by Lois Trader

No more excuses!

1. Women who lift weights will get bulky muscles:

Not true; lifting weights, doing cardio and eating right are all three essential for losing weight. If you just want to tone up, perform each exercise between 10 and 20 reps. So keep your reps high and don’t be scared of weights; after lifting your metabolism will speed up for the next 48 hours.

2. Spot reducing is possible:

False; let’s take the stomach for example. Everyone has a “six-pack” in there somewhere - it is just a matter of exercising in general and eating right that gets rid of the fat on top. The best abs in the gym belong to the people who do a variety of things, not just working one area. If all you do is 500 crunches a day for the next two months, you will have the strongest abs that Nobody Will Ever See!

3. No pain, No gain:

No Way! This myth often scares people away, so let’s replace it with the truth. No Consistency, No Gain; consistency is the most important part of exercise, without it you are swimming upstream. Pain is not part of a safe routine; find the difference between pain and discomfort. But be ready to suck it up and deal with some sweat and discomfort; you need to push yourself, just not to the point of injury.

4. Exercising requires a hefty time commitment:

Once again absolutely false; exercise requires a commitment to consistency, not a large amount of time. It is much more beneficial to work out just 10 minutes every day of the week, than to work out for 2 hours once a week. Take pride in exercising more often without the burden of time.

5. If you exercise you can eat what ever you want:

This sounds more like an excuse: still not true. Food plays a huge role in how we feel, perform and go about our everyday routines. If you fill your body with fats and sugars all day any amount of exercise can’t counteract the damage. Don’t make things too complicated, just eat healthy and have the treats in moderation; don’t ruin all your hard work at the dinner table.

6. There is a “magic bullet” or quick fix out there somewhere:

Not even close; there is no magic pill, no 8-min Abs, and no equipment you can use on your couch. It took time to gain that weight and it will take time to lose it. So don’t fool yourself, get up and get to the gym.

Lois Trader

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