Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger.

Now that I am back on Mythranus-52, it reminds me of my first encounter with the inhabitants of Earth. My expedition started in a rather peculiar way. There, I found people to be weirdly obsessed about their physical appearances. Everyone kept talking on and on about it. One guy, looking at my physique just asked me out of the blue about the gym I frequented. My answer, that it was all natural made him burst with laughter and although I did not understand the joke in that, I joined him. He invited me to his gym the next day and so there I was.

In the gym there were many machines on which people worked hard. There were sweaty men and women all around lifting weights which were either almost half their weight or sometimes even more than theirs. I talked to many people and understood innumerable things about our body. I must say some of their theories seemed to be a lot different than what we knew back at home. Therefore, I decided to do my own research and it left me absolutely gob-smacked. These ‘fitness myths’ that have infected my planet have also clouded the minds of some of the people on Earth.

Let me help you navigate your way through them so that you do not end up making the same mistakes that most people by easily believing words from people who have zero expertise in that arena. Hence, here are some of the most common myths which I have successfully debunked.

Myth 1 : Bodybuilding is a sport.

Not everyone who has a great physique is fit and not every fit person has a great physique. In some cases, you can have both but mostly this is not the case. A bodybuilder focuses more on showcasing his body and bulking up his muscles whereas a fitness enthusiast focuses on strengthening his body from within. The main point of difference can be seen when both of them try to showcase their cardio-vascular performance. For example, a fit person can jog much longer without getting tired as compared to someone who has very big muscles. Both have different definitions of getting fit. It is your ultimate goal which determines the definition which suits your right.

Myth 2 : Crunches lead to abs.

Everyone is of the misconception that if they do abs workout daily, they will have a perfect set of 6 pack abs but this is not the case. Crunches help to only give proper definition to the abs which are already present. Crunches help to strengthen your core. If you need abs, your first step should be in the direction of fat loss workouts as when you lose fats from your body that is when abs form. Everyone has a set of abs but it just gets covered by layers of fat above it so if you first lose the fat you will be able to see your abs and then crunches will help you define your abs better.

Myth 3 : Starving myself will help me with weight loss.

People assume that that if they don’t eat anything, they can lose weight but this is a false belief. In this way there is a chance of losing out on muscle weight as well which is harmful. The diet plans like Keto diet and GM diet show results but these are all very short term and cannot be continued for long durations. One cannot inculcate this in their lifestyles. If one truly desires to lose weight, he/ she must include fruits in their diet providing their body with essential fibers which help reduce weight. A new type of fasting has come in recent times called ‘intermittent fasting’ has also shown promising results. In this type of diet, a person eats for 8-10 hours out of the 24 hours in intervals and fasts for the remaining hours giving the body ample amount of time to process the food. This technique eventually leads to reducing the amount of food intake thereby helping in the process of reducing weight.

Myth 4 : More the supplement intake, more the muscle built.

Supplements form a good source of protein for your body as long as you take it in the appropriate amount and at the right time. The perfect time for taking supplements is after your workout because that is the time your muscles just have worked and need to rest and thereby require their food which is protein and hence one must consume it at that time only. If you take lesser than required quantity you may end up feeding your muscles lesser than required but if you take too much your body uses the amount required but stores the rest of it by converting it to fats so it does not serve its purpose. You must work out on a considerable level to make the supplement intake worth else it is for nothing. Like for 10-15 minutes workout there is no use of supplements.

Myth 5 : Bulking up is easy.

People think that it is easy to gain weight as you can eat anything you want from burgers to pizza but that’s not the case. If you don’t take care of what you’re eating you might end up building bad cholesterol, bad carbs and acidity problems which are not good. You must find healthy sources to help you gain the weight. You must follow your workout plans and get adequate rest to allow the muscles to rest and grow. You must find natural sources of protein like paneer, soy, etc. Look out for healthy substitutes for food. Gain weight in a way which does not harm your body.

Myth 6 : If I work out like him, I’ll have body like him.

Everyone has a different body style, different activities lined up for the day, different interests, different goals, different diet preferences and many such things. You must see what suits you the best. What workout programs and diet schedules does your body respond to. One thing you need to keep in mind is that you must always workout to keep your body parts functioning smoothly. It is true that during workouts people get injured but that also happens when you keep sitting at your desk at work so it’s better if you keep working out.

Fitness is very important and everyone must take care of themselves. There are many myths in this area. I hope you steer clear of the ones mentioned above get on track with a clear mind and focus on yourself.

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