1) MUSCLE TURNS IN TO FAT IF YOU STOP EXERCISING

This is the no.1 myth people have in their mind. But it’s not true. It is physiologically impossible for muscle to turn in to fat. Muscle & fat both are different tissues. They can not turn in to each other.

With weight training you develop muscle tissue which is called Hypertrophy. If you stop exercising, muscle goes to it’s original size, which is called Atrophy.

2) CARDIO IS GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS – Doing excess cardio can actually slow down your metabolism. You lose muscles if you do lots of cardio. People make mistakes when they replace weight training with cardio when they try losing fat. Weight training increases muscle mass which increases your metabolism and higher metabolism helps you to burn more calories. When you want to burn fat, weight training can be a better option than doing cardio.

3) LOW WEIGHTS, HIGH REPS CREATES MUSCULAR DEFINITION – Many people think that weight training involves endurance. But it’s completely wrong. Weight training has nothing to do with endurance. Many people still think that they should go to the gym and do as many sets as they can or to spend as much time as they can. Your actual goal is to go to the gym and break down the muscle tissue. Muscular definition is created by increasing the size of muscle tissue and reducing fat which covers the fat. Low weight, high reps may create a brief illusion of muscle definition because it creates some pump. This pump is the engorgement of muscle with blood which is a temporary condition, which fades after a few hours. Low weights , high reps methods do not improve strength either.

4) WEIGHT TRAINING MAKES US HEAVIER & BULKY – It’s not possible to gain huge muscle with only weight training & diet. Unless and until you inject Steroids it is not possible to gain that kind of huge muscles, what we see in the magazines.

5) EAT LESS TO LOOSE WEIGHT – Our body requires calories on a daily basis for breathing and moving. It varies from person to person depending on age, weight, activity level and other factors. By eating less you will start feeling weaker, you will feel tired all the time, getting ill again and again and it will take a long time to recover. It will affect your vision, your concentration. Your metabolism will go down drastically which will affect your health. Rather than eating less, you should focus on mindful eating. Plan your meals so that you have healthy and balanced options available. Try to eat meals in intervals. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can cause you to overeat later in the day. If you plan your meals, it will avoid overeating as well as unhealthy foods or fast food.

6) STOP EATING CARBS – Carbohydrates provide energy in day to day life. You get energy from carbohydrates whatever you do. The problem is not the carbs themselves, but the excess calories. If you stop eating carbs, your body will start taking energy from protein initially. That way protein’s goal will automatically be hampered. Your body needs protein for muscle growth, not for energy. So don’t cut down your carbs completely.

7) SAUNA HELPS US TO BURN FAT- I have seen people sitting in saunas to lose weight. Actually sitting in saunas depletes your body water and if it’s not replenished, can cause dehydration. Saunas are great for releasing muscle tension. It is a great way to relax after a tough workout. It’s very important to drink lots of water before and while you sit in saunas. It is a good experience, but it won’t help to burn fat.

8) DOING CRUNCHES WILL REDUCE THE BELLY FAT OR SPOT REDUCTION – I have seen many people during my training days, who used to do lots of crunches to reduce belly fat. Their thinking is that by doing these exercises, it will help to reduce fat from the tummy. But they end up getting nothing. There are two things. One is Spot reduction. Spot reduction is not possible. You can not reduce fat from one specific area. Fat loss happens overall. The second thing is ‘Opposite muscle theory’. When you do a lot of crunches, it actually puts tremendous pressure on your lower back. There are Opposite muscles in your body. Like Chest-Back, Bicep-Tricep, Quadriceps-Hamstring, Abdominal-Lower back etc. When you train one particular muscle more, the opposite muscle automatically gets weaker. With proper weight training your metabolism increases and helps to burn more fat and thus helps reduce fat.

9) WORKOUT FOR 2-3 HRS. A DAY OR TRAINING EVERYDAY FOR LOSING WEIGHT- Working out for too long or too frequently can actually lead to Overtraining. Overtraining is one of the biggest mistakes people make in the gym. You should finish your workout within 45 to 60 minutes. If you lengthen your workout more than that, your body will go into catabolism, where your muscles start to die. Working out every day is also not a good choice. After a hard day of workout, your body needs time to recover. You should give proper rest to recover your muscle before the next session. Overtraining can cause some serious internal injuries, which you may not notice in early days. It’s not only about how hard you workout but it’s also about how smartly you recover.

10) PROTEIN IS ONLY FOR BODYBUILDERS- This is again a big misconception regarding weight training. Weight training is not an ordinary thing. If it were, everyone walking on the road would be a bodybuilder. If you are doing weight training or playing any sport you are doing something extra. You need to give your body something extra. You are putting lots of stress on your muscles and joints. You are breaking down your muscle tissues constantly, so your body requires protein to recover those muscle tissues. Without proper nutrition your body can not be ready for the next session. Proper nutrition and proper rest, these are the two main pillars of your workout. I am not asking you to have protein shakes for all five-six meals but you should have at least one or two shakes in a day depending on your training intensity. This is a basic requirement of your body if you work out regularly.

• STAY AWAY FROM STEROIDS. 
• SAY NO TO DRUGS.