RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

It's almost resolution time. For most people it's to get into shape, so let's clear up some myths.

MYTH 1: "Muscle turns into fat/fat into muscle." No. Muscle & fat are two completely different tissues. If you stop exercising, your muscles atrophy, so you lose the tone; and if you eat more calories than you burn, you'll gain fat.

MYTH 2: "Lifting weights make women bulk up."No. Women don’t have enough muscle-building hormone testosterone to get bulky, even if using heavy weights. Some people gain muscle faster than they lose fat, so they may look bigger until they shed the flab and reveal the slim, toned muscles underneath.

MYTH 3: "When your body gets used to an exercise, you'll burn fewer calories doing it."Yes. After five to six times doing the same routine, you'll be smoother in your movements, but you'll start expending fewer calories then when you started. That's why you should do different exercises EVERY time you exercise to constantly shock your muscles into creating new lean muscle tissue.