Shriya Sinha
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Written By: Shriya Sinha | Published : February 14, 2019 5:15 PM IST
Dis these gym myths for they are doing no good at all. @shutterstock
India has become a breeding ground for gym culture. You can find a gym in every nook and corner of almost every street in India now. Everybody wants to flash those abs and a perfect looking physique. Amidst this crazy fad, the point that is being missed out is that fitness is not a crash course but a lifestyle choice. It demands regular and constant efforts. Also, it is your health that should be given precedence over the idea of showing off a "chiselled looking physique. It is rather a simple calculation if you are internally healthy it will start showing gradually through your external health. This mindset of achieving aesthetically fit-looking physique has led to germination of false and baseless fitness myths which are simply of no benefit for you. Here we list down a few gym myths you should turn a deaf ear to.
Myth#1: Don t let your knees go further than your toes
It is ok if your knees go forward a little bit when you bend your knees to perform a squat.
@shutterstock
When performing a squat all you need to keep in mind is that you start with your hips pushing backwards and bend your knees as you go lower in a squat. Do not start by pushing your knees forward. Your feet should be planted flat on the ground. If in this process your knees come forward a bit, then it s ok. Just make sure your knees are in alignment with your feet laterally.
Also, if the heel of your feet has the tendency to lift up then first fix this and then go for a squat because your properly planted feet on the ground while performing a squat helps to divide your body weight properly without stressing your knees.
Myth#2: You ll get fat if you have carbs after sunset
You can eat carbs at any time. @shutterstock
This is simply not true. You can eat your proteins, carbohydrates or fats at whatever time you please. Neither carbohydrates nor their timing will make you fat. It s the intake of calories that determines your fat. A simple calorie deficit that is more calorie expenditure than the intake will only help you lose weight over time.
Myth# 3: Do cardio to strengthen your muscles in the first week of your gym
While cardio is good for building stamina and endurance it won't help in building strength. @shutterstock
To build strength weight training or body weight exercises are required. Cardio is great to build your stamina, lung capacity, endurance but it won't help to strengthen your muscles. Bu this does not mean that you should simply focus on weight training. A proper mix of both cardio and bodyweight and or weight training is important.
Myth#4 Crunches will reduce that belly fat for you
Crunches alone won't help you reduce belly fat. @shutterstock
While crunches are good for your ab muscles, they are not the ideal or only exercise for removing belly fat. Spot weight reduction is a myth. When you perform any exercise, energy is produced by using more than one muscle of your body. Only crunches will thus train and develop your ab muscles but not reduce fat. To reduce fat, it is essential to create a calorie deficit while performing an entire body workout, resistance training, and a protein-rich diet.
