Five Fitness Myths Debunked!

MYTH: More protein = big muscles.

Increased protein does not correlate to extra strength or muscle size. In fact, just like carbohydrates, excess protein can be stored as fat. Exercise, rather than excessive protein intake, is the key ingredient to increasing muscle size. While our bodies do require protein to repair and build lean body tissue, the quantity required is much lower than most think. The general recommendation is 0.8 – 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. Thus, a180pound male would need 65-98 grams of protein per day.

MYTH: Women who lift weights will get bulky.

Women do not have enough testosterone to develop bulky muscles. On average, women produce at least 10 times less testosterone than men. If it were easy to “bulk-up” every male at the gym would look like a body builder!

MYTH: Longer low-intensity exercise burns more fat than high intensity.

Weight-loss is a simple equation: calories in versus calories out. While it is true only a small amount of fat is utilized when exercising at higher intensities, it is also true the rate of caloric expenditure and the total number of calories burned are much higher compared to exercising at lower intensities. Therefore, the total amount of fat utilized (‘burned’) during higher intensity exercise is greater than the fat burned during lower intensity exercise.

MYTH: Abdominal exercises lead to a flat stomach.

Despite the late-night infomercial propaganda and the countless gym-goers who devote 20 minutes a day to crunches, a flat stomach is not achieved from abdominal exercises.  For most people, the key component to getting that desired 6-pack, or greater definition of the abdominals, is a reduction in body fat. Everyone has a 6-pack, it’s just a matter of it being covered by a layer of fat, as unfortunately the human body finds the midsection an ideal spot for fat storage. Numerous studies have shown that when enough calories are being burned to lose weight, fat is reduced from the entire body, not just in the area being exercised.

MYTH: Late-night eating causes weight-gain.

Weight-gain is only achieved through consuming more calories than you burn. Studies have shown there is no correlation between weight-gain and the time of day we eat. If your daily intake of food results in a caloric surplus, you will gain weight. Whether you eat your final meal at 5pm or midnight, it all goes back to a simple equation: calories in versus calories out.

Terrieha Romer is co-owner of RYP Performance, a company specializing in outdoor bootcamps, small group training, one-on-one personal training, program design, and athlete performance training. Terrieha has a Bachelors in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, a Masters in Sports Medicine, and holds several nationally and internationally recognized fitness-related certifications. She is also a former Track & Field Coach and Strength & Conditioning Coach at the High School, Division I, and Division II levels, in addition to working with elite athletes as a volunteer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Fat Burning Zone is a Myth!

This week’s article discusses the myth of the ever-so popular ‘Fat-Burning Zone’. This myth, which specifies the specific heart rate range you must exercise in to ‘burn fat’, is so prevalent manufacturers of cardio equipment proudly display these age-based ranges on their machines.  However, the fact is, during exercise your body uses both fat and carbohydrates as fuel, thus both fat and carbohydrates are ‘burned’.

Exercising at a very low intensity, such as walking, results in fat being utilized (‘burned’) as the primary source of fuel. As exercise intensity increases the contribution of fat being utilized decreases, and the carbohydrate contribution increases. Because fat is the primary source of fuel utilized during low-intensity exercise, it is often assumed that low-intensity exercise is best for burning fat, thus resulting in the ‘fat-burning zone’ myth. However, while it is true only a small amount of fat is utilized when exercising at higher intensities, it is also true the rate of caloric expenditure and the total number of calories burned are much higher compared to exercising at lower intensities. Therefore, the total amount of fat utilized (‘burned’) during higher intensity exercise is greater than the fat burned during lower intensity exercise.

The key point for weight loss is: ‘Calories In versus Calories Out’. The calories consumed must be less than the calories burned. Also, when looking at fuel sources from a weight loss perspective, it matters very little whether the calories burned are from fat or carbohydrates.

            A great way to perform high intensity exercise and decrease your body fat percentage is to incorporate interval training into your cardio training program. Not only does interval training allow you to improve your fitness quickly; it is also more effective than continuous exercise for burning lots of calories during exercise and increasing your post-workout metabolic rate.  For your next cardio workout, try incorporating 8-12 reps of 30 seconds max effort (increasing speed, resistance, or incline), followed by 2-3 minutes at your moderate pace.

Terrieha Romer is co-owner of RYP Performance, a company specializing in outdoor bootcamps, small group training, one-on-one personal training, program design, and athlete performance training. Terrieha has a Bachelors in Applied Physiology & Kinesiology, a Masters in Sports Medicine, and holds several nationally and internationally recognized fitness-related certifications. She is also a former Track & Field Coach and Strength & Conditioning Coach at the High School, Division I, and Division II levels, in addition to working with elite athletes as a volunteer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Please email any questions and all correspondence to : getstarted@rypperformance.com

Fresh Idea

I have struggled with the idea of writing a niche-type blog for over a year. Not because I don't have the knowledge, passion, education, and experience. Instead, that is the exact reason I have struggled, I don't want to be just another "healthy-living" blog. Despite the fact that I read these types of blogs on a daily basis, I actually am often times annoyed, as these blog authors put forth info that is just their personal experience and do not actually know or understand the science (physiology or biomechanics) behind aerobic (running, cycling, etc) or resistance training; yet hundreds of readers take their advice and implement incorrect strength training programs, run the wrong way, and write race training plans based on what someone else did. This is not to say I know it all, because I don't, but I have spent the last 10 years learning, spending thousands of dollars on grad school and numerous certifications, hundreds of hours to continuously sharpen my skills and keep my certifications current, and countless hours training clients and coaching athletes!
{Stepping off my soap box now....}
I have decided that when I blog it will be about exactly what I want to blog about, if that's about fitness, nutrition/recipes, work, or just a few short sentences about what I did during the day then so be it :)