Fitness Myths
-NO PAIN, NO GAIN: That effort is necessary, we know. We have to get out of our comfort zone if we want to progress. But neither does it mean that you have to drag yourself out of the training room and that the next day you can't even get up; it means that at the moment you are training you must concentrate and feel that the muscle is working and it hurts. On the other hand, even if you leave training crippled, without proper nutrition and rest, forget about progressing. Training more, not letting your body rest, or using heavier weights than you should be using in the hope that it will help you progress faster is totally wrong. Chances are, if we don't rest adequately, we'll reach a state of overtraining where progress is certain to be inhibited. That is why it is so important to carry out a good planning of our training: "no brain, no gain" or train with your head.
-To lose weight I have to do only cardio: This is also a false belief that we have to eliminate right away because anyone who wants to lose weight should combine cardiovascular exercises with strength exercises to achieve toning and avoid flaccidity. To tone up, do 15 or 20 repetitions in 4 sets, 30s rest, and you will be attacking the localized fat that is stored in the arms, abdomen...
The more I sweat, the more fat I lose. Sweating is a mechanism of our body by which the body regulates its temperature. When we exercise our body temperature rises and with sweat we lose fluids, not body fat. So it is one thing to burn fat and another to lose weight. And yes, the second is achieved through sweating, but it is not a real loss, since it is due to a lack of hydration. When we replenish fluids (by drinking water), we regain lost weight again.
-The best time to exercise is in the morning. The best time to exercise is when it can be done consciously and can become a habit. The time of day does not matter, be it morning, afternoon or night. The morning is a good time to exercise, but it depends on the biological clock of each person. It is related to the phases of light and darkness, with the seasons of the year and with the characteristics of each person. Of course, after nine or ten at night it would not be highly recommended to exercise, especially high intensity, because it can affect the rhythm of sleep and delay the need to sleep. It would cause the next day to be more tired and fatigued.
-I am a woman and if I train heavy I will look like a man. Nothing is further from reality. Our genetics will not allow it, and heavy training only slightly modifies the muscles. Greater muscle mass reduces the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, among other advantages, and speeds up the basal metabolism, which helps burn calories while resting.
-Eat immediately after training to replenish. It depends on what you have eaten before and how the route or training was. A balanced diet, with healthy foods, is a sufficient base to exercise daily for 1-2 hours at a light or moderate intensity. If the ride wasn't long or intense, you don't need to grab a shake right away to recover. If you've eaten before heading out, you haven't depleted your glycogen stores. If the ride has been long or the training has been intense, it is advisable to give the body food and/or drink, but if you don't do it immediately, nothing happens, your recovery will not be worse. The anabolic window doesn't last 30 minutes, it lasts for hours.