Don’t Fall for These 7 Common Exercise Myths

While staying active is important for overall health, there are lots of popular fitness myths that can hold you back. Misleading advice like “exercise can outrun a bad diet” or “doing crunches will give you a six-pack” might sound convincing, but they’re simply not true. These myths, often spread on social media, can set you up for frustration and hinder real progress.

Continue reading as we break down seven exercise myths to get on the right track toward your fitness goals.

1. Lifting heavy weights can make women bulky.

Some people, especially women, avoid weights with the belief that it will bulk them up or make them look like a bodybuilder. This is not true at all; many women do not have enough testosterone to build larger-looking muscles. Female bodybuilders commit to a specialized diet and exercise routine to achieve the physique they have.

Lifting weights, in fact, has several benefits for your overall health. Apart from improved muscle strength, it can also help manage your weight, increase bone density, and even reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is also a good idea to diversify your workouts and include both strength training and cardio.

2. Muscles turn to fat when you stop training them.

First off: muscle and fat are not the same. Muscles cannot transform into fat, nor can fat turn into muscle. If you stop strength training or working out, a decrease in muscle mass is likely to happen due to atrophy or lack of muscle stimulation. Your metabolism also slows, resulting in your body burning fewer calories at rest. 

A sluggish metabolism, along with the changes in your calorie intake and expenditure, can lead to weight gain or an increase in body fat. This can then make you think that muscles have transformed into fat, instead of a change in your body composition. 

3. If you’re not sweating a lot, you’re not working out hard enough.

Sweating does not accurately measure the intensity of your workout. Although it is natural to do so while exercising (as it helps the body cool down), the amount a person sweats can vary on several factors such as environment (temperature/humidity), hydration status, and individual physiology. 

Another important thing to remember is that while sweating means that your body is burning more calories, this process will eventually stop, and pushing through may lead to fatigue. Better indicators of workout intensity include the talk test (how easily you can talk while working out), heart rate, and perceived exertion (how you feel during a workout). 

4. You need to stretch before exercising.

Static stretches (like reaching for your toes), according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), have not been proven to boost your performance. Stretching cold muscles is also likely to result in an injury, as they are stiffer and less pliable, making them more prone to pulls, strains, or tears. 

Stretching before or after you exercise, moreover, is not proven to reduce your risk of getting an injury. A warm-up through light cardio is more recommended to increase blood flow and loosen joints. Dynamic stretching related to your routine is also better than static, as it involves a range of motion. 

5. You’ll build more muscle if you work out in the morning.

Some people work out in the morning to feel more alert and jumpstart their metabolism. Not everyone, however, is a morning person, and some studies suggested that many people tend to be naturally stronger in the afternoon and evening. There is also research suggesting that when you train doesn’t have much of a bearing on your muscle-building ability. 

The exercise routine that you can stick to is the one that will be most beneficial in reaching your goals, regardless of what time of the day you exercise. The key is finding a regimen that you enjoy and can be consistent with; you can then choose to work out whatever time of the day you feel like it or have more energy. 

6. Your workouts should be long /you need to spend hours in the gym.

Instead of figuring out which is the better place to exercise, focus on exercising smarter, not longer. You can get the benefits of working out, whether you do it at home or the gym. More training sessions or adding extra sets is not always the right approach to get stronger or build more muscle.

It is worth noting that growth happens not during the workout itself, but after exercise. As exercise creates tiny tears in the muscles, it is during the rest that the body repairs this damage. This can then lead to increased strength and muscle growth. 

7. Ab workouts can make your abs more visible.

Abdominal exercises not only help you develop core muscles, but also improve your balance and stability. These, however, do not automatically guarantee the visibility of your abs. Your overall body weight has more impact, as excess fat can prevent these muscles from being seen. 

If you want visible abs, you need to build muscles and reduce overall body fat. The general recommendation is around 10% to 12% of body fat for men, and around 11% to 13% for women. A combination of diet and exercise, as well as incorporating cardio and strength training, can help you burn fat and build muscle throughout your body.

How can ThermoSculpt and Sanctuary by Cutis help

At Sanctuary by Cutis, we have non-invasive body contouring treatments that can help boost your fitness efforts. One treatment that promotes body reinvention is ThermoSculpt, which works by using diathermocontraction or deep heating of tissues and electrical muscle stimulation. This triggers various processes that enable body rejuvenation. 

ThermoSculpt is ideal for fat burning, muscle toning, and skin laxity improvement. Common treatment areas include the:

• Abdomen
• Gluteus (muscles in the buttocks)
• Inner Arms
• Thighs
• Knees

While this treatment can help you reach your body goals, it is not a weight loss or obesity treatment. It is a non-surgical body rejuvenation procedure that can improve your shape and enhance muscle tone, allowing you to look more confident in your own body.  ThermoSculpt can help with:

• Skin laxity
• Skin dimpling (cellulite)
• Liporeduction:
• Buttock lift
• Muscle toning
• Lymphatic drainage
• Improvement of blood circulation
• Functional recovery of adipose tissue

Apart from ThermoSculpt, we also have other non-invasive fat reduction and body shaping treatments that use different modalities. These include:

• CoolSculpting Elite – uses fat freezing to target and eliminate fat cells in stubborn areas for a more sculpted physique.
• ZLipo – also uses fat freezing or controlled cooling to kill fat cells that don’t respond well to diet and exercise.
• Vanquish ME – uses contactless radiofrequency to melt and kill fat cells in large areas of the body, such as the abdomen, hips, thighs, and upper back fat.
• ZField Dual – uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate muscle contraction, turning flabby areas into toned muscles.
• Acoustic shockwave – uses modified wave pulses or radial shockwaves to break down fat tissues that cause cellulite. This also helps promote collagen production to make the skin firmer and more elastic.

All our body treatments are available at Sanctuary by Cutis Gym, offering a subscription-based approach for shaping and toning different areas of the body. It gives you access to a full range of available equipment to work out different body areas for consistent results.

Don’t let these myths derail your fitness journey. By understanding the truth behind these exercise myths, you can make smarter choices, avoid frustration, and focus on what truly works.

You can also consider ThermoSculpt or other non-invasive body shaping procedures to boost your efforts. Contact Sanctuary by Cutis today to learn more or book an appointment.