Fat burning only starts after 30 minutes and sit-ups will melt your belly fat? There are numerous myths when it comes to fitness and weight training. We got to the bottom of 10 of them and enlighten you here about the truth so you can achieve more success with your workouts.
Fat burning starts after 30 minutes
This is not entirely true. The body has different sources of energy at its disposal. At the beginning of a workout, it is mainly the glycogen reserves that are used, i.e. our internal carbohydrate store. After 30 minutes, energy is then increasingly obtained from fat burning, although the transitions between these phases are fluid. Short training sessions are therefore more sensible than none at all. By the way, optimal fat burning takes place at 60-70% of the maximum heart rate.
Sit-ups make belly fat melt away
It would be so nice if you just had to do sit-ups and crunches to get a flat stomach or even a six-pack. But this is not the case, because there is no such thing as spot fat burning. The body itself decides which fat deposits have to give way first. Nevertheless, exercises for the abdomen also help to get rid of excess fat, because muscles generally burn fat. So you should train the whole body and large muscle groups instead of individual body regions.
Exercising on an empty stomach increases fat burning
This statement is not wrong per se. After a meal, insulin is released in the body, which reduces fat burning. From a purely physiological point of view, exercising on an empty stomach can burn more fat. However, if you want to lose weight, you should rather work towards a negative energy balance, i.e. also change your diet. In addition, this type of exercise lacks the necessary energy for the body to achieve muscle growth and thus training progress.
10,000 steps a day should be the goal
In times of constant tracking, the number of steps per day has established itself as a popular parameter. Everyone knows about the 10,000 steps per day mark. Did you know that this was originally a marketing gag by a Japanese company? The company had launched its first pedometer on the market for the 1964 Olympic Games and needed a strong selling point. The myth persists to this day. On average, Europeans walk about 5,000 steps a day. There is no doubt that exercise, and therefore walking, is good for your health and prevents back problems, for example. However, 10,000 steps a day are by no means a substitute for important sporting activities that train the cardiovascular system. In addition, 10,000 steps a day also require the necessary time. Short but intensive training units are more effective. And still: any kind of exercise is healthy and better than none.
Losing weight only through exercise?
Often, the desire to lose weight is associated with the planning of extensive sports sessions. Yes, sport burns calories. However, this does not automatically make you lose weight, since the overall energy balance is crucial for weight loss success. It is therefore essential to also change your diet in order to get into a calorie deficit. A runner who weighs 75 kg burns about 500 kcal through 60 minutes of moderate jogging. These are often already booked again on the calorie account by a small meal. So it’s all in the mix: a healthy, balanced diet and regular cardio and strength sessions will help you shed those pounds.
