Debunking Fitness and Nutrition Myths

There is a concept in Zen Buddhism known as "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind". The basic idea is that in order to truly absorb new information, we must release our long-held preconceptions.

But that's not so easy to do when you've been bombarded by misinformation so often and for so long that the mere familiarity with garbage, masquerading as fact, creates belief. I can't think of a single area of knowledge more fraught with erroneous assumptions than exercise and nutrition. In fact, multi-billion dollar industries are dedicated to fattening their wallets while promising to make you (instead of just your bank account) lighter.

But, if you are willing to put what you may accept as fact aside for a moment, I'd like to create a little bit of enlightenment that won't require you to take out your credit card. Here are three of the most popular (and incorrect) widely-held beliefs about how to get lean. And then, the truth:

1. Aerobic Exercise Makes you Lean.
Not exactly. While a few hours of cardio at a moderate or higher level of intensity each week will certainly burn several hundred calories, you can easily eat enough calories to compensate for that and stay fat. There are overweight marathon runners and very lean people who never exercise. It's not so much differences in genetics or even exercise habits alone, but whether they create a calorie deficit day after day or build and maintain a calorie surplus. It's actually much easier to create a 500 daily calorie deficit through dietary discipline than by exercising endlessly and not controlling nutrient density and total food intake. That's what bodybuilders do to get very lean with a minimal amount of cardio (to avoid diminishing muscle mass). You can do it too.

2. Very Low Carb (or Fat) or Very High Protein makes you Lean.
Wrong. Any highly restrictive diet (except restrictive for empty calories like sweets and excessive fat) will be very difficult to sustain over several weeks or more, and is often nutritionally unbalanced. Why does that matter? Because, on a very restrictive diet (either food groups or substrates like protein, fat and carbs) you can lose hard-earned muscle tissue and compromise your abilities to exercise effectively. Plus, it's just plain unhealthy to miss large segments of vitamins, minerals or to virtually eliminate either fats or carbs, or to go overboard with protein. Nutrient-dense eating with small, frequent meals (with a regular, progressive and balanced exercise program, of course) is the absolute healthiest and easiest eating style to maintain that will lead to a lean, athletic build.

3. Ab work makes you slender.
Lies! All lies! (sorry - I was channeling a character from Austin Powers). But I do get upset about this one since it's the one myth I continue to see even certain fitness professionals perpetuate. It's just a big load of crap. Core work has one primary function: to support and protect the spine. The core muscles help stabilize the upper body during lower body movement, the lower body during upper body movement, and the low back when they're both moving. It's a pretty darn important purpose but it's not trimming your waistline. You do that by getting fit with exercise (so you can burn more and more calories during your workouts and between them), and, more importantly, eating to create a moderate (300-500) daily calorie shortfall.
Tired of looking at the professional fitness models with ripped abs and Ultra-Brite smiles demonstrate the miracle of the latest fitness doodad? Yep, me too.

Stop looking for a miracle in a box. The attainable miracle is a shift in your thinking. A balanced, well-designed exercise and eating program that focusses on nutrient-density, controlled portions and progressive physical challenges always works.

Always.