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Beginner Mania!

Credit: jerryonlife

Here at FitBottomedGirls.comwe promote being healthy year round, but we are aware that the New Year kicks off the health nut in even the biggest couch potato. With this in mind, we’re gearing our first-ever Beginner’s Weekto the fitness newbies out there in the hopes that you all will become fitness oldbies (you know what I mean). We’ve got a great week in store for everyone, and even if you’re a fitness fanatic, we’re confident that you’ll learn something new and hopefully be inspired to carry on with your fitness endeavors!

As we take any chance to celebrate, we couldn’t let Beginner’s Week pass us by without letting you dear readers share in the fun and have the opportunity to win fitness goodies! We’ll be giving away some fun workout DVDs this week, so check in on Twitter (make sure you tweet @FitBottomedGirl) and Facebook each day. Be the first responder after the giveaway is announced and win the DVD! (The chosen can only win once and will be notified on Twitter and Facebook.)

And because we know that fitness newbies can have their ideas about fitness all jumbled, we’re hear on day one bustingmyths, courtesy of Life Fitness.

Myths Busted!

  1. Bulk city. Some women don’t like to strength train for fear of bulking up and looking like a body builder. As if! The reality is that most women don’t produce the hormones to build bulging muscles. And if you’re still worried, remember that adding muscle helps the body lose fat to create a leaner and more defined physique. Sweet!
  2. Crunching away fat. One myth we wish was true is that ab workouts dissolve belly fat. If it were true, I’m sure there are tons of fit bottomed girls and boys out there who would be sporting six packs. While ab workouts do help strengthen and tone the core, it’s actually a low percentage of body fat that will give you that six-pack. Diet is factor numero uno when it comes to ripped abs.
  3. Work until you sweat. While sweat can indicate that you’re working hard, we all don’t sweat alike. And we’ve all seen those superwomen who are killing it in class and still look fresh as daisies. A better way to gauge intensity is monitoring your heart rate during exercise.
  4. Overweight people have a slow metabolism. No way, Jose. Studies show that less than 10 percent of obese individuals have a slow metabolism. In fact, overweight people typically expend more energy to move and ultimately burn more calories than their lighter friends. If your weight is creeping up, check your activity level and diet first, not your metabolism.
  5. Yoga makes you long and lean. Yoga is fantastic exercise for strength and flexibility; however, it isn’t going to visibly elongate your body parts. It’s best at helping you walk taller by improving posture and creating a fit body.
  6. Two hours or bust. There is no hard and fast rule about how long you should work out. Base your exercise prescription on your age, health and goals. If you don’t have a block of time to spare at the gym, break your workout into shorter increments. And remember, 10 minutes of exercise is better than none!
  7. No pain, no gain. Heck no! While you should push yourself past your comfort zone, workouts shouldn’t be painful or cause excessive discomfort. Go for the good burn, but don’t hurt yourself.
  8. When you hit a plateau, you don’t burn as many calories. Even when you hit a plateau, you’re still using up energy and burning calories with every lunge and every mile. It’s just that being in better shape makes the workout feel less intense. Change up your program now and then to keep seeing results.

What myths are you busting in the New Year? —Erin

FTC disclosure: We often receive products from companies to review. All thoughts and opinions are always entirely our own. Unless otherwise stated, we have received no compensation for our review and the content is purely editorial. Affiliate links may be included. If you purchase something through one of those links we may receive a small commission. Thanks for your support!

Comments

2 Comments
  1. Ruthie says:

    I’m busting the “I just can’t lose weight because ___________” myth. No more excuses! If other people can do it, and if I’ve done it before, I CAN and WILL do it now!

  2. Jena McCarthy says:

    Like many girls, I wanted to start off this new year loosing weight. I’ve never tried before so I’m nervous. What is the best way to go about it? I know extreme dieting isn’t a good thing. I just need some tips.

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