13 Fitness Myths That Need to Die
One of the most frustrating things about the fitness industry is the enormous amounts of misinformation.
It's easy to reach a point where you no longer know what should and shouldn't be done, and it can feel overwhelming.
I know this because I've been there and done that, bought both the T-shirt and the fridge magnet.
So what I'm going to do in today's article is debunk 13 popular fitness myths to save you the hassle of trying to figure it all out for yourself.
Let's get stuck in.
1. Coconut Oil > All Other Oil
No idea if this is still a trend, but it used to be marketed as a big 'health food' and a magical solution to weight loss.
Like you, I fell for marketing; unsurprisingly, it made no difference to my results - and yours, too, I bet.
Why? Because oils are calorie dense, coating it all over your food won’t help, regardless of the health benefits.
In my opinion, it doesn't taste as good as a classic extra virgin olive oil. So stop pretending you like the taste of coconut oil, and go for whatever you prefer.
I'd suggest trying Fry Light for weight loss, by the way.
2. Cardio is Best for Weight Loss
You'll be relieved to know that all the HIIT you've been doing isn't necessary for your weight loss goal.
In fact, I can quickly think of 10 other things I'd prioritise more than cardio when it comes to fat loss, e.g. calorie deficit, resistance training, progressive overload, adequate sleep, sleep quality, walking more, active recovery days, more vegetables, more fruit and more protein. Believe I wrote that all out in about 25 seconds and didn't pause once.
Plus, walking is a lot more enjoyable… at least in my opinion. The best part is you can plug in The Leo Alves Podcast simultaneously.
Remember, a calorie deficit is the only thing to help you lose weight - with resistance training coming out on top for physical activity.
3. Weight Training Will Bulk You up, so You Have to Tone Instead
The answer to the toned look you're chasing is from building muscle.
How do you build muscle in a nutshell?
Lift relatively heavy
Take sets close to failure
Rest
Repeat
Your fear of the 'heavier' dumbbells is currently holding you back. I know your favourite influencer only uses resistance bands and light pink dumbbells in the workouts you see them do, so you mimic them because you want a similar physique - but I promise this person is lifting much heavier than you think off-camera.
It would be best to start doing this because heavy is always relative to you, meaning it should never put you off.
4. Protein Powder is Bad for Your Liver
This myth started with people who had been supplementing with protein powder… who already had issues with their livers.
So if you don't have issues with your liver, you'll be fine.
If you're concerned about your liver, get a doctor's check-up.
Some people will struggle with protein powder because they are lactose intolerant - so whey protein wouldn't sit well.
Solution? Go for a protein isolate, egg, pea or vegan protein powder.
P.S. No, protein powder isn't a 'steroid'.
Note: Click here to watch my 'Supplements I take and why' video.
5. 1-5 Reps are for Strength. 6-12 for Hypertrophy. 12-30 for Endurance.
This isn't entirely a myth, but you likely get too caught up with the rigidness of these rep ranges and think that you absolutely cannot do other rep ranges that are outside your goal.
Nonsense.
Regardless of whether or not your goal is muscle tone, do you not think that progressively overloading the weight in the 6-12 rep range over some time isn't going to result in more strength gain?
Of course, it will.
Or if you got much stronger over a few months in the 1-5 rep range, your muscle endurance wouldn't improve too?
Of course, it will.
For example, if you could single-arm dumbbell row 16kg for 15 reps last week, and then in three months, you managed to progressively overload up to 26kg for 15 reps. Would the weight you can lift in the 1-5 rep range not have increased too? Of course, it will.
Rather than thinking of rep ranges as wholly black and white, think of them as ideal for that specific goal but understand that they'll also seep into the other two areas. If you get stronger, you'll also grow more muscle.
If your endurance improves, so will your strength etc.
So, which one should you use? You'd likely do well to include all of them in your plan.
Note: Click here to download my free full body workout plan.
6. You can Turn Fat into Muscle or Muscle into fat, e.g. Muscle is Converted into Fat if not Used
I hear this often, but there's not much to say about it apart from the fact that it's impossible - nor will your muscle ever turn into fat if you stop working out.
Can you gain fat if you stop working out? Yeah, maybe - but that's only because your physical activity levels have decreased. Not because your “muscles transformed into fat”.
Besides, even if you did stop working out for whatever reason, you'd lose muscle - but regaining it a second time is much easier than growing it for the first time.
7. You Should Stretch After Exercise to Cool Down
I'll be transparent; after my first year of working out - I realised 'cooling down' was pointless. I haven't done a single cool-down since.
It's unnecessary and does nothing. I couldn't think of a more giant waste of time.
"But Leo, if I don't stretch after my workout, I'll be sore afterwards."
Well, the literature has proven this to be entirely inaccurate. Meaning this isn't my opinion; I'm just the messenger.
The reason why you feel sore after your workouts isn't because you 'didn't stretch'; it's because of one or more of the following:
You tried new exercises; a new stimulus likely comes with muscular soreness. You cannot help that.
You haven’t consumed adequate protein.
You drank alcohol. Alcohol inhibits muscle recovery.
You didn't get sufficient sleep.
In addition, you may incorrectly assume that more muscle soreness = a better workout.
Also not true.
"But Leo, how do I know if I made progress?"
You'll know you've made progress if you:
Lifted more weight than before
Done more reps than before
Had better control than before
To name a few.
8. Fasted Workouts = Better Fat Loss
Fasted workouts aren't better or worse for fat loss… they're just workouts done whilst fasting.
So, which one should you do? Whichever one suits your lifestyle best or you generally like more.
Prefer doing workouts first thing upon waking up in a fasted state? Then go for it.
Would you prefer eating a little beforehand as it boosts you? Then go for it.
Remember, it will always go back to whether or not you were in a calorie deficit.
Note: Even though it's not specifically on fasted cardio, I made a video for you about intermittent fasting for weight loss on my YouTube channel; click here to watch.
9. There's a One-Hour Window After Your Session Where You Must Eat, Especially Protein - Otherwise, Your Session was Wasted
Although post-workout nutrition is essential, it would be insane to say it would be 'wasted' if you don't eat anything within an hour following your session.
Have time for a bite to eat after your session? Great! Prioritising protein and more sugary carbohydrates would be a solid choice for you around this time. Some of my favourite go-to's are chocolate milk, fruit, cereal or smoothies with added protein powder.
I often finished gym sessions with Salmon or Chicken Onigiri (rice balls) from 7/11 in Japan.
On the other hand, if you don't have any time to eat and don't bring any snacks, then no sweat, you'll be fine. Even though it may not be the most optimal thing, you certainly don't always 'need to optimise everything'.
The fact that you got your gym session done is easily the most crucial part.
Ultimately, how much you've eaten and what you've eaten throughout the day will trump any immediate post-workout nutrition.
10. Knees Shouldn't go Over Toes When Squatting
Another inaccurate statement you may have heard.
Knees can go over toes; this is fine.
If you're a taller folk reading this, you would only be able to perform a deeper squat if your knees could go over your toes, and you'd end up squatting to about 90 degrees every time.
This originated when it was feared that consistently letting your toes go over your knees whilst squatting could result in injury. However, this has been debunked various times now by many different studies.
The literature has also shown that deeper squats allow for more of a hypertrophic response (more muscle growth). If you aim to grow muscle in your lower body, deeper squats are likely the better choice.
If your goal is to get a lot better at squats to around 90 degrees for whatever reason, then do just that.
11. BMI is Always an Accurate Indicator of Health
BMI can work well, although measuring how healthy someone is purely from height and weight will have potential flaws.
That's not to say that weight doesn't matter, because it does, but let me tell you a story.
I remember being in school and attending St. Mary's University for an open day with my class.
Once there, we had a teacher who mentioned that he'd applied to be part of the army - although he got rejected because, according to the BMI chart, he was obese.
This blew my mind. The man looked like he almost lived in a gym.
I noticed a significant limitation with the BMI chart - it doesn't consider muscle mass.
My advice to you? Realise that the BMI chart can be a great tool to measure body fat levels for anyone who does not resistance train.
Although if you've been resistance training for over a few months, take BMI readings with a pinch of salt, use common sense and remember that it will not paint an accurate picture. The image below is a fine example of me at two different points in my life regarding my health, albeit with similar body weights.
Note: I cover topics like this all the time on my podcast, which you can check out by clicking here.
12. Meal Replacement Shakes are Great for Weight Loss
It's a recurring theme.
You or someone you know wants to lose some weight, so you check out the meal replacement shakes from the Huel and MyProtein websites to stock up.
Because meal replacement shakes mean the healthier choice, correct?
Especially when it's got some weight loss marketing behind it, too, of course…
Actually - nope. That's not the case.
If you or someone you know wants to lose weight, introducing meal replacement shakes is a terrible idea.
Why? Because that's a meal's worth of extra calories just from a bloody shake!
A shake that's:
Not going to taste as good as a well-balanced meal you enjoy.
They will not fill you up anywhere near as much as the same calories from a solid meal. Remember, liquid calories aren't as satiating as calories from solid foods.
A waste of money.
Although it would be an excellent idea for anyone looking to gain weight and struggling to get the extra calories in.
So, is supplementing with a meal replacement shake a good idea purely from a weight loss perspective?
Maybe - but it'll be rare, no doubt.
For example, having a meal replacement shake may be a good idea if you're busy with the kids, your dog or work and you're struggling to hit your calorie deficit goal.
Although it's likely if you have a weight loss target, you're probably not struggling to hit your daily calorie goal.
Maybe occasionally, but certainly not once you've taken the average days across the long term.
That's not a negative thing, either. I hit my calorie target quickly most days too, and the last thing I'd want is to consume an entire meal's worth of calories through a chocolate-wannabe flavoured meal replacement.
13. Kickbacks on the Stair Master are a Great Exercise for Your Butt
This must be up there with one of the worst gym 'exercises'.
The term 'exercise' is used exceptionally loosely, by the way, because it does nothing at all to help with the growth of your butt - aside from looking silly.
Suppose you want to do cardio, then great. Do cardio.
If you want to grow your butt, then great. Grow your butt.
But certainly do not try and combine the two thinking you'll get some super hybrid elite exercise on the other side.
Because when you try and do too much at once, you fail to do anything well.
So what should you do to grow your butt efficiently?
Deficit reverse lunges
Smith machine or barbell split squats
Back squats
To name a few.
Then after you've picked some of those;
Get strong as hell at them
Prioritise your protein
And there you have it.
Anyway, that's it for today.
Don't hesitate to share this with your friends and family.
In the meantime, if you enjoyed reading this article, click here to inquire about my 1-2-1 online fitness coaching.
It could change your life. Just saying.
Speak soon,
Leo
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