Setting SMART fitness goals — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound — can sharpen focus, establish consistent workout routines, simplify progress tracking, and help hold oneself accountable. (1) Pairing these goals with science-backed training methods makes success more attainable if you steer clear of pseudoscience.
Unfortunately, the rise of fitness “gurus” and internet-fueled misinformation has created countless myths that continue to mislead even the most dedicated fitness enthusiasts.
Is post-workout soreness a sign of success? Will endless core exercises magically reveal a six-pack? To help stay on track, we’re debunking seven common fitness myths that could hold you back or mislead you.
Myth: Muscle Confusion Will Help You Bust Plateaus
Incorporating variety into workouts can help prevent monotony and boredom at the gym. However, changing your routine too frequently can be counterproductive.
Randomly switching exercises often leads to inconsistent results, preventing full commitment to a structured plan. While the concept of muscle confusion suggests that regularly altering your routine promotes ongoing adaptation, scientific evidence on its effectiveness remains inconclusive.
Frequent changes can disrupt progress, making it challenging to apply the principle of progressive overload, which builds strength and muscle. To maximize results, stick to the same core exercises for four to 12 weeks, focusing on steady progress.
Gradually increase the intensity by adding weight, performing more reps, or incorporating techniques like drop sets, supersets, or eccentric loading. This ensures consistency so you can measure improvements over time.
Myth: Spot Fat Reduction Is Real
The idea that you can target fat loss in specific areas through calorie restriction or localized training is a common myth. Research consistently shows that spot reduction doesn’t influence fat deposits in a particular region. (2)
Fat loss occurs evenly throughout the body when in a caloric deficit. This is not confused with proper nutrition and consistent resistance training, which help strengthen and build muscles in a targeted area.
Myth: Soreness Is a Sign of Muscle Growth
Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) occurs when microscopic tears in muscle fibers form due to new or intense activity. This is a typical response when starting a new workout program or adding volume or weight to your routine, typically setting in 24 to 48 hours after exercise. DOMS is not necessarily an indicator of muscle growth. (3)
Excessive soreness might be a red flag. Feeling overly sore after a workout can hinder long-term consistency by associating exercise with discomfort, making it more tempting to skip sessions. It may also signal overtraining, which increases the risk of injury.
Myth: Stretching Before Workouts Prevents Injuries
Stretching is often considered an essential part of a warm-up, as it helps increase blood flow to muscles and reduces the risk of injury. While this is true, the effectiveness of stretching depends on the type and when you do it.
Dynamic stretching, which incorporates movement, is ideal before exercise. It raises muscle temperature, improves flexibility, and reduces stiffness, as shown in a study on the hamstrings. (4) This type of stretching helps prevent injuries and enhances workout performance.
On the other hand, static stretching is better suited for post-workout routines. Research indicates that performing static stretches before exercise can negatively impact strength and power. (5) By saving static stretching for post-workout, the muscles’ increased range of motion and mobility will allow deeper stretches and greater flexibility.
Myth: You Need to Lift Heavy to Put On Muscle
Lifting heavy weights is an effective way to build muscle; however, increasing the weight is not the only approach in a structured periodization plan. (6) Techniques like tempo training, rest-pause sets, or increasing reps can also drive muscle growth.
These alternatives offer a safer yet equally effective solution for some lifters, especially those who need to avoid heavy loads for specific exercises.
Myth: Fasted Cardio Is Most Suitable for Fat Loss
Fasted cardio involves performing cardio exercises after fasting, based on the idea that the body will use stored fat for energy during the workout. While this concept sounds promising, research remains inconsistent and inconclusive.
What is clear, however, is that fat loss is primarily driven by maintaining a calorie deficit. Exercising in a fasted state is ineffective for fat loss if your overall daily calorie intake exceeds what you burn.
While cardio can help burn calories, being fasted doesn’t necessarily enhance fat loss if you eat at maintenance or in a calorie surplus. Additionally, training on an empty stomach may negatively impact performance for some individuals due to reduced energy levels and the lack of fuel from a pre-workout meal.
Myth: Doing More Ab Exercises Builds a Six-Pack
Strength training can help build a strong core, but visible abs only appear when body fat is low enough. Achieving this is heavily influenced by diet, which is why the saying goes, “Abs are made in the kitchen.”
To develop a six-pack, it is essential to combine effective training with a diet that maintains a calorie deficit while providing the necessary nutrients for your body to function properly.
A helpful starting point is using a macro calculator to assess your current calorie intake and identify areas for reduction. To cut excess calories, focus on a diet rich in satiating foods with fiber, healthy fats, and protein while limiting refined carbs. These nutrient-dense foods keep you fuller for longer, making managing portion sizes easier and reducing overall consumption.
Great options include oats, eggs, Greek yogurt, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, brown rice, peanut butter, and seeds. On the other hand, it’s best to avoid or limit foods that are fried, processed, and high in sugar, such as pastries, alcohol, and sugary soda. Combining mindful eating with consistent training is the likelier path to a defined, stronger core.
References
- Paxton, R. J., Taylor, W. C., Hudnall, G. E., & Christie, J. (2012). Goal Setting to Promote a Health Lifestyle. International Proceedings of Chemical, Biological & Environmental Engineering, 39, 101–105.
- Ramirez-Campillo, R., Andrade, D. C., Clemente, F. M., Afonso, J., Pérez-Castilla, A., & Gentil, P. (2021). A proposed model to test the hypothesis of exercise-induced localized fat reduction (spot reduction), including a systematic review with meta-analysis. Human Movement, 23(3), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.5114/hm.2022.110373
- Nosaka, K., Lavender, A., Newton, M., & Sacco, P. (2003). Muscle damage in resistance training. International Journal of Sport and Health Science, 1(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5432/ijshs.1.1
- Iwata, M., Yamamoto, A., Matsuo, S., Hatano, G., Miyazaki, M., Fukaya, T., Fujiwara, M., Asai, Y., & Suzuki, S. (2019). Dynamic Stretching Has Sustained Effects on Range of Motion and Passive Stiffness of the Hamstring Muscles. Journal of sports science & medicine, 18(1), 13–20.
- Chaabene, H., Behm, D. G., Negra, Y., & Granacher, U. (2019). Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Muscle Strength and Power: An Attempt to Clarify Previous Caveats. Frontiers in physiology, 10, 1468. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.01468
- Moesgaard, L., Beck, M. M., Christiansen, L., Aagaard, P., & Lundbye-Jensen, J. (2022). Effects of Periodization on Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy in Volume-Equated Resistance Training Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 52(7), 1647–1666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01636-1
Featured image via Shutterstock/Lenka Horavova
