1
be
ac t i ve
MYTH 1:
Exercising on an empty
stomach burns more fat
Truth:
Many people believe
that working out first thing
in the morning on an empty
stomach is the best approach
to burning fat. The fact is
there is no scientific evidence
to support this theory.
The key to burning fat is to
exercise at a high intensity
consistently, so find a time of
day where you can stick to
your routine - be it morning,
noon or night. Some people
find they can get through a
whole workout on an empty
stomach and still keep up the
intensity, but at the first sign
of light headedness or dizzi-
ness, it’s time to change your
routine! Before you exercise,
try a fast digesting carbohy-
drate such as white bread or
drink a fruit smoothie to keep
your energy levels from dip-
ping mid workout.
MYTH 2:
If women lift weights they
will become bulky and
masculine
Truth:
The truth is to get a
body like the bodybuilders
you see on television, you
have to work very hard and
stick to a very regimented
diet. In other words, lifting 8
pound dumbbells three times
per week, won’t get you
there, and for women, that’s
good news! Strength training
(
lifting weights) is actually
very important for females
as doing so helps increase
bone mass and decreases
your chance of developing
osteoporosis. Muscle mass
also increases the number of
calories you burn a day.
For each pound of muscle
..................................................................
you gain, you will burn
..................................................................
approximately 35-50
..................................................................
more calories per day.
5
Fat Burning & Exercise
Myths!
The problem with fat burning myths is that
in addition to being misleading, they give
false hope to millions of people trying to
lose weight - resulting in wasting your time,
money and mental effort. We also see
many of these myths used as justification
for cheating on a diet, watching countless
men and women excuse their “treats” be-
cause they believe they are on some type of
magical exercise program or nutrition plan.
It’s time for some healthy “myth-busting!”
b e a c t i v e
12
MYTH 3:
You can target ‘problem’
areas by spot training
Truth:
Spot training is the
belief that you can shed
pounds in a specific area by
only doing exercises involving
those muscles. Unfortunately
this theory is just too good to
be true. If you are after an
ever elusive six-pack stomach,
overall calories burned is
more important than the
number of crunches you do.
When the body burns fat, it
burns from every part of the
body, not from one target
area. Different parts of the
body also contain different
types of fat (i.e. adipose tis-
sue in the legs versus visceral
fat around the abdomen) and
these types of fat will respond
differently to exercise. When
shopping for exercise equip-
ment, look for equipment that
will work your whole body
versus the “
Ab Cruncher
”
or
“
Thigh Master Plus!
”
MYTH 4:
You need to join an
expensive gym to stay
in shape
Truth:
For the cost of one
month’s fees at a gym, you
can create a great workout
space in any home. For a
one-time investment of $60-
$100 on equipment, you will
have what you need to work
every muscle in the body.
A good at home workout
starter kit should include: a
properly sized stability ball,
an exercise mat, a set of
3-8
pound dumbbells and a
skipping rope. Combine these
pieces with a step or two at
the bottom of a staircase, a
clear space on the floor for
jumping or running on the
spot and you have just created
a perfect workout space!