20 fitness and nutrition myths that are hindering your progress

On the way to the perfect body, it’s easy to encounter misconceptions that sound convincing, but in reality hinder progress. Popular fitness blogger Tatyana Fedorishcheva, better known as Tanya TGYM, knows almost everything about training, proper nutrition and working on yourself in general. At the beginning of her sporting journey, the girl herself believed in many myths for a long time, and now she has shared 20 of them on her YouTube channel. Take note and do not stumble!

Myth 1: You can’t eat after 18:00.

There is a belief that refusing to eat in the evening contributes to weight loss. However, in some cases, it not only does not help, but also harms. Because of this mode, a large period of time is formed when the body is starving. And, very likely, an unprepared person will bravely hold out for a couple or three hours, and by midnight will reach for the refrigerator.

What is the right way? It is possible to eat after 18:00, but dinner should not be heavy and harmful. It is desirable that it should consist of protein products and salads, greens.

Myth 2: You can not drink food

Around this myth there are still discussions. Supporters of the refusal of water during meals believe that liquid dilutes gastric juice and prevents food from digesting.

What’s the right way? Drinking your food is fine. Only ideally you should do it with water, not sweet, carbonated drinks. There is one more nuance: fatty food, which is better to exclude from the diet, should not be drunk with cold water.

Myth 3: You should not eat after training

Unfortunately, this myth is spread even by some trainers in fitness centers. And yet it is wrong to think that food will spoil all the results of work in the gym, and under the condition of hunger, fat will certainly begin to burn.

What is the right way? After intensive training you should have either a full meal or at least a snack.

Myth 4: Fats are always bad.

Hence the popularity of low-fat or no-fat products. Especially among girls who are just starting to lose weight and have not yet figured things out by trial and error.

What is the right way? It is not necessary to avoid fats in the diet. Proper, healthy fats are important in any diet, especially in a woman’s diet. Fish, avocados, olive oil, nuts are their source.

Myth 5: Protein is always a good thing

Admittedly, we decided to tell you about this myth ourselves, inspired by the previous one. Protein is the main building material for muscles and tissues in general. However, trying to fit as many protein foods into your diet as possible, pinching the amount of fats and carbohydrates, is a bad idea.

What’s the right way to do it? Excessive consumption of protein leads to intoxication of the body, violation of carbohydrate metabolism, increased fatigue, kidney problems and other unpleasant consequences. To avoid this, you need to combine in the diet all the necessary components: proteins, fats and carbohydrates. They should be sought not in unhealthy food, but in high-quality food.

Myth 6: Without sports nutrition there will be no result

If you go to the gym, you must have worried at least once that without protein your results will not be impressive: you will not be able to lose weight or gain muscle mass.

What’s the right way to go about it? Undoubtedly, sports food is a good supplement to the regular diet, but the key word here is “supplement”. You can do without protein if the menu is well thought out and of high quality, and if your workouts are regular and involve constant progression.

Myth 7: You can’t drink while training

Tatiana noted that the myth about the drinking regimen most often hears from girls who were so recommended by a personal trainer. In response, the blogger advises, “Run away from this trainer!”

What’s the right way? Dehydration during exercise is extremely dangerous because we sweat and the body loses fluid. Every 10-15 minutes of training you should drink plain water or, if necessary, slightly diluted with BCAA’s.

Myth 8: The gym is only for men

It may sound rambling, but a large number of girls really believe in this statement. In their opinion, iron trainers, dumbbells, kettlebells and barbells will definitely make the figure masculine.

How to do it right? It is better to get rid of prejudice towards any type of training and do not divide sports into male and female. If you like running, aerobics – continue in the same spirit. And if you are drawn to weight training, forget about stereotypes: your body will not become overpumped if you do not want it yourself.

Myth 9. Scales always tell the truth

Many people are used to focusing on the readings of scales when losing weight or gaining muscle mass. And when the numbers begin to jump and, moreover, periodically increase, we involuntarily get upset.

What is the right way? Scale readings can be deceptive. Taking as an example two girls with the same weight, you will be surprised how different their physique can be. After all, a kilogram of fat takes up four times more space than muscle tissue. Therefore, it is much more reliable to focus on the reflection in the mirror and parameters in centimeters.

Myth 10: You should train every day.

The idea that you need to train every day to achieve fast results is very obsessive. In fact, without rest, we simply can not withstand such a colossal load: neither mentally nor physically.

How to do it right? After training, you need to allow yourself for 1-2 days to forget about sports. So the muscles will have time to recover, and you simply gain energy and mental strength.

Myth 11. Fat is burned locally

If you have dissatisfaction with your body, there will probably be a place on it that displeases you the most. You’ll often hear phrases like, “I want to remove fat from my belly,” or “get rid of my sides,” or “make my arms less flabby.” But localized fat burning is impossible.

How to do it right? Do not fixate on one problem area. It is much more effective to work comprehensively: include in the plan strength training for all muscle groups, cardio load and watch your diet.

Myth 12. The longer the workout, the better

It would seem that the longer the workout, the more exercises, repetitions and approaches you can fit into it. And this, perhaps, is the guarantor of progress! But this is not the case.

What is the right way? The same principle works here as with overtraining – don’t overdo it. Exercise should be properly planned, and its optimal duration is 40-60 minutes, depending on the complexity.

Myth 13. If you pump your abs more often, you’ll see cubes faster

In the pursuit of relief, it is a mistake to emphasize daily workouts. So the muscles will not have time to recover, and without proper nutrition, the fat layer will not disappear anywhere.

What is the right way? Not for nothing they say that the abs are made in the kitchen. To refuse to exercise the abdominal muscles, of course, it is not necessary. But you need to understand that the cubes will appear only when the fat layer in the whole body is reduced. This is only possible with a primal diet and calorie deficit.

Myth 14. Prolonged cardio is beneficial

This is quite a controversial myth. Tatiana said that she studied many scientific studies that speak about the harm of prolonged cardio for the body, in particular for the joints. However, the experience of professional runners can prove the opposite.

What’s the right way to do it? If you do not want to join the ranks of first-class marathon runners, it is better to be guided by a safe principle: everything should be in moderation. Cardio load should be included in your training plan, but only in such a way that you don’t push yourself to the point of pain in your side and an off the scale heart rate. Up to 15-20 minutes of running at an average pace is optimal.

Myth 15. Sweat is fat

No, this is not a joke. There is an absurd belief that when we sweat, then along with moisture, the body leaves fat.

How is it right? In the process of sweating, the body only loses fluid. Right after the class, the figure on the scale may indeed decrease by a couple hundred grams, but this is due to the loss of water, not fat.

Myth 16. No results without sweat

Another myth concerning sweat. As if without profuse sweating during training there will be no progress in weight loss.

What is the right way? The process of sweating is different for each person: some people lose a huge amount of fluid during exercise, while others have only a drop of sweat on their forehead. This does not mean that the second group of people will not be able to lose weight.

Myth 17. For a thin waist you need to pump oblique muscles

The blogger herself used to believe in this statement. Therefore, in the evenings she pumped the oblique muscles of the abdomen with dumbbells, performed inclines with weights. And all this exclusively in pursuit of a thin waist.

What’s the right way? From working the oblique muscles, the waist will not shrink. The muscles themselves, on the contrary, will thicken and become stronger, especially if you use additional weight.

Myth 18. Gym workouts are more effective than home workouts

Just what fitness enthusiasts were concerned about during the long self-isolation. Since many people don’t have the advanced equipment at home that a gym has in abundance, it seems that exercising in your own room is less effective.

What’s the right way to do it? Working out at home can produce amazing results. This is what we have seen over the past two months, and Tanya herself. She has been making videos of training in an apartment for five years. But there is a nuance: to build muscle mass in most cases you still need additional weight, so you will have to buy either equipment or a gym membership.

Myth 19: No pain – no result

Perhaps the popular English phrase “no pain, no gain” sounds too convincing. However, training without crepature can in no way be called in vain.

What is the right way? If you performed the exercises qualitatively and, therefore, included muscles in the work, spent calories, it will certainly bring results. Even if the body does not hurt after the exercise. However, the body eventually gets used to the load, so for progression it is necessary to diversify the list of exercises, increase the weight, the number of approaches or repetitions.

Myth 20. There are universal training and diet programs

Training programs and diets of stars, published on the Internet, are available to everyone. But they are not suitable for everyone. In the best case, such a “universal” plan simply will not entail progress, and in the worst case will harm your health.

What’s the right way? Exercise and nutrition plans should be tailored to the individual: goals, physique, lifestyle, problem areas and health. Especially if you have any identified problems, injuries or intolerances to certain foods.

You can watch a detailed analysis of myths about fitness and nutrition in the video on Tanya’s TGYM channel.

And while you are trying to understand all the existing opinions and get rid of misconceptions, remember one simple rule: listen to your body and rely on your personal feelings.