There's a lot of great fitness information around today, in magazines, books and especially online. But there is also a lot of misleading fitness information out there, including these three terms you should stop using yourself...
No Such Thing As Toning Muscles
Many articles and ads talk about 'toning muscles'. Often you see it in regards to women's fitness, implying that this is somehow different from other types of workouts. There are workouts for strength, power, size, cardio, aerobics, flexibility and sport-specific workouts, and beginner, intermediate and expert workouts for each of those. There is NOT some other type of workout that achieves some undefined notion called 'toned'.
Forget 'Workouts For Women' Too
Your second fitness term to drop is workouts for women. Muscles on men and muscles on women have the same composition and the same purposes. A man's workout is a woman's workout is a man's workout - plain and simple. The difference in muscle size is chemical - men's testosterone levels are much higher than those found in a woman's body, and that's what makes the biggest difference.
Writers and marketers use the term 'women's workouts' to play on the irrational fears some ladies have that lifting weights will make them big and bulky. Don't let them put that same fear into you - hit the gym and lift weights all you like. You'll be healthier, stronger, have more energy and most likely look lot better, even though your weight may increase since muscle is denser (heavier) than fat. If you are even a bit concerned that you may bulk up from lifting weights, stick to powerlifting workouts - heavier weights with fewer reps per set. That style of workout focuses more on building muscle strength and less on building muscle size, for either men or women.
The Goal Is NOT Weight Loss!
Probably the most destructive fitness term you should drop is weight loss, yet it's the number one term searched for at Google some years. If you have a higher percentage of body fat than you should for your body type and height, what you want is FAT LOSS, not weight loss...
If all you're concerned with is losing weight, and you measure it using the common bathroom scale, you're setting yourself up to fall victim to every weight loss scam that comes along and a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. Remember that muscles weigh more than fat, and your body is programmed to get rid of all unnecessary muscle and store energy in the form of fat. As such, any rapid weight loss will mean you've lost more muscle than fat, which isn't your goal - in fact, it makes you even less healthy.
Further, your body has a goodly amount of water in it, and water weighs about 62.5 pounds per cubic foot. Ridding your body of some of that water will also drop your weight - and your health right along with it. In fact, not only is that water needed by your circulatory system and organs, but as little as 3% dehydration starts to affect your mental prowess as well...
When you think in terms of fat loss, you'll focus on healthy nutrition and regular exercise - both of which can lead you to lose bodyfat, gain muscle, have more energy and generally be much healthier. Keep that focus and lose the term 'weight loss' starting today - you'll be that much closer to living your ideal fitness lifestyle!
D. Champigny is well known in the fitness world - he's a
published fitness photographer, certified personal trainer, fitness
author and publisher of the popular Flirting With Fitness website. For more help from Champigny, add him to your circles on Google+ today!
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