Top 10 Lies Of The Fitness Industry Exposed

Thanks to the Internet, It’s simply amazing that we have all the information in the world at our fingertips. However, the problem with this is that it also includes incorrect information and it’s really hard to filter out all the wrong information when you don’t know what the truth is.

an Instagram model can spread false information that seems like truth but most of you would believe that cos what’s the first thing you see? It’s that they have a million followers so they can’t be wrong, right?

Or what about those guys promising to help you lose 10 kg in a month? The too good to be true shortcuts to fitness that you are so fond of watching but eventually you realize (sadly) that they don’t work.

If you believe videos that promise magic-like results in just a few days, plz understand that life isn’t a Harry Potter movie where you would lose weight just with one swish of a magic wand (smile) it isn’t a Disney movie either where transformations happen overnight. You have to work your butt off to make things happen.

Do You Really Want To Lose Weight, And Have A Better Physique?

Then stop thinking you can do it in 10 mins. Guys, if it really was that simple, why would you still see unfit and overweight people around? So the point is – STOP BEING A LAZY PERSON

Now let’s have a look at the top 10 lies propagated by the fitness industry.

Lie 1: It’s quick and easy to see physical progress in as little as 15 days or less

Let me start off by saying that every time I see such silly videos making such absurd claims, I feel like finding out exactly where they live so that I can wake up early one morning and take my dog to do his business on their lawn.

People underestimate how long it takes to see physical changes, going for healthier habits or making changes to your regular routine is great, but doing that alone and expecting a total body transformation to happen instantly is unrealistic — no matter how believable social media makes it seem

At the end of the day, any improvement is better than nothing and that will help you see progress, but I would still say that it takes about four to six weeks to see any physical change.

People, stop believing in quick fixes, they don’t work as they say.

Lie 2: The Scale Is a True Indicator Of Your Health

Perhaps the most dangerous of the half-truths propagated by fashion, fitness, and your friends is that your scale weight indicates your health.

Top 10 Lies Of The Fitness Industry Exposed

While this may be true in some limited circumstances like when you are morbidly obese, relying on your scale weight simply doesn’t tell the whole story.

This is where many people especially women, go crazy. They are focusing on diet and exercise, they lift and run but still find their scale weight stays the same or increases, leading them to believe they’re not making progress.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Clothing sizes may decrease as body fat vanishes, but the scale doesn’t necessarily show any loss because your body is getting toned with all those lean muscles you are putting on.

Rather than worry about your scale weight, focus on your body composition and workout to reduce your proportion of body fat to muscle, you’ll look leaner, you’ll be fitter, and you can safely ignore the scale.

The bottom line is, to stop relying on the scale. Get a caliper test from a qualified trainer. Rely on your tape measure or go for a DEXA scan. Only then would you get a true picture of how fit you are.

Also read: Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle Will Help You Live A Longer Life Free Of Dementia

Lie 3: You Can Achieve Major Transformation With Easy And Comfortable Workouts

There is an entire segment of the fitness industry built on this lie — the idea that you can work out at moderate intensity, repeat a silly single stimulus, and still achieve extraordinary results.

Improving your fitness requires much more. There’s a whole scientific principle behind it and you CAN NOT deny that.

It’s called, “SAID, or specific adaptation to imposed demands“. The demands imposed on muscles have a big impact on their size and strength. They will grow if you push them to accomplish more, such as weight training. When you ask them to accomplish less, they shrink to a smaller size.

Let me make it clear to you, as a female, if you are squatting 60 kg for 5 reps, then this will result in a body capable of precisely that, 60 kg for 5 reps. It will result in a body-fat percentage, muscle mass, and overall fitness consistent with that load. Once that adaptation is achieved through repetition, there will be no further gains.

If you want to get fitter than before then you must lift more, you must run faster than before, you must include variance in your “routine,” finding new ways to impose demand on your body.

You must do things you don’t normally do, varying activities, rep schemes, loads, and distances to create new adaptations

Effective workouts are not easy and there is no such thing as a comfortable workout that works. 

Lie 4: Squatting Ass To Grass Will Result In Injury

Have you ever seen a child squat down to pick something up? Perfect range of motion. Perfect mobility and flexibility. This is the way people are meant to move. As we age we move less, sit longer and lose proper range of motion.

Top 10 Lies Of The Fitness Industry Exposed

Our bodies are meant to squat to full depth. Training this way is not dangerous. In fact, it’s extremely beneficial.

The myth that squatting ass to grass is often brought on by 2 types of people:

1. People that lack mobility and don’t understand the importance of improving their flexibility.

2. People who believe they look cooler squatting a barbell with heavy weight because we all know they couldn’t squat even close to the same weight if they were actually going below parallel.

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Many people find that working on proper squat form and depth can actually help previous injuries because they are working their full range of motion and moving as their bodies are intended.

Lie 5: Thin = Healthy

It’s a very common misconception that just because someone is thin that they are healthy or fit. Being thin does not mean you’re fit or healthy just the same that being thick means that you’re not fit or not healthy.

Thin just means you don’t have a lot of excess body fat. That’s all it means and nothing more. You can still have poor health while being thin. You can still be unfit while being thin.

The best approach is to focus on body recomposition, period. A 5 feet 5 girl with 60 kg body weight could be far more fit and aesthetic than a same height girl who is 50 kg, it’s all about the ratio of body fat percentage and lean muscle mass.

Lie 6: Spot training

Unfortunately, many people believe spot training is a thing, I’ve got literally an endless number of people walk up to me and say, I just need to reduce my belly fat but I don’t want to reduce my weight or, I wish to reduce my thigh fat or arm fat.

Luckily every expert in the world is on the same page on this topic. Spot training is simply not a thing. It makes ZERO SENSE

Put in a more understandable way…If you want less fat on your arms you can’t do arm exercises to reduce fat. Your body will lose fat in the areas that it prefers. You do not have specific control over that.

So this goes for all the fitness influencers trying to fool you by claiming their specific brand of easy workout would help you lose fat from your belly only. Guys, these people know your weakness, THEY KNOW MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE TOO LAZY AND WOULD RATHER HOPE FOR SOMETHING MAGICAL TO HAPPEN RATHER THAN WORKING HARD, and SO they are selling you absolute garbage and you are gladly buying it without understanding the science behind it, so, you be the judge and tell me who is to be blamed, ITS YOU!!!!!

Lie 7: Sweat Belts will help lose fat

I understand that many people relate sweating to losing fat. The logic seems alright when you’re working out you’re sweating and you are working hard towards losing weight.

Top 10 Lies Of The Fitness Industry Exposed

However, the sweating part doesn’t actually make you lose any fat. The only thing you’re losing is extra water which has no part in fat removal. If anything you’re just dehydrating yourself and making your body struggle to function as well.

Simply put, sweat belts and anything of the sort is absolutely a scam and they will be out of business as soon as people realize how stupid the concept is.

Lie 8: Carbs are evil

Carbs are evil? Noooo! Carbs are wonderful! Yes, you can eliminate carbs and lose weight. However, this is a short-term result and it is not sustainable. Carbs are a necessary and natural part of making sure your body functions properly.

Treat carbs in moderation and use them to fuel your body rather than thinking of them as poison.

Lie 9: Cleanses and detoxes are beneficial

Your body does not need you to help it cleanse. Your body does this on its own. In fact, it’s not uncommon for cleanses and detoxes to confuse your body into thinking that something is very wrong. As a result, your body can have major issues.

Top 10 Lies Of The Fitness Industry Exposed

Be sure to stay away from any products that claim they’re part of cleanses and detoxes. The majority of the time they’re just a waste of your hard-earned money.

Lie 10: Women shouldn’t train with weights

Ok, I get this a lot, women often say, I want to lose weight but don’t want to do weight training. Or even funnier is I want a good physique but I will only do cardio.

Women shouldn’t weight train? Yes, they should.

Top 10 Lies Of The Fitness Industry Exposed

In fact, there’s an argument that women have more to gain from resistance training than men do. Bone density, fat loss, mental wellbeing, body composition, and offsetting osteoporosis for starters.

The females in professional bodybuilding competitions that you often think you will start looking like by lifting weight got where they are at with years of extreme discipline and lots of performance-enhancing drugs so no you won’t look manly, but yeah you WILL achieve a curvaceous body that everyone will envy.

Women lack the testosterone needed to pack on bulk, so getting too big simply won’t happen. But plenty of good things will!

Take Away

People are far more likely to believe a lie they have heard 100 times, than a truth that is completely new to them.

Don’t take everything for real!

It is perfectly correct to inform yourself. I don’t want to say that everybody’s opinion is bullshit. But if someone comes up to you and says that he has found the method how to get richer than Bill Gates in 10 minutes, or get a flat stomach in 7 days, then you should definitely just go the other way.

My point is, do your own research, read a lot of scientific research papers available on the topic, gather several opinions and then form your own.

Just because you trust one person, doesn’t mean he/she is right.

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By Dinky Baweja

Dinky is a writer and journalist who is enthralled by the entertainment industry in all of its forms. She has a master's degree in mass communication and lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband, a perfectly behaved dog, and a child who never stops asking questions. Dinky is working as a writer, content manager, and editor at NewsandUpdate.com, where she has over 4 years of expertise.

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