5 Fitness Myths That Are Hurting Your Workouts

The amount of fitness controversy in the media is enough to make your head spin, sometimes.  To make things worse, most of the information you come across in TV and magazines isn't coming from degreed exercise physiologists, but from fitness enthusiasts without a collegiate health background.

We surveyed five top Perfect Personal Trainers to ask them what they thought were the most destructive fitness myths in the media today that are actually impeding weight loss efforts as opposed to improving them.  You might be surprised to read what they had to say!

Myth #1:  Eating After 6pm Leads to Bodyfat Gain
"This is one of the biggest fitness and weight-loss myths, and it's creating some awful effects on peoples' metabolism," explains Val Fiott, Director of Operations and Client Services for Perfect Personal Training.  "Studies have demonstrated repeatedly that any weight gain associated with eating in the evening or late-night has to do only with the food selection and quantity, and not with the actual time of night.  People tend to make less healthy food choices when they are eating later in the day, but this should not be misconstrued to mean that eating at night is a bad move.  Eating every three hours that a person is awake is an excellent idea for maintaining or growing muscle, and it is a proven fact that the more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism is.  For healthy individuals, eating at night is a good thing, as long as you're eating within your meal plan for the proper number of fats, proteins, and carbs that your body requires." 

Myth #2:  Ideal Bodyweight is Based On Height
"It is a myth that everyone fits into a standard height-to-weight table," explains Yvonne Ferguson-Hardin, a Perfect Personal Trainer who creates and coaches personalized exercise for clients in their homes throughout Perfect Personal Training's Philadelphia market.  "There is no true table that [explains ideal numbers for] the petite Korean, the muscular African, and the more robust big-boned Hawaiian.  Everyone is unique, and the size and weight that is [healthy] for one may not be for another."

Myth #3:  Training with Weights Leads to Arthritis
"Of all fitness fallacies, this one may be the most damaging to the mindset of the health-conscious, progressive-thinking person, " begins Brian Walters, Director of Staff Management and exercise physiologist for Perfect Personal Training.  "Resistive conditioning, be it with free weights or otherwise, is an extraordinary way to actually prevent arthritis.  It is sometimes likened to causing arthritis only because the exercising person often over-exercises a joint by using incorrect form or a resistance that is too high.  Conversely, under-exercising a joint with a resistance that is too light to produce results will allow for the joints to decondition just as they would in a person who is not exercising, which would also result in arthritis symptoms, over time."

Myth #4:  30-Minute Workouts Are As Effective As Longer Workouts
"This is a funny one," says Aaron Dunn, exercise physiologist and scheduling manager for Perfect Personal Training.  "We actually burn MORE bodyfat per minute after around the 50th minute of exercise than we do in the first 50 minutes.  Therefore, the only reason to end your fat-burning workout after only 30 minutes would be because you don't have time for more.  Ending at 30 minutes is definitely not conducive to more rapid weight loss."

Myth #5:  Exercising a Body Part Burns Fat on That Body Part
"It's sad that people have been so misled", began Jeff Rio, Perfect Personal Trainer since 2010.  "When someone exercises their buttocks muscles, for example, they aren't programming their body to actually burn fat around the buttocks.  What is happening is that they are programming the muscles of the buttocks to get stronger and to have more endurance.  Essentially, the muscles get more toned there.  But, this does not have to equate to fat loss around the muscles of the buttocks.  That is a whole separate issue involving nutrition, caloric values, and a fat-burning strategy through cardiovascular work and other exercise.  Butt training does not necessarily equate to specific butt fat loss."

Have a question involving your own personal fat loss or fitness goals?  We'd love to help!  Call (877)698-3648 or visit us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/perfectpersonaltraining) to ask us anything that is on your mind.  We are here to help!

5 More Quick Ways To Reduce Cancer Risk

Cancer is largely predictable, the end result of a decades-long process, but just a few simple changes in your daily life can significantly reduce your risk.  To follow up last week's post, here are five MORE ways to reduce cancer risk:

• Work broccoli into your PPT meal plan, but steam it rather than microwaving it. Broccoli is a cancer-preventing superfood, one you should eat daily. But take note of this: A Spanish study found that microwaving broccoli destroys 97 percent of the vegetable’s cancer-protective flavonoids. So, we recommend that you steam it or eat it raw.  (By the way, broccoli's protein-to-carb ratio works very well into a healthy PPT meal plan.)
• Supplement with vitamin D.  More and more, vitamin D has demonstrated to have strong anti-cancer qualities.  If you're not spending at least 20 minutes per day getting sunlight, then you'll need more vitamin D supplementation than most.  Contact Perfect Personal Training to establish the right amount of supplementation for you.
• Indulge in cantaloupe.  Cantaloupe is a great source of carotenoids, which are plant chemicals shown to significantly reduce the risk of cancer.  These are carbohydrates that should replace simple sugars in your current meal plan.
• Every time you go to the bathroom, stop by the kitchen or water cooler for a glass of water. A major study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1996 found that men who drank six 8-ounce glasses of water daily cut risk of bladder cancer y 50%. Another study linked the amount of water women drank to their risk of colon cancer, showing heavy water drinkers reducing their risk up to 45 percent!  Why aren't you drinking more water?
•  Take a multivitamin every morning. Many studies suggest getting the ideal levels of vitamins and minerals improve the immune system and help prevent a variety of cancers.

Add these ideas to your daily regimen for reduced risk, and please feel welcome to comment or call PPT at (877)698-3648 for a more personalized anti-cancer protocol for you and your family.

5 Quick Ways To Reduce Cancer Risk



You Have More Control Than You Think

In part 1 of a new series, Perfect Personal Training's team of top physiologists and herbologists have put together our first five simple ways that you and yours can quickly boost your immune systems and reduce risk for cancer!

• Spend at least fifteen minutes on moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity, five or more days per week.  This goes a long way in reducing stress and eliminating toxins, as well as boosting mood and the immune system.  Remember - you don't need machines to get your cardiovascular training in.  Power-walking, swimming, and other aerbics do the job just as well!
• Have a daily dose of Vitamin B-17, found in apple seeds, apricot seeds, millet and other foods.  (This may also improve aerobic performance over time.)
• Clear your environment of toxic chemicals. Toxins compromise the immune system's ability to battle cancer and make it harder for your body to defend itself from free radicals and errant cells.  Aim for natural cleaners and other household or workplace items.
• Aim for eight or more hours of sleep each night, in total darkness for better quality REM sleep.  It is also very beneficial to supplement with melatonin (around 2-3mg for a 150-180 lb person) two to three hours prior to going to bed, to promote healthier, more restful sleep, reduced stress, and to keep the immune system strong.
• Supplement your diet with turmeric.  Unless you have gallstones or a form of bile obstruction, turmeric is considered to be a safe and natural anti-inflammatory that demonstrates anti-cancer properties.  There is a long history of using turmeric very successfully in Asian, Indian and Chinese medicine.  PubMed explains further potential benefits of turmeric's main compound, curcumin, and Dr Andrew Weil lists more benefits and suggestions here.  For potential added benefits against cancer, combine with cauliflower.

These five easy steps aren't expensive and won't take much of your time each day, but they all have demonstrated to be potentially helpful tools for a cancer-preventive lifestyle.  We'll have more great ways to help to prevent this horrible disease posted next week!
For more information about potential cancer prevention through healthy living and holistic decision-making, call Perfect Personal Training at 877-698-3648 or visit http://perfectpersonaltraining.com