Wanna lose weight? Just do a bunch of crunches & run!
We've all heard this before. From obsolete personal trainers, friends, and infomercials, to certain books and even health blogs. They got it all wrong.
SIKE! That stuff doesn't work. There's no such thing as "spot reduction" so if your trainer or some guru is trying to sell you something based on that, fire them.
#1 Spot Reduction
Fat loss can only be achieved in all areas of your body at once, and it can only be possible by burning more calories than you ingest. The best way to burn more calories is by building muscle baby! In fact, working the bigger muscle groups in your body such as your legs, back, and chest will do a better job of helping you lose belly fat than doing a bunch of crunches. Sounds weird right? Like how does that make me lose my belly fat? Most people think in order to lose fat in 1 area they have to work that area. WRONG. Actually, working abs when you're trying to burn belly fat will only push your belly fat out further!
#2 Your Muscles Can Turn Into Fat
I use to think this way too! I thought that if I got big muscles and then stopped working out they would somehow melt into fat? Idk, it only made sense in my mind LOL However, fat cells & muscle cells are totally different and perform separate functions. Meaning, one will never transform into the other. If you become soft, or get fat, after being toned & fit that's only because your calorie output was no longer exceeding the calorie intake. This means that you were eating more than you were active. Often times, we get busy with work, our families & health becomes secondary. So if you want your hard body back, get on a workout program & start to beating your caloric intake with your energy output.
#3 You'll Get Bulky & Look Manly (for the ladies)
Another false belief I also use to have! I'm really calling myself out here haha. I can't tell you how wrong this is. Back in the day I would look at the fitness models & think "omg thats what will happen if i lift" LOL! Do you know how hard they have to train to get like that? How little & strict they eat to get like that? Also, some ladies use steroids to get like that! So, never compare yourself to those girls.
Now, what I can tell you is this; lifting weights is going to help you burn fat, make you look sexy in & out of your clothing, and keep you from hurting yourself as you get older. Getting bulky is so hard, so never let that be a worry of yours. A muscular body is built through lots of consistency & dedication, it doesn't happen overnight. I wish!
#4 Women Need Different Programs Than Men
I really don't know where this one came from...There really aren't any reasons to train differently based purely on sex. Both men & women lose fat & build muscle the same way. Now I get it, men & women have different body goals, but surprisingly they can achieve those goals using the same programs! For example, most girls don't want a big chest or arms, but they want a toned full body. Especially when it comes to the booty, legs, and tummy. The ironic thing is that they would do the same workout to achieve those goals as men would do to bulk. We forget that men & women's muscles are the exact same, the only difference being in size. Most women continually fail to understand that if they exercised their upper bodies as much as their lower, their tummies would be that much flatter, their glutes that much bigger, and they would be overall lean!
I hope you like these tips, and I hope they help you on your journey to your healthy body! Don't forget if you need a workout program, you can always workout at home with me!