Fitness myths. OK, so we could write an entire BOOK on the topic. Everything from eat fat, get fat to lifting as a kid will stunt your growth. Silly things that somewhere along the line caught some traction and started becoming “accepted knowledge”. So today, I’m looking for yours. We can have some fun with this one because there is so much RIDICULOUS information out there that when you apply the logic test, you say “are you serious?!” MY personal favorite is that women shouldn’t lift weights because they don’t want to “bulk up”. This is a prevailing myth up to and including the publish of this article. If I had a dollar for every time that I heard “I want to tone up, but I don’t want to get big”, I’d be writing this from my own private island, as opposed to this deep-freeze that I call home. Lifting weights will NOT turn women into men. You will NOT build huge bulging biceps or monstrous pecs or get a big ass. It’s not in the cards. The reason that guys are able to see so much more muscular growth is that they have exponentially higher levels of testosterone in their blood stream. Testosterone is the hormone MOST responsible for muscular growth. Now, do women have testosterone? Yes. Do some have more than others? Also true. However, no (I repeat NO) female is going to turn into Arnold no matter how much lifting you do. What you will turn into is a stronger, more functional athlete and person overall, but who wants that? So, what’s YOUR biggest fitness myth? I look forward to hearing the silliness that prevails!
thetruthaboutexercise 
February 13, 2014 at 8:22 pm
There’s also a myth going around that, if you are overweight, you have to wait to do strength exercises until you’ve lost some weight with cardio in order strength to have a beneficial effect. Doing so would 100% hinder the process!
February 13, 2014 at 8:24 pm
Good one!
February 15, 2014 at 10:57 am
Love this. I read something that said “weights don’t make girls big. Chocolate make does.” So true 🙂 I have shrunk so much since lifting. And I have that “toned” look that I always wanted. With the amount of effort I put in and the amount of weight I lift… I am evidence that weights will NOT make you big! Lol it’s crazy that people think it’s that easy.
February 15, 2014 at 10:58 am
Chocolate cake* does
February 16, 2014 at 2:47 am
I believed for far too long that in order to be lean you had to do lots of reps at low weights (e.g. 6 sets of 30 of all exercises) as opposed to reasonable amounts of more challenging weights (e.g. 3 sets 8-12). No idea where I picked that up from but I thought it was gospel.
February 19, 2014 at 6:15 pm
Love this post. As a family practice doctor I can relate to similar things I hear daily regarding medicine, treatments, etc. One of the reasons my physician friend and I started our blog was to give good EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE to people, not just something they heard their friend say or saw on Dr. Oz. I always counsel my patients when they start an exercise program to add weights to their routine. And I do hear all the time from the females that they don’t want to “bulk up” so they won’t add weights…
March 14, 2014 at 12:08 am
Guilty! I used to be one of those girls who think lifting weights would make her look like the terminator Arnold. Exercise myths come mostly from girls. Some of my girl pals think that exercise is not for women since it will turn you physically into a man They just stick to dieting and fasting. I will share this one myth my friend told me about ab workout. Doing sit-ups or crunches for your abdomen muscles is good but the moment you fail to maintain that routine, your stomach will get saggy and bulge out as if your pregnant. Myth busted. No truth in that ladies.
May 22, 2014 at 8:45 am
So true, love a girl that lifts weights!
April 20, 2015 at 1:21 am
Lolzz .Yes you are right …the best thing i like on the whole post is that “Lifting weights will NOT turn women into men”.