From fat loss to training on your period – the gym myths you probably believe

GOING to the gym can be daunting enough without trying to separate fact from fiction.

Will people look at you? What if you made a fool of yourself?

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These are all questions that cross our minds, especially if you are new to exercise or just starting out.

Now, a fitness coach for women has revealed the seven most common myths she hears.

Speaking to The Sun, personal trainer Abi Skipper said there are a lot of misconceptions women have when it comes to exercise.

Whether it’s working out on your period or if the weights are making you bulky, the London-based trainer has demystified the most classic conundrums.

1. Lifting weights will make you bulky

The 35-year-old said it was one of the biggest myths she hears the most.

She said: “Women fear using weights for the first time because they think they’re going to put on a lot of muscle and get really bulky.

“That’s not true, it’s actually really, really hard to put on a lot of muscle, and there’s nothing wrong with having muscle and being bulky, so they shouldn’t worry about it. anyway.”

Abi said getting that “bulky” look would require lifting heavy weights for a very long time, combined with a dedication to your diet.

However, Abi said that for women there are benefits to lifting weights.

“My favorite is that it will boost your confidence and make you feel good.

“But internally it will increase your bone density and muscle mass – which a lot of women don’t know – but it can also help with weight loss because with more muscle mass you burn more calories,” a- she added.

2. Just do cardio to lose weight

As for misconceptions about certain exercises, Abi said just doing cardio is one of them.

The guru said people might feel like they have to run a lot to lose weight and that’s just not the case.

“If they like cardio, that’s not a bad thing because I always get asked what the best exercise for weight loss is and the best exercise for weight loss is the one you’re going to do the most and the one you you actually enjoy.

“So if you like doing cardio that’s fine, but if your goal is to lose weight, it’s very important to include weight training because it builds muscle mass which will help you burn more. calories throughout the day.

She added that a lot of women are looking for that “toned look,” which Abi says “just isn’t a thing.”

“You can’t tone a muscle, but what they’re basically looking for is to lower their fat percentage and increase their muscle mass, which gives you that toned look.

“So while running and cardio can help you lose weight, you won’t achieve that toned look without also having some muscle,” Abi explained.

3. I have to do lots of crunches to get abs

We’ve all seen those crazy challenges that promise to give us abs if we do 100 sit-ups a day.

Abi said that’s just not the case and when it comes to weight loss, nutrition and diet, the lion’s share is the biggest.

“It’s really about having a 360 degree approach. A well-balanced diet and weight training and cardio too because your heart is a muscle and it’s good to train it too.”

4. I can’t train on my period

In countless movies and TV shows, we see women ditching their gym kits in favor of the couch because they’re on their period.

Abi said it’s a myth that you can’t train on your period and it all comes down to personal preference.

“Every woman has a different cycle and even in terms of your own cycle, it’s going to be different from month to month.

“My advice is to always see how you feel that month, but you can definitely train and there’s no harm in training if you’re on your period,” she added.

5. Only the morning workout counts

Abi said there are many myths surrounding when you should and shouldn’t exercise.

She said: “It depends on your personal preference, that’s when you’re most likely to go.

“If you’re not a morning person, don’t mark in your diary that you’re doing a morning class, because you won’t go and you’ll feel bad.

“So if you feel you have more energy in the evening, you should go in the evening.

“It can also depend on your gym, if it’s busy in the morning and you prefer to train in a less crowded room, do it.

“From a fitness perspective, it doesn’t matter as long as you get there and get moving – it doesn’t matter what time.”

6. There are only certain exercises that will work for fat reduction.

It’s a question Abi says he gets asked a lot – which is “can I target belly fat”?

The trainer said that unfortunately there are no exercises that can target specific areas.

“If you see someone telling you they can, then that’s just not true. It’s better to exercise for the whole body and follow a balanced diet,” she added.

7. I have to be in pain for training to count

If you haven’t exercised in a while, you may have trouble getting off the couch after your last workout.

But Abi said the idea that you always have to be in pain, as a marker of training difficulty or effectiveness, simply isn’t true.

She said: “Obviously if you haven’t done any exercise before and you’re new to certain movements and exercises, you’ll get a little sore afterwards and that’s called DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

“It’s totally normal and it’s just your muscles growing during training and adapting to that training, so you just need to recover a bit afterwards to help you.”

“But you can exercise without feeling pain and still have a good workout,” she added.