Many people have got more conscious about their health and fitness nowadays and have taken to the gyms in hordes. They have also become keener on their diet as they work towards the achievement of their fitness goals. Different people have different fitness goals, some working on cutting weight and shedding excess fat, as well as build lean mass. Others may want to gain some mass as they develop muscles.

Nevertheless, there are so many half-truths and outright lies peddled about how to lose weight, keep healthy and fit, gain mass in a healthy way and on many other fitness issues. These complicate things and leave many confused. To help you do the right thing and achieve the results that you so much desire, this article highlights some of the biggest fitness myths and goes on to clarify them:

Carbs and fats make you fat

There has been a belief that carbohydrates and fats are primary causes of overweight and general poor health. It is correct that reducing the intake of these nutrients will see the start of your weight reduction journey because that will cut on your total calories consumed but not because they are generally harmful to your body. Reducing the intake of calories by cutting on carbs and fats is good for weight loss but it will impact on the body negatively as the two perform very crucial functions in the body. The right thing is to check on the quality of the carbs and fats consumed. You need to take unrefined carbs such wholemeal bread and brown rice and oats to provide the body with the necessary vitamins, fibre and minerals. Healthy fats and oils like those in avocado, nuts, oily fish and other healthy sources should be the way to go and avoid unhealthy ones like those in margarine and packed fried foods.

Weights make you bulky

This is a myth peddled to discourage weight training especially among women. The truth about it is out so it should be forgotten. The right position on this myth is that lifting weight is not likely to make you get bulky except in such cases where one takes deliberate actions and make a substantial nutritional push towards that direction. Also, you have to spend much of your time in the lifting area working towards that.

Proteins are meant for pros only

This is utterly wrong as all people need protein for body repair both internally and externally, to back the immune system and for general body wellbeing.

You should carbo-load the night before a race

Carbo-loading, which is filling your muscles with glycogen, is just a big myth. If you have to carbo-load you should do it throughout your training but not on the eve of the race. The whole carbo-loading thing cannot make you run faster but will enable you to perform at your best.

Cardio comes first

If you go to a gym and watch exercisers as they get in, you will most likely realise they head to the treadmill first and in fact create a jam there, thanks to the myth that cardio should come first. The correct way to go about your training is to do strength training first and then tackle cardio second. Performing cardio reduces your glycogen levels and may impact negatively on training as much as you would have intended. Doing weights first will raise your cortisol and testosterone levels which are crucial for working out.