Gym myths and truths: get rid of doubts and get more out of your workout

That exercising is essential to keep fit and to ensure more health and quality of life no one doubts! Nowadays, more and more women and men have the positive habit of going to the gym at least three times a week. Some people even go further: they exercise some days of the week at the gym, and others outdoors, for example.

Physical exercises, fit diet, healthier lifestyle habits are topics that, fortunately, are “in the mouths” of people of different ages today. However, it is also a fact that these issues cause many doubts and even some controversies, especially when the focus is on exercises practiced within the gym.

“Does bodybuilding make you lose weight?”, “How long do I need to train?”, “Is it more hungry after the gym?”, “You can only take Whey if you work out hard?”, “Is it really necessary to eat carbohydrates before going to the gym?”… These are just some of the questions that cause doubts. Below, professionals talk about the main myths and truths about gym and food to train.

1. Bodybuilding doesn’t lose weight

MYTH. “Yes, it does. If well oriented in relation to volume and intensity, weight training is very efficient for weight loss. Because, with muscle mass gain, caloric expenditure increases and metabolism speeds up”, explains César Gomes, physical education professional at the Just Fit Gyms network.

2. Bodybuilding will definitely make me look “strong”

MYTH. “No. You can get a stiff, stiff body, but still very feminine by doing weight training”, explains Gomes.

3. Training makes you more hungry

TRUTH. “Because when you train, you need energy to do the exercises, with that you will have to replenish it. It is very important to follow up with a nutritionist specialized in sports nutrition to correctly replace nutrients after training and achieve the results you want”, says Gomes.

“Sports practice provides energy expenditure and muscle catabolism, and as a need to recover spent stores and repair tissue, the central nervous system triggers a series of reactions stimulating the hunger center”, emphasizes nutritionist Andrea Zaccaro, president of the Brazilian Association. of Sports Nutrition.

4. It’s better to train at night than in the morning

MYTH. This is an individual issue, as Gomes explains. “The best time to train is when you are more willing and willing, so the training will yield much more”, he says.

5. The longer the training duration, the better.

MYTH. “It all depends on the person’s objective, but the ideal duration time for training is from 45 minutes to a maximum of 60 minutes”, says Gomes.

In other words, it’s no use staying two to three hours at the gym thinking that, just for that, you’ll achieve quick results. The ideal is to follow the guidelines passed by a professional in the area.

6. Training on an empty stomach is always the best option because it loses weight

MYTH. “It doesn’t lose weight, besides being dangerous for health. If you train fasting, you can have hypoglycemia and feel sick”, says Gomes.

Andrea points out that the idea of ​​fasting training arose from the possibility of a previous and excess food hindering fat burning during a workout with a predominance of fat use. “As long as there are still stocks left for low- or moderate-intensity sports, training can be performed with a short fast of three to four hours or in the morning. Care should be taken if the fasting period is longer and the individual is sensitive to the point of weakness. Weight loss itself should be thought of 24 hours a day, so the pre-workout food will not have as much weight in the final result,” she says.

7. It’s good to eat carbohydrates before training

TRUTH. According to Andrea, carbohydrate is the preferred fuel for the human body under rest or exercise conditions, both aerobic and anaerobic. “Before training it is necessary that the stock of them be completed. It is recommended to consume an amount, even if minimal, such as breads, crackers, cakes or another type of carbohydrate”, she says.

“It is still recommended not to ingest large amounts of fiber or fat as they will hinder digestion and absorption and make it difficult to practice sports. In the case of consumption of another source of energy, such as protein instead of carbohydrate, it will be burned and part of it, which does not serve this purpose, will be eliminated by the kidney, increasing renal excretion”, explains the nutritionist.

8. After training it is necessary to eat protein

TRUTH. “Muscle fiber recovery will occur after the exercise stimulus and lasts for at least 48 hours. Meals should include an amount of protein to maintain a blood concentration of cell-building material 24 hours a day. Therefore, portions of protein must exist at least in the main meals of the day”, highlights Andrea.

9. Little weight and a lot of repetition make you lose weight

RELATIVELY TRUE. “This type of training increases the resistance of the muscle, it also contributes to weight loss as long as the rest time between the series of exercises does not exceed 30 seconds”, explains Gomes.

In addition, it is worth remembering: the training to be followed must be passed by a physical educator to ensure that the results, in fact, are positive.

10. People who start training can put on weight

TRUTH. Andrea explains that some people can gain weight for two reasons. “The increase in muscle mass provides a substantial result since it is a denser tissue. As a consequence, the individual may experience weight loss with an increase in weight on the scale,” she says.

“The increase in body fat can occur if food consumption exceeds energy expenditure. The use of supplements and inappropriate behavior before, during and after exercise can result in an increase in body fat”, adds the nutritionist.

11. It is not possible to achieve good results without taking supplements (such as whey, bcaa)

MYTH. “It is possible, yes, but if there is a need to take supplements, only the nutritionist can say”, explains Gomes.

Andrea points out that it is possible to achieve good results without taking supplements. “The important thing is to consume adequate amounts of food that meets daily needs. It can happen that the supplement makes a lot of difference in performance and lean mass increase when the food is less than the daily needs. For example, one scoop of Whey provides 24g of protein and equals 100g of lean meat,” she says.

12. It’s good to take isotonic after training

TRUTH. “Isotonic drinks are intended to replace energy (carbs) and mineral salts lost during physical activity. If the training is too long or the food for replacement is not immediate, you can use isotonic”, guides Andrea.

“Healthy individuals who sweat excessively or who exercise in climatic conditions that favor sweating, such as high temperature and humidity, can benefit from drinking,” adds the nutritionist.

13. If I’m feeling pain in my muscles, it’s because the weight training is “taking effect”

MYTH. “It is not synonymous with results! When the individual has never trained and starts to do weight training, there is a little pain caused by the inflammation of the muscle fibers due to this new stimulus. Pain that needs to disappear in three days at the most, other than that, pain is a warning that something is not right”, guides Gomes.

14. I need to work out every day to get results

MYTH. “It depends on how your training was set up, but maintaining an attendance of at least three days a week, accompanied by good nutrition, you will certainly achieve the desired results”, highlights the professional.

15. In three months I will be able to see the result of the exercises

RELATIVELY TRUE. “If you are assiduous, disciplined and follow the guidelines of the physical education professional, for sure”, says Gomes.

However, it is worth mentioning: it is important to be disciplined and follow a balanced diet (preferably with the follow-up of a nutritionist) to achieve results.

Furthermore, each person is unique. For some, results may appear faster; for others, it may take a little longer. But the important thing is to focus and stay firm in the gym and control your food.

16. Stretching after training always causes injuries

MYTH. “It depends on the level of training the person is in… For beginners and intermediates, no, if the stretching is just relaxing”, explains Gomes.

17. Stretching before training is enough

RELATIVELY TRUE. For some people it may be enough; for others, no. “It will depend on your need for stretching. If you have very shortened muscles, difficulty performing some joint movements, you will need something more specific, like a stretching class”, says the professor.

18. Running interferes with bodybuilding results preventing me from gaining mass

RELATIVELY TRUE. “If the goal is to increase muscle mass, yes. The glycogen (energy stored in the musculature) used before the race will interfere with the increase in the load and tire the muscles faster”, explains Gomes.

“The ideal is to do weight training first, and then the race, light to moderate intensity”, guides the professor.

19. Sit-ups are the best exercise to lose belly fat

MYTH. “Abdominal exercises are to strengthen the muscles. To lose the belly: food reeducation, weight training and aerobic training, programmed properly by the physical education teacher”, highlights Gomes.

20. Bodybuilding is dangerous in old age

MYTH. “If there is no contraindication, weight training for seniors is necessary for maintaining muscle strength, preventing falls and preventing and controlling osteoporosis, in addition to offering several other benefits”, explains the professor.

21. Minors under 16 years old cannot do weight training

MYTH. “Children under 16 can do weight training, as long as they are well directed by the physical education teacher, with light to moderate intensity”, says Gomes.

22. Training in the cold always makes you lose weight

MYTH. “Not necessarily, it will depend on all factors as in any other period of the year: discipline, dedication and frequency, accompanied by good nutritional guidance”, highlights Gomes.

“What happens in training in the cold is that the warm-up needs to be more efficient to avoid injuries”, remembers the professor.

23. To lose weight, you need to mix aerobics with weight training

TRUTH. “Practicing both modalities, the person will have more efficiency in the results, as long as the training is well dosed by the professional”, explains Gomes.

24. Functional training is good for those who want to lose weight

TRUTH. “It’s another form of training that contributes to achieving the goal. It’s interesting for those who don’t like bodybuilding much, because functional training is more dynamic and works with…