4 Fitness Myths Holding You Back From Success

There’s more bullshit in fitness than anywhere else. America’s political climate might be worse, but it’s a toss up.

Whether it’s Instagram influencers trying to scam you with crappy workout programs, supplement companies hocking products that don’t work, or personal trainers upselling their 24-session training pack because “it’s going to take more than 12 sessions to undo what you’ve done to yourself,” (true story, a PT said that to a friend of mine during his consultation), fitness is a minefield.

What really grinds my gears is it doesn’t have to be.

While tough in execution, improving your fitness isn’t a complicated endeavor. Eat less, move more, sleep more. Fruits and vegetables, varied training intensity, adequate recovery time.

If you focus on those fifteen words, in six months you’ll be blown away by what you see in the mirror.

But it’s not only about doing the right things. It’s about letting go of the wrong things — the myths, misconceptions and fallacies you’ve come to believe. The tougher of the two tasks if you ask me.

Let’s look at four of the most egregious.

1. Static stretching before a workout

My high school gym teacher had it wrong. Color me shocked.

Static stretching prior to training opens you up to injury. Muscles are “cold” and not adequately prepared for athletic activity. Overextending them through static stretching might encourage you to hurt something once you start moving.

Not only that, stretching cold muscles has been demonstrated to tire out said muscles. So if you’re trying to perform at your best, static stretching may actually hinder performance.

Do this instead

Dynamic stretching. Think of it as a low-intensity version of the workout you’re about to perform. Walking before a run. Bodyweight lunges before weightlifting. Butt-kicks and high knees before a tennis match.

Start slowly, then gradually ramp up the intensity. After ten to fifteen minutes you’re good to go.

2. More training = more muscle

Muscles are not built during training. They’re built during recovery.

When you’re running or lifting or jumping (or anything) you’re breaking down muscle tissue. You’re applying a stress to your muscles they can’t handle, so they crack under the pressure. The way your body responds to this stress is by building back the muscle tissue bigger and stronger than before.

This process only occurs during recovery. Makes sense right? How can you build muscle tissue if you’re actively engaging the muscle? That’s like trying to rebuild a house while demolishing it at the same time.

Do this instead

Yes, I know you want to get in shape fast. I know you want to make up for lost time. I know training is fun, especially for those of us who view fitness as a hobby.

But you have to build recovery into your training routine. There’s no way around it.

Recovery doesn’t mean stopping all activity. It doesn’t mean sitting on the couch eating bonbons between workouts. Recovery can (and often does) mean active recovery — performing low-intensity exercise to stimulate blood flow to overworked muscles, ligaments and tendons, providing the necessary nutrients for growth.

The dynamic stretching I mentioned above is a great way to actively recover.

3. The almighty “anabolic window”

Ah, the anabolic window. The secret sauce of every fitness bro from here to Timbuktu.

The anabolic window refers to the short period of time post-workout (roughly thirty minutes) when your muscles are especially primed for recovery and repair. The notion is to jam as many proteins, carbs and fats down your throat as possible to take advantage of the anabolic window’s muscle-building prowess.

Turns out, there’s little scientific evidence to back this theory. This study from 2017 found the “window” for synthesizing muscle tissue to be quite wide. It also found pre-workout nutrition is just as effective as post-workout nutrition. This 2007 study says something similar.

Tl;dr: nutrient timing doesn’t really matter.

Taking in that monster protein shake within minutes of ceasing exercise won’t turn you into Arnold Schwarzenegger or Usain Bolt or Serena Williams.

Do this instead

Focus on getting the nutrition you need, not the timing of said nutrition. A later post-workout meal won’t hinder muscle growth in the same way a quick post-workout meal won’t stimulate extra muscle growth.

What’s best for your health is exercise and a balanced diet.

4. No pain, no gain

Many folks gauge the quality of their workout by how sore they are afterwards.

Stop. It.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is your body’s natural response to the stress of physical activity. Because you’re tearing muscle tissue during exercise your body increases blood flow, and thereby inflammation, to the affected areas. This is the tenderness you feel.

DOMS usually lasts up to 24–48 hours post-workout, sometimes longer.

DOMS is not a consistent phenomenon. Any seasoned fitness veteran can tell you that. Sometimes you’re sore, sometimes you’re not. Sometimes you think you should be sore, yet you’re not. Sometimes you don’t think you should be sore, yet you are.

Just because you’re not as sore as you think you should be doesn’t indicate a low-quality workout.

Do this instead

Uncouple soreness from quality.

The body is an incredibly adaptable machine. As you exercise, as you place stress on the body, the body adapts. The result is a stronger, faster, more resilient, more capable body. What once made it hard to get out of bed in the morning has become your warmup.

Over time you may feel less sore with each workout, but that doesn’t mean you’re not working hard enough or missing out on any gains.

This could also indicate it’s time to switch things up. A big part of success in fitness is changing your routine from time to time. I like to tell people to make an adjustment (or two) every three months or so. This is a big topic in and of itself, so we’ll save that for another time.

Final thought

Fitness is about avoiding the bad just as much as doing the good.

Remember our fifteen words? Eat less, move more, sleep more. Fruits and vegetables, varied training intensity, adequate recovery time.

I’d add fifteen more: Be smart. Think hard. Do your research. Ask questions. Hold yourself accountable. Make good decisions.

Now you’re really going to blow your mind in six months.

Photo by Leon Ardho