Fitness Myths BUSTED pt.2

5) Low-intensity exercise burns more fat.

In general, low intensity exercise has its place, like it's less stressful on joints. The myth is that if you exercise too intensely, you end up burning carbs instead of fat. In my opinion, it's the most dangerous type of myth because there's a bit of truth in it. The more intensely you exercise, the higher proportion of carbs you burn. You may burn less fat, true, BUT the total amount of calories burned is higher and that is the bigger picture. And when your body has burned up all the carbs, it starts burning fat. If you pay attention to how many calories you burn, that ultimately determines how much body fat you're going to lose.

6) You HAVE TO down a protein shake after every workout.

Take a seat, lol. Ok, I’m going to seem a little sometimey on this topic but bear with me. I DO advocate this practice if you’re looking to pack on substantial muscle, such as bodybuilders, fitness models, etc. However, if you’re the average individual who’s just looking to maintain and assist the muscle you do have by giving it what it needs to repair and recover properly then no, I don’t recommend slamming down a 40g protein shake after every single work out. If you’re really ripping and roaring on weights, say twice a week then yeah, after THOSE workouts it makes sense. Generally speaking, and I can go on and on about this topic, as it has many different facets but I’m not writing a book, lol sooo the “average person” will do fine by just upping the quality and types of protein in their normal diet. There is a recommendation of no more than 30g at a time and a myth that anymore won’t be used by the body. Not true! However, the type of protein and when you take it becomes the variant on that point. For instance, last night I had a big steak. That probably gave me 60g of protein – and my body used it ALL. See, since that protein was from a whole food source it digests pretty slowly so I was getting the benefit from that steak many hours after. An educated guess for the rate for absorption here would be 4-5g per hour for the steak. There are also quicker delivered types that are consumed after a workout vs. the type you consume beforehand (and depending on the type of workout you’re doing) but most of this can be done through natural whole food sources. I want to note that Shakeology® is NOT a “protein shake.” It is far more inclusive than that, being a very nutrient-dense source of vitamins and minerals PLUS yeah, protein. And it’s more often than not used as a low calorie meal replacement for those seeking to lose weight. I personally use it as a recovery drink more than a meal replacement so I add other things to it. Inbox me for more details on the protein dilemma (or Shakeology® questions).

7) You can spot-reduce for tight abs.

I hear pretty much on a daily basis, “how do I get tight abs?” Many people think all they have to do is find the right abs exercise and then boom-bang-boom = awesome abs. Wrong!  You won't see real muscle definition or a nice six-pack despite how many crunches you do, because of the layer of fat resting on top of your muscles. It’s not about focusing on a single body part – it’s hitting them all! And you have to not only discipline yourself in exercise but also in your eating habits. You have to work the whole body, strengthening the muscle and burning calories altogether. And yes, you want a well-balanced healthy diet, but also, a very simple scientific fact is that if you consume more calories than you’re burning you will not lose weight –period. I tell people all the time, you probably have fine abs… they're just under that layer of fat. You have to burn the fat to reveal the muscle you’ve built / are building underneath. And there’s a ton of studies that prove the most quick and effective way of doing that is a combination of cardio and strength training AND EATING BETTER QUALITY FOOD/DRINK along with consuming less calories than you burn.