to achieve the desired result, and they are not even ready to start. It is important to understand that sport is in any case an activity that requires some effort and time. But there are so many different sports that you can try your hand at, so many opportunities to train anytime and anywhere, so many delicious, healthy and inexpensive dishes that everyone can find the ideal weight loss regimen for themselves. And most importantly, all efforts will pay off a hundredfold in the end, when you reach the desired shape and be proud of yourself.

14. Rest is optional

Torturing yourself with constant workouts without taking a day of rest in between is a bad idea. It is a mistake to think that progress will only grow in this way. On the contrary, in order to get into perfect shape, it is very important for the body to recover. Resting, becoming stronger, should be muscle fibers that are torn during strength exercises. Glycogen stores must be replenished so that the muscles have energy for new exercises. And you yourself must recover psychologically, relax, reboot. In order for the body to adapt to new loads, you need to give it time to rest, so it is advisable to train every other day.

15. After 50 years, you can’t build muscle.

With age, muscle mass decreases and the body becomes less strong. But, contrary to popular belief, after 50, and even at a more mature age, you can strengthen your muscles. When calculating the load, it is only important to take into account the characteristics of your age group and the fact that the body needs much more time to recover than, for example, at 20.

Being in great shape is not difficult if you have a strong motivation and you are fully aware of all the actions. Therefore, you should not blindly believe in such misconceptions, always think critically and try to find out as many different facts as possible.