Fitness Misconceptions that drive you nuts?

Jim_Barteck

While that may be true in some cases, there are women whose breasts are almost entirely mammary tissue. Losing weight and body fat isn't going to effect breast size by any large degree in these cases.

And given that large breasts run in her family- all the women of which appear to have fairly low body fat- it's highly likely she's one of these cases.

You made my point for me. I never stated any particular degree by which the size of the breast would be affected, because that depends on many factors including genetics, the degree of obesity to start with, the final ending weight, etc. I simply stated the fact that they would be affected by fat loss.

The supposed misconception was whether or not breast size would be affected. It is and will be if there is any amount of significant weight loss involved. Period.

So it's not a misconception at all.

AglaeaC

What drives me nuts?

- People who get pedantic about "muscle weighs more than fat." Every moron on the planet knows that 1 lb = 1 lb, and you know full well that they're trying to communicate the idea that "a given volume of muscle weighs more an equivalent volume of fat." If you're nitpicking because they didn't use the word "density," then you are trying way too hard to find fault.

And I'm driven nuts by the people, who yell about science, proper science, citing the right places, calculating TDEE and all its components, shooting down anything and everything "alternative", but who fail totally to defend chemistry on high-school level (yeah, it isn't even taught on uni level). I'm a scientist and wouldn't dream of pushing this "yeah just call mass and density the same thing" message here, so I don't participate in the muscle/fat discussions anymore. It is as dense (pun very much intended) as to insist distance equals volume or time is the same as speed. Science is precise and in every other context that message is pushed here, but not when it comes to density. Pathetically hypocritical.

UseKnowledge

"I'm not losing weight because I'm building muscle. "

I'm losing weight and building muscle. They're noob gains ... but still. :P

cosmiqrust

"don't work out your core because you already have those muscles beneath your fat and it'll only make your stomach bigger." - a paid personal trainer at l.a. fitness who also told someone recovering from an eating disorder that they should aim to lose 10 pounds and achieve 14% body fat. Nice!

VeryKatie

I'm just curious to see what you guys have heard from people who don't know anything about fitness.

My most recent one? "Running makes your boobs smaller" *eye twitch*

As a 36 DD....I wish this were so freakin' true. Otherwise I'd be running no matter how sore I get, haha.

Lol I remember my aunt taking me for walks when I was little, walking fast pumping her arms like she was punching and saying "Power walking makes your boobs grow big!" in rhythm with her punches. And then we would both laugh hysterically for a good few minutes.

L4gym

Weight lifting makes women manly.

Thank you! The idea that we can only lift 3lbs without looking manly is just ridiculous.

MyRummyHens

I've had the "don't lift weights you'll get too bulky" one in the same breath as someone telling me how "skinny" I am. Drives me mad.

I've also been repeatedly told that I'm a terrible mother because I work out, apparently I am not spending enough time with my child because I'm "always in the gym". If "anyways in the gym" means 50-60 minutes 3 times a week whilst my son is napping, then yes, I'm a terrible mother because I'm always in the damn gym. I mean it's not like I'm here for him every single waking moment of every single day and I just chose to work out (rather than sit down) whilst he's having a sleep.

Another which drive me nuts, "fruit makes you fat" - yeah right, that's why we've got an international obesity problem, nothing to do with over consumption of calories, it's all fruits fault.

Walter__

My family and close friends are fat and struggle with their weight. They think they can lose it and keep it off by going on dumb diets; such as completely cutting out carbs, not eating meat, "cleansing", crash dieting, etc. You know.. the usual crap. Whenever I hear them talking about weight loss, they always advise others that these are the things that need to be done to lose weight. But as long as I've known them, they've always been fat and have NEVER been able to sustain weight loss with these diet methods that they advocate..yet they ALWAYS advise the same crap.

What blows my mind is that I'm the only one who's been able to lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off, yet they completely disregard any type of advise I give them; specifically when I tell them that you don't need to follow crash/fad/restrictive diets to lose weight.. just look at ME. But nope.. completely disregard what I say. Yet if some retard comes along and regurgitates the same crap that they believe in, they are in complete agreement.

They also always give me **** when I have fast food or "junk" food.

Absolutely ridiculous.

lmarshel

Running will make your uterus fall out!!! It's a classic!

LOL Def not running. But I'm pretty sure enough jumping jacks will do the trick! :laugh:

L4gym

Ohh and my new favourite...
Person: "wow! Great job on the weight loss, how are you doing it?"
Me: "watching what I eat and exercising more"
Person: "So I read this book/website/ whatever that says you're not supposed to eat carbs and fat at the same time (or whatever fad)"
Me:...

YES THIS ^ lol

L4gym

-Lifting will make women super bulky and manly
-Women shouldn't do the bench press because it'll make your boobs shrink lol
-You need to "cleanse the fats and oils" from your body to lose weight

:laugh:

This is too much. I hate women now, thanks. :P

Jim_Barteck

And I'm driven nuts by the people, who yell about science, proper science, citing the right places, calculating TDEE and all its components, shooting down anything and everything "alternative", but who fail totally to defend chemistry on high-school level (yeah, it isn't even taught on uni level). I'm a scientist and wouldn't dream of pushing this "yeah just call mass and density the same thing" message here, so I don't participate in the muscle/fat discussions anymore. It is as dense (pun very much intended) as to insist distance equals volume or time is the same as speed. Science is precise and in every other context that message is pushed here, but not when it comes to density. Pathetically hypocritical.

I suppose you're equally as pedantic about people making the equivalance between mass and weight despite the fact that they are entirely different measurements? Because you just made that equivalance by using the terms interchangeably. (Because we were talking about weight, not mass.)

See how annoyingly pedantic it is to nitpick what someone says by vainly attempting to intellectually "one up" somebody by attempting to parse every single word they say?

Yeah. I understood what you meant. But that's not what you *said*. Should I now make hundreds of posts about how people think that mass and weight are the same thing? No. Because I'm not a pedantic jerk. Just pointing out your hypocrisy.

Thank you for making my point for me.

You must be *loads* of fun at a cocktail party.

JoRocka

What drives me nuts?

- People who get pedantic about "muscle weighs more than fat." Every moron on the planet knows that 1 lb = 1 lb, and you know full well that they're trying to communicate the idea that "a given volume of muscle weighs more an equivalent volume of fat." If you're nitpicking because they didn't use the word "density," then you are trying way too hard to find fault.

Or they actual care that words mean something and if you can't be bothered to type DENSITY instead of WEIGHT it indicates either that you're lazy or have a lack of comprehensive knowledge and general ignorance and poor grasp of the entire concept. It is not THAT difficult to use the right words to properly express yourself. The statement is wrong. Things that are wrong bother me- sorry if that's pedantic to you- but it's just a false statement.

Plus you sound stupid- especially if you know better.

So- no I do not agree that it's knit picking- it's about using the correct words to properly describe a concept to someone and NO- not everyone grasps the concept that 1 pound of bowling ball is the same as 1 pound of feathers- you're assuming... quiet a bit actually.




or they could just be engineers.

The "I don't wanna get bulky" line is pretty common around the office, and people generally don't care to listen when you tell them that the majority of women with bodies they strive for also do strength training in some form.

This is just 100% completely laughable to me.

The "don't want to get bulky" expression by in large comes from people who yo-yo diet and don't work out much and cannot commit to any long term solution for their problems- but yet think that YEARS of hard work will magically happen over night.

I tend to waffle between complete and utter jaw dropping incredulity- or I just laugh at them.

And while I realize it's mostly an excuse- it still makes me laugh because it's like saying I don't want to take CPR because I'm afraid I'll become a brain surgeon- it's just SO laughable.

JoRocka

I'm just curious to see what you guys have heard from people who don't know anything about fitness.

My most recent one? "Running makes your boobs smaller" *eye twitch*

Well....

Any form of exercise that causes you to lose body fat will almost definitely have some effect on the size of your breasts since fat gets deposited there as well. If you shrink the size of your fat cells through a program of diet and exercise, you *are* going to "make your boobs smaller." That's just a fact.

So, while it may be unfair to single out running per se, it's not actually inaccurate to say that "running makes your boobs smaller" any more than saying "losing weight (generally) will make your boobs smaller" is inaccurate.

are you by chance a doctor?

because other wise you aren't qualified to speak on women's boobs out side of
"I like them"
Or
"I don't like them"

LMAO!!!! Oh man I wish I could have seen that!! The who-ha colostomy bag is a lot easier to use than just putting a bucket under you and hoping for the best.

man- I should try that- heavy squats + weight belt- you can catch your who-ha AND all the pee.... but the who-ha bag IS extremely efficient- plus you don't have to worry about someone kicking it on accident and knocking it out onto the dirty gym floor.

Omg laugh .I'm going to have to test this out lol...I have a coworker who told me her mother's-friend's-daughter's-sister's-step brother's niece had her uterus fall out from lifting weights.

seriously- try it- the front desk guy and I had this kid going for like 10 minutes- we never actually told him- but I think he finally caught on- I felt a little bad- but I'm not even kidding you- he ACTUALLY believed me- it was just... ah. HA HA HA HAHA

ahhhhhhhhhhh sigh good times.

AglaeaC

And I'm driven nuts by the people, who yell about science, proper science, citing the right places, calculating TDEE and all its components, shooting down anything and everything "alternative", but who fail totally to defend chemistry on high-school level (yeah, it isn't even taught on uni level). I'm a scientist and wouldn't dream of pushing this "yeah just call mass and density the same thing" message here, so I don't participate in the muscle/fat discussions anymore. It is as dense (pun very much intended) as to insist distance equals volume or time is the same as speed. Science is precise and in every other context that message is pushed here, but not when it comes to density. Pathetically hypocritical.

I suppose you're equally as pedantic about people making the equivalance between mass and weight despite the fact that they are entirely different measurements? Because you just made that equivalance by using the terms interchangeably. (Because we were talking about weight, not mass.)

See how annoyingly pedantic it is to nitpick what someone says by vainly attempting to intellectually "one up" somebody by attempting to parse every single word they say?

Yeah. I understood what you meant. But that's not what you *said*. Should I now make hundreds of posts about how people think that mass and weight are the same thing? No. Because I'm not a pedantic jerk. Just pointing out your hypocrisy.

Thank you for making my point for me.

You must be *loads* of fun at a cocktail party.

Your rhetoric is sad. Instead of sticking to the topic at hand, you make it personal and insult me. I'm a blast at parties and I'm also the one, who avoids your type, the one that needs to insult others to boost their ego.

dym123

"muscle weighs more than fat", spoken by someone who doesn't even lift.

Commander_Keen

Lifting heavy weights will make you huge!

On one hand they complement me on how "skinny" yet toned I've become, and they ask me how. I tell them lifting heavy has made a real difference and they say no, no it will make you huge! Duh!

XD I love that the proof they're wrong is right in front of their face and they still insist on believing the lie.

So I guess Bodybuilder's never lift, they just go fishing.. hmmm.. interesting.

ashleydawndill

Pretty much anything on Pinterest related to fitness. Right now I'm seeing a lot of "Squat Challenges" claiming that by doing 300 reps a day, you'll build the perfect booty. Frig off.

Same with the "plank for ____(whatever ridiculous amount of time) for the perfect toned tummy!" . AND the picture is always of a girl doing a plank with DREADFUL form. It hurts me to look at it.

Speaking of "toned tummies", the word "toned" really bugs me. "I don't want to gain muscle, I just want to be toned". Well, what do you think gives you that appearance? MUSCLE. UGH.

/rant.

Serah87

The idea that you can 'trick' your body. Or 'shock' it.

.....jump start it. :laugh:

JoRocka

@ Algaea

LULZ- it's SCIENCE -and I believe in this case it's really important to under stand and use the right words- I'm not sure how ignoring a sentence that is wholly mis-representing a concept can just "be let go"

I'm with you.

we'll go have our own party- where we can have pounds of bacon and cheese and very dense beer. all for ourselves!!!