Insights of a Workout Queen: Exercise Myths Busted

I feel that it is my duty as a lover of baking as well as a lover of healthful eating to periodically give my 2 cents about working out.

For the last two years I have gone to a personal trainer once a week (just went tonight, actually!) and work out on my own 5x per week. On my own I do two weight lifting days, three cardio days, and one day off. With the assistance of my personal trainer, I change my routine to focus on heavier weights/lower # reps and lighter weights/higher # of reps. I do burn workouts (incorporating cardio into the weight lifting routines), and muscle-building-focused workouts. For cardio, I change up which machines I use, sometimes run outside, and always try to do interval training. All of these changes keep my body guessing as to what is coming next. Nothing ever gets "easy", which allows me to continually challenge myself. My personal trainer is, hands down, the best investment I've made in myself in the last five years. (And, if you live in the Boston area, I'd be happy to recommend them!)

When a person loves to cook, bake, and of course to eat food, it is important to include a regular regimen of exercise. For my first post, I want to bust through three of the most common exercise myths.

Now...to the myths...

Myth #1: You can spot reduce areas like your glutes and thighs through exercises that target these areas.

This is false. While you can use exercises to target areas you would like to strengthen, you can only reduce your overall body fat. So, you have to implement constant exercise and healthy eating in order to lose the desired pounds and inches.


Myth #2: To lose weight it is most important to do cardio exercise. Weight lifting is not important.

This is false. While it is important and beneficial to incorporate cardio into your workout regimen, it is just as important to build muscle. Muscle mass burns more calories at rest than does fat. So, the more muscle toned you are, the more calories you burn even when sitting at your desk at work! That's a pretty good reason to do some bicep curls, if you ask me.


Myth #3: "I don't want to lift weights because I don't want to bulk up, I just want to get toned. Lifting heavier weights will cause me to get the undesired bulky look instead of the lean, toned look I desire."

This is false. Most women won't get big and bulky regardless of the weights that they're lifting. Lifting weights, as explained for Myth #2, helps to build muscle mass, which burns more calories. Only very particular body types will actually become bulky with weight lifting, and such a body type does not describe most women.


Have another myth you know to be false? Have a great site to recommend for more information? Leave a comment and tell our readers about it!