We live in a world filled with information. Technology, the internet and rapid global communications have changed forever the exclusivity of educational data. It really wasn’t that long ago that a large percentage of the world’s knowledge was held privy by the academic and scientific elitists who would portion out bits and pieces of this information in the form of books, published journals or within the class room.

But the world wide web has changed all of that, allowing everyone almost unbridled, equal access to virtually every piece of information ever recorded by man. Today, even a knuckle-dragging gym rat can have access to the latest university studies, laboratory reports and pretty much anything else he or she might be interested in.

Overall this is great… right? Of course it is. The information super highway has revolutionized just about every aspect of our lives, including the way we view and structure our exercise programs. But, as is the case with most things in life, there’s good with the bad, making it tricky to always know whether or not we can believe everything we read.

This growing encyclopedia of false information, half -truths and urban legends are nothing new. In fact, I’m sure they’ve been around since the first know-it-all spouted some half-baked truism as if it were fact. The world of fitness, diet and exercise are no exceptions, and in this article we’re going to review some of the more common myths that even today can be seen and heard in gyms and fitness centers everywhere.

Myth #1: Crunches Will Reduce Belly Fat

I think all of us have fallen victim to this myth at some point in our work-out careers. It seems perfectly logical that by tightening my abdominal muscles I’ll eventually have that slim, trim, wash board tummy I’ve always dreamed of. Unfortunately, it’s not the lack of muscle in our midsection that is contributing to our jiggly belly… it’s that layer of fat that’s really the problem.

You can do crunches, hanging inverted sit-ups, leg-raises, or use an ab crunch bench till the cows come home but until you put down the fork and start doing some cardio it’s all for nothing. The fastest path to a flat stomach is to get off that fancy ab machine and get on the treadmill. You cannot spot reduce body fat.

Myth #2: Lifting Weights Will Make Me Look Bulky

This is another very common question that could not be further from the truth. Anyone that uses this so-called phenomena as a reason to not add weight training into their fitness program is doing themselves a tremendous disservice. Resistance training is crucial to maintaining a toned and healthy physique… especially for anyone over the age of 30.

Gaining muscle mass to the point that it would cause anyone to look big and bulky is extremely difficult to do. It requires a massive increase in calories along with an intense and very heavy, well structured weight lifting program over several years. If it were that easy to muscle up, I don’t think you’d see so many out of shape guys in the gym.

However, the benefits of resistance training are simply too important to be overlooked for anyone looking to lose weight and get in shape. If you’re goals are to lose inches off your waist line and to look and feel better, don’t let this urban legend ruin your chances of looking your best.

Myth #3: If I Exercise Really Hard I’ll Get In Shape

This tends to be more of a lack of understanding rather than a myth. But it’s so common and so misunderstood that I wanted to put it on the list. Getting in shape and reaching your goals is much more dynamic than simply showing up at an aerobics class 5 days a week. It really is almost 3 dimensional in that other factors must also be present for results to be their best.

The three dimensions I’m referring to are strength training, cardiovascular exercise and proper eating. If you neglect any one of these three components you’ll experience marginal results. In fact, it’s the synergistic effect of doing all three that will give you the most noticeable and lasting results. Exercise alone, for 95% percent of the population is just not going to cut it.

These three exercise myths are just a few to be sure, but they are very common and so easy to correct. There’s no magic bullet when it comes to getting in shape… but just as it is with most things in life, knowledge is power. Exercise smart, spend your time doing what works, and you’ll get the results you’ve always wanted.

About the Author

Tom White is an experienced nutritional cleansing, lifestyle and weight loss coach, as well as the owner of BodyCleanseDiet.com, a popular weight loss and cleansing website. The website contains a range of articles, interviews and hints and tips to help you achieve optimum health.

Tom is also an Independent Associate with Isogenics, a well known nutritional cleansing program designed to help re-balance the body, assist with weight loss and gently remove toxins and impurities.