“Good example of Crossfit Weight lifting – In Crossfit Always lift until you reach the point of Failure or you tear something” by CrossfitPaleoDietFitnessClasses is licensed under CC by 2.0
Are you making any of these dangerous fitness mistakes? Find out now to improve your results and prevent yourself from injury.
1. All calories are created equal.
Many sources explain that weight loss or weight gain is determined by calories in versus calories out. Although this may be true, basing your nutrition strategy solely on this principle, leaves out the importance of choosing the best source of those calories. Yes, there have been studies such as the “Twinkie Diet“ that have shown successful weight loss while cutting back caloric intake1. The problem with these studies is that they fail to consider that nutritional intake is used for more than fulfilling your appetite. We don’t have time in this article to get into a complex food comparison, but it is important to know that one would be better served eating natural foods, while avoiding processed concoctions.
2. Interval training is only for advanced athletes.
Interval training is a progression from the standard single-paced cardiovascular activity, such as running at a constant speed. Some forms of advanced interval training may be reserved for highly trained athletes. This does not mean there isn’t a way to scale interval training back to accommodate all levels. Interval training can be as simple as combining any two exercises that have varying levels of cardiovascular intensity. It could be as straightforward as doing push-ups followed by a faster-paced exercise such as step-ups. Even varying your speed on an elliptical can be a form of interval training.
3. In order to get abs you must do abdominal exercises, like crunches.
The abdominal muscles are designed to stabilize our spine. Therefore, they receive the best workout when they are used in this fashion. These exercises include anything that incorporates our core or puts our core off balance. Some of the best core exercises are back squats, front squats, pull-ups, push-ups, planks and lunges. Exercises such as crunches or the bicycle focus more on trunk flexion than on stabilizing.
4. Limit your protein intake to 20 grams per hour.
There have been several studies, which show the influence of varying quantities of protein on muscle synthesis. Time and time again the results have shown that ingestion of more than 20 grams of protein has little to no effect on increasing protein synthesis. So why eat more than 20 grams of protein? Believe it or not, protein does a lot more for our bodies than just building muscle. Although this is one of its benefits, protein also plays a role in metabolism, weight management, immune system performance, and many other roles. Furthermore if we eat more protein per meal, we are more likely to fill up on less nutritious carbohydrates or fats2. One of the better protein supplements I use when on the go is Pure Paleo from Designs for Health. When I use protein supplements, I need a high-quality protein source that is wheat & dairy free but also tastes great! This brand makes the cut. To learn more about this protein or order it click Here!
5. Focus on your strengths.
In most instances in life, focusing on your strengths will take you much further than trying to turn your weaknesses into strengths. In exercise, the situation is different. All muscles in the body have an antagonist muscle or muscle that works in opposition. For example the triceps work to extend the arm in conjunction with the biceps that work to flex the arm. If opposing muscle groups have extreme variances in strength, the result is asymmetry in body function. Not only do asymmetries hinder your performance, but they are also likely to lead to injury. Therefore, working on your weaknesses in fitness will allow your strengths to become even stronger.
6. The knee can never extend past the toe.
This myth likely came to fruition through the advice of physical therapists for patients recovering from knee injuries or surgery. The basis of this idea is to avoid putting excess torque on a joint that is still recovering from injury. For some of the population this practice may be necessary, yet for most of us without major knee injuries, there is no problem with the knee crossing the toe. It has been discovered that limiting the torque on the knee results in a substantial increase in the torque on the hips3. For individuals with healthy knees, it is ideal to allow the knee to pass over the toe. Allowing such movement permits the knee joint to move through its full range of motion, therefore increasing the joint’s strength.
7. Low-intensity is best for fat burn.
It has been said that low-intensity cardiovascular activity is the best type of activity for fat burn. This belief was created around the fact that during low-intensity activity, a greater percentage of caloric expenditure comes from fat than from other sources. The problem with this theory is that although a higher percentage of calories burned may come from fat during low-intensity activity, the overall amount of calories burned is still significantly higher during high-intensity activity. Therefore, more fat is still burned during high-intensity activities than low-intensity activities even though it’s a lower percentage of overall calories expended.
For example, if someone is working out at 40% intensity (low-intensity), they may burn a total of 300 calories in an hour with 70% of the caloric expenditure coming from fat. That results in a total of 210 calories of fat burned. Now if that same individual works out at an intensity of 60% (high-intensity), they may burn a total of 600 calories in an hour with only 50% of the caloric expenditure coming from fat. This would result in a total of 300 calories of fat burn or 80 more calories than in low-intensity exercise.
8. Deadlifts are only for power lifters.
Many individuals at some point in their life will experience difficulty with back pain. Although there are varying reasons to why they may have developed the pain, most would benefit from having a stronger lower back. The deadlift is a fundamental movement in weight lifting that works the entire lower body and improves our day-to-day functionality. A novice exerciser may need to begin incorporating the deadlift with low or no weights initially, but the movement can be altered to meet any individual’s needs.
9. Extending your joint fully is bad.
The argument for some time has been that full extending is bad for a joint because it gives the muscle a chance to rest while adding additional stress to the joint. When one locks out a joint, they are going through a complete range of motion for the movement. This is beneficial since the body will become accustomed to incorporating all muscles through the entire action. In addition, the joint and all of it’s ligaments become stronger. Now, if someone has joint issues, fully extending a joint may not be a fit for him or her. Furthermore, if someone has never gone through the full range of motion of a joint, it would be smart to begin so at a lighter weight than they are accustomed to lifting.
10. It is best to isolate muscle groups.
When was the last time you remember doing a bicep curl in your everyday life other than to lift a beer can? Isolated movements can successfully build muscle in a specific area, but they will not work the body in a functional manner. In day-to-day activity, it is rare that we perform any movement that isolates a single muscle or joint. Through out our daily lives, our body is moving through a varying combination of movement planes. When you lift your groceries out of the trunk of your car you are incorporating many joint actions, simultaneously, including hip & knee extension, shoulder & elbow flexion, and spinal extension & rotation. Therefore, we are best suited to work out in several planes of motion. For example, utilizing a spinal twist movement while lunging. Utilizing multi-joint movements also provide the added benefit of burning more calories and building muscle faster.
11. It is easy to achieve the fitness success you desire.
As a society we are constantly looking for quick answers to solve our problems: medication to make up for the lack of a structured diet, surgery to make up for insufficient exercise, organ transplants to replace failed organs. In reality, there are very few situations in life that can be resolved with a quick fix, especially if the situation has a worthwhile outcome. There is no sacrifice for hard work. Period.
With hard work and a game plan, one can achieve the success that some can only dream of.
References:
1. Park, Madison. Twinkie Diet Helps Nutrition Professor Lose 27 Pounds. CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08./twinkie.diet.professor/. November 8, 2010. Accessed April 4, 2016.
2. Berardi, John; Andrews, Ryan. The Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition. 2nd Edition. 2013.
3. Kwon Y-J, Lee H-O. How Different Knee Flexion Angles Influence the Hip Extensor in the Prone Position. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2013;25(10):1295-1297. doi:10.1589/jpts.25.1295.
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Picture- “push ups” by Katy Warner is licensed under CC by 2.0