When signing up to a gym like The Olympic Pools and Fitness Centre, with the intention of getting fit and strong, at some point during the process you have been given advice about what to do, and what not to do.
It is very, very easy to get a whole load of misinformation in the fitness industry, which can lead to either a bad injury, or simply giving up on goals, or the whole thing together because of a lack of results.
The advice may have been given with the best intentions, and from someone who is specialized in a particular field…but there is no set plan that works for everybody. No matter what.
Here are four common pieces of gym advice that perhaps you should give a second thought to….
1 – WOMEN SHOULD AVOID HEAVY WEIGHTS
This assumption or piece of advice stems from the idea that women will bulk up too much if they pump heavy weights (which is awesome too, if that is your goal).
The fact is, that typically women do not have the same hormone profile as men, so in this case, it’s extremely unlikely they’ll achieve similar muscle mass.
In fact, working with heavier weights actually has a number of great benefits for women, such as increasing posture, stamina and increasing metabolism that boosts fat burn and improves bone density.
2 – NOT EATING BEFORE A WORKOUT BURNS MORE FAT
Going for a workout on an empty stomach does not necessarily mean you will burn fat. There are actually potentially dangerous and unhealthy ramifications of doing this…. Blood sugar levels may drop during the workout, which creates a horrible lightheaded feeling and can lead to dizziness or fainting.
By having no food stored for your body to access, it will start to break down muscle to get energy from amino acids and protein, which alternative to what the advice suggests, actually leads to a less defined physique. This is due to the slower fat-burn on a day-day basis.
Rather than not eating, assess when and would you should eat before a workout to get the most out of it. If you like to eat 10 minutes, or 45 minutes before, figure this out for yourself. Check out the blog for more information on when and what to eat for the best opportunity for success.
3 – NO PAIN, NO GAIN
This old saying has been around from the days of the iron benches, and just doesn’t seem to go away….there is a certain stigma behind it.
It is true that muscle building requires a degree of tiny tears in muscle tissue, which then heals to make you stronger and more muscle dense. You know the feeling… after doing a huge chest or leg session, your muscles can be aching for days. The muscle soreness depends on the makeup of your muscle fibers.
Pain is not necessarily part of the road to improvement. You can still get results in the gym without that constant hurting following your workout sessions. Listen to your body, and understand that we all have different pain tolerance levels.
4 – SQUATTING DEEP WILL HURT YOUR KNEES
We are not going to go too far into this one, because plain and simple…Bad form and poor technique are the reason why doing squats will hurt your knees.
Unless you have a prior knee injury which is recommended by a professional for you not to do squats or heavy leg lifting, then squats with proper form, should be good for the strengthening and balance of your knees.
Ask one of the friendly The Olympic staff members to check your form to make sure you are doing this right.
Listen to yourself:
Getting advice, and giving advice are great. But be realistic with the overall big picture. Look at how this might affect how you feel, your stress levels, age and injury history?
Do what you enjoy, have a proper plan and don’t be afraid to get help. Make sure to ask questions so you can keep on growing in the gym with your health and fitness…avoid falling into gym cliches.
