Fitness Fact or Fiction
Cardio Burns Fat and Resistance Training Builds Muscle. Fact or Fiction?
This is true, but it’s not the complete truth. Yes, cardio burns fat, but it also burns muscle. You do not want to burn muscle since muscle speeds up your metabolism. But in the right quantities, cardio will have favorable effects on fat loss. What the right quantities are must be determined on an individual basis.
Resistance training can build muscle, but it also burns fat. And if you’re trying to lose fat, resistance training will not build muscle because assuming you’re on a caloric deficit, the best you can hope for is to maintain muscle, and that’s one of the goals of resistance training while on a diet.
The other very positive effect of resistance training is that it helps you burn fat. You see, your body has 2 fuel sources it burns just to stay alive: sugar (also known as carbohydrates, glycogen, glucose, etc.) and fat. Resistance training burns primarily sugar. So if you deplete your muscles of sugar, you’re left with primarily fat to burn.
Stretching Will Reduce Your Chance of Injury. Fact or Fiction?
The truth is, stretching can reduce your chance of injury, IF (and it’s a big if) you apply it correctly.
There are two types of stretching: static and dynamic. Static stretching is when you stretch a muscle and hold that stretched position for an extended period of time. Dynamic stretching is when you take a muscle though a range of motion, but you do not hold a position. Think of swinging your leg forward as a dynamic stretch for your hamstrings.
Generally speaking, you do not want to do static stretching for a muscle before exercise because it will make a muscle weaker for about 40-60 minutes. It’s perfectly fine to statically stretch a muscle after exercise though. Dynamic stretching is a better alternative before exercise.
The exception to that is if you know that you specifically have a muscle that is too short. If that’s the case, static stretching that muscle will reduce your chances of injury. But just because a muscle feels tight does not mean it is actually tight. Often muscles that are taut feel tight, but they are complete opposites. Taut is too long and tight is too short. And yet, taut muscles often feel tight. Your best bet is to get a professional to evaluate you and give you a corrective exercise prescription.
Women Shouldn’t Lift Weights Because They’ll Get Too Bulky. Fact or Fiction?
This one is fiction. Unless a woman trains several hours per day, in addition to having the right genetics, and lots of “pharmaceutical assistance”, she will not get too bulky. In fact, the same routine that will make a man bulky will make a woman toned.
Why this difference between men and women? Testosterone. Testosterone is the key muscle building hormone in the body, and since women have much less testosterone, their potential for muscle growth is very limited.
So ladies don’t be afraid to use a weight that actually challenges you.
About the Author
Igor Klibanov was selected as one of the top 5 personal trainers in Toronto by the Metro News newspaper and finds great satisfaction in helping clients reach their goals. He has his Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology and Health Science, and numerous personal training and kinesiology certifications. He works privately with clients out of a gym in Markham, Ontario. If you would like to learn more about how Igor can help you, please visit www.torontofitnessonline.com
