Old wives myths and tales of fat loss
In our modern world information is at the ready. With plenty of apps that can tell you everything from your daily marcos to the next time your train leaves for the gym – a smartphone is now what an almanac was 100 years ago. So it seems almost impossible that some the information floating out there is not up to date and current. Unfortunately, this the double edged sword of the internet. Wrong information can be shared and repeated with ease. So it’s no surprise that there’s still some incorrect “common knowledge” out there that people refer to time and time again that do not have any weight to them. Some of this incorrect information includes fat loss myths.
In this post, we take a look at some of the most common fat loss myths that people still believe.
Why Fat Loss is Important
The first thing to discuss is what exactly fat loss, or the “cutting phase” is, which is what happens after the bulking period. This is a time when we look to slim down and particularly focus on what we want to look like for a show, or even just getting summer ready. Because competition is so stiff in some professional shows the difference between winning and losing is a matter of inches, fat loss is crucial and even cutting water weight. Every little bit helps, and this causes bodybuilders to hold on to these fat loss myths out of anxiety and stress. Don’t be that builder. We’re here to debunk some of those ideas for you, particularly in the area of fat loss.
Fat Loss Myths
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the top fat loss myths that people still believe.
High reps and low weights produce fat loss
The first fat loss myth is that higher reps with lower weight will help to burn fat. People believe that sets of 12-15 will burn more fat than 6-8, but in reality there are more factors that burn fat than just rep schemes. The mindset behind this myth comes from the idea that as you start to hone in on your diet you will automatically lose strength. Not necessarily so. Modern day dieting is less about starvation and more about nutrient rich foods which should allow you to recover from each training session and lift heavy up until showtime.
We recommend keeping your strength routine throughout your training period as training for more muscle mass helps to burn fat regardless. With proper nutrition, you should shed the extra fat without sacrificing strength. Stop thinking high reps and low weight will burn fat and start thinking of Ronnie Coleman’s 455 lb bent over rows four weeks out of Mr. Olympia.
Intense Cardio Will Steal Muscle From Your Legs
This fat loss myth is something that many people believe, running or doing the stairs or even riding a bike will take muscle from your legs. When you incorporate a bit more cardio, things do look different, you’re staring to lose water weight and sodium, your pumps aren’t as impressive, and you don’t hold glycogen as well. This is normal – you can keep your size and strength with diet and cardio as long you do it correctly.
In order to cut fat but not deplete your muscle mass, keeping your cardio SEPARATED is the key to keep gains while doing intense cardio. Split your cardio and training up into two sessions, A.M., and P.M.. Start off doing 30 minutes of cardio in both sessions and progress by 15 minutes until you hit 1 hr in both sessions.
You Can Target Areas for Fat Loss
One of the biggest fat loss myths is that you can target specific areas that you want to lose fat. For example, people believe that if you want to decrease your love handles, you just have to do Russian Twists, or if you want to get rid of the fat on your legs, you have to ride the bike or do the stairs.
This is not true at all, as much as we wish it was. Instead, fat loss cannot be targeted, you can only decrease your overall percentage.
Starving Yourself Helps You Lose Fat
This one actually gets more people than you would think. Many people think that in order to lose fat, you can just not eat. This is not true at all, as you absolutely need to consume the proper amount of macronutrients even when trying to lose fat. Just because the number on the scale goes down, does not mean you are losing body fat, you could actually be losing muscle.
Even when dieting down, you still need to make sure you are getting in the proper amount of protein, fat, and carbohydrates to recover and grow, and even lose fat.
The Faster the Move, the Better
An exercise that increases you metabolic rate doesn’t have to leave you out of breath. Resistance training is a great way to increase your metabolic rate and get you shredded, but you do not need to lift as fast as possible. Instead, you need to get a good mind-muscle connection and really focus on the movement that you are doing.
The Best Fat Burner Supplement
Now, that we have addressed the top fat burning myths, let’s take a look at our favorite supplement to get rid of that unwanted weight.
Transparent Labs PhysiqueSeries Fat Burner
Transparent Labs Fat Burner is a great burner to expedite weight loss in 3 ways. A 100% honest label ensures quality ingredients and optimal effectiveness.
Transparent Labs Fat Burner is a great supplement to expedite weight loss by allowing you to shed fat, maintain muscle, and build that ideal physique for whatever comes your way. Working with 3 ways to expedite fat loss, this works to increase loss by determining how many calories you should burn, prevent hunger to eliminate snacking and unwanted calories, and offer an enjoyable weight loss experience so you actually work for your fat loss goal more effectively. This company works to provide total transparency with a 100% honest label so you know exactly what you are getting and how much you are getting from a fat burning supplement while shedding belly fat and avoiding muscle breakdown.
With just 9 ingredients, this formula works to give you everything you need to succeed in your weight loss journey while boosting your metabolism. Forslean allows you to release fatty acids from stubborn tissue to stimulate fat loss while green tea works with Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) to influence fat metabolism so fat loss does occur. A host of other ingredients work to your benefit with this advanced formula to make sure your experience is everything you want out of a thermogenic fat burner for that stubborn belly fat loss.
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Wrap Up
Overall, these are some of the biggest myths that people still believe when it comes to burning fat. What it comes down to is really training hard and dieting. Are you still a believer of these myths? Hit us up with other myths as well as solutions for losing fat for a big show!
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.