The DEBUNKING thread.........myths that need to be trashed

veggiepug

saying running a mile and walking a mile burns the same number of calories is a very old school way of thinking an has been proven incorrect time and time again....

This.

bellinachuchina

Love #1

When people justify not losing with "gaining muscle" :laugh:

Alyx128

wait did I read that right....you saying you burn as many calories walking the same distance as a run or did I confuse myself?

If the distance it the goal, let's say 1 mile, whether you run it or walk it the calories burned is the SAME.

What about net calories? I have read that, while its basically true that you will burn the same number of total calories regardless of whether you run or walk 1 mile, you will burn more net calories during the higher intensity workout. Aren't net calories more relevant to weight loss that total calories.

paradog

Here is my problem with the post. You say that there are many giving advice that are based on myths. Please don't take this as personal but your statement that you have been a personal trainer and are certified means nothing on a forum. It is no different than the claim you started your thread with. So, why not provided some type of proof of your statements (some of which I agree with) from an outside source?

Sorry but there are many Americans that are obese. The point is that we need to do something...move.

SuperHeroRipped

where do i start

1. "YOU'RE BUILDING AND GAINING MUSCLE, THAT'S WHY THE SCALE IS MOVING"

YES you can build muscle on a caloric deficit(4). (btw 2out of 5 Americans are obese) saying that is rare doesn't mean it can be done. It depends more on your body type. Endo vs Ecto vs Meso each will gain muscle at a different rate and loss fat at a different rate. Meso would build muscle as long as they took in enough protein and stayed over the starvation point, were an ecto couldn't build muscle with out going heavy on calories, an Endo would fall in the category you based your topic on.

2. "YOU ARE BUILDING LONG LEAN MUSCLES"

no you can't change the length of your muscle all you can do is control the size of it . (see below)

3. "I DON'T LIFT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET BULKY"

Alright ... here we go Look the "Bulk" of your muscle is controlled (in part) by the amount of testosterone(1)you have , most women lack enough to look like a body builder and never have to worry about it. Also (in part) by hypertrophy training(2) which will allow you to grow bigger muscles where endurance training will allow you to get stronger with out the bulk.

4. "YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT UNLESS YOU EXERCISE WITH AN ELEVATED HEART RATE"-

You are right on this one , you can lose weight watching TV and not moving all you have to do is not eat anything.
Does that make it effective? no
does that even make it a good idea? no
If you are going to commit to a weight loss program you have to understand it won't be comfortable if it is you are doing it wrong.
They use to talk about fat burning zone, your HR hits that point you are burning primarily fat, if you amp it up you burn more fat but you will also burn muscle. Its like this you burn more calories doing HIIT every other day opposite steady rate cardio every other day then you will doing steady cardio every day(3). You compare a 2 mile walk to a mile run. a mile run will not only burn more calories but will also increase your Resting Metabolic Rate... meaning you burn more during you exercise and will continue to burn more throughout your day.

Sources:
(1)http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/283/1/E154.short
(2)http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/endurance_and_hypertrophy_paradox
(3)http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/justin6.htm
(4) http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/29/from-geek-to-freak-how-i-gained-34-lbs-of-muscle-in-4-weeks/

zornig

Edited: plus, when you're cycling faster you're trying harder.
I think this goes off of the general assumption that the ratio to speed and effort is equal in both instances.

This is exactly my point: intensity is one of the variables in the equation, which the OP is suggesting should be left out entirely.

chevy88grl

I see what you're saying about 2 miles walked vs 1 mile running... but in my experience I've found that I burn MORE calories when I run 1 mile than if I walk 2 miles.

I understand the theory behind it - but, in my experience running 1 mile is gonna burn a whole lot more calories than simply walking for 2 miles.

You don't. You may FEEL that way, and it's not a theory. It's basic physics. If I ran as fast as I could I might last a couple of hundred yards and felt my lungs burning, my heart rate high and fall to the ground to catch my breath. If I walked 400 yards, I wouldn't be breathing hard, my lungs wouldn't be burning, and I could probably walk even further. I would have burned more calories WALKING than running even though the running FELT HARDER.

Um. No I don't FEEL that way. I can read calories burned and it clearly shows if I go 1 mile running and 2 miles walking - I don't burn the same amount of calories. Not at all. I can run 1 mile and burn almost 200. If I walk 2 miles, I MIGHT burn 125. BIG difference.

ninerbuff

If the distance it the goal, let's say 1 mile, whether you run it or walk it the calories burned is the SAME.

This definitely doesn't hold true for cycling: 10 miles at 15 mph burns less calories than cycling 10 miles at 18 mph. There is empirical proof of this in a number of places, not to mention my own experience with my heart rate monitor and numerous exercise calculators. Therefore, I don't see how it could hold true for walking or running.

This is obvious because of wind drag. Faster you go on a bike, the more resistance of air against the body. A few rare people run at 15-18mph. Since there isn't enough drag against the body running or walking, there isn't significant difference.

ninerbuff

Speed does play a factor in how many calories are burned. Think of a car. If moving the same amount of weight the same distance at any speed resulted in the same energy expended then you wouldn't get better gas mileage at different speeds. 60 or 120 mph and you'd burn exactly the same amount of gas in 100 miles? no, no you won't.

*ET erase my missing 6 min mile for 6 mph

Really? So why do cars get better mileage on the freeway than in the city? You obviously are going much slower in the city. Going faster creates greater forces of resistance against the moving object.

momcindy

So can several shorter walks be just as beneficial when it comes to overall health as one longer walk? Say, three 10-minute walks throughout the day vs. one 30-minute walk, or six 10-minute walks vs. an hour walk?

ninerbuff

wait did I read that right....you saying you burn as many calories walking the same distance as a run or did I confuse myself?

If the distance it the goal, let's say 1 mile, whether you run it or walk it the calories burned is the SAME.

Is that based on the average that you burn about 100 calories a mile? I dont see where it make sense? I would think it would have to do with each individuals own body. I person who is heavier I could see them burning more calories or the same on a 1 mile walk vs a 1 mile run, they have more body and fat to move around. A person who is lighter I dont see them burning the same. The more fit you are any ways, the less you burn working out high intensity any way. I can run with my friend 3 miles and she is a very fit trainer and burns 200 calories vs my 400 burn so how does that factor into all this??

You can't compare yourself to someone else. There has to be a constant to make a comparison.

junipuni

where do i start

1. "YOU'RE BUILDING AND GAINING MUSCLE, THAT'S WHY THE SCALE IS MOVING"

YES you can build muscle on a caloric deficit(4). (btw 2out of 5 Americans are obese) saying that is rare doesn't mean it can be done. It depends more on your body type. Endo vs Ecto vs Meso each will gain muscle at a different rate and loss fat at a different rate. Meso would build muscle as long as they took in enough protein and stayed over the starvation point, were an ecto couldn't build muscle with out going heavy on calories, an Endo would fall in the category you based your topic on.

2. "YOU ARE BUILDING LONG LEAN MUSCLES"

no you can't change the length of your muscle all you can do is control the size of it . (see below)

3. "I DON'T LIFT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET BULKY"

Alright ... here we go Look the "Bulk" of your muscle is controlled (in part) by the amount of testosterone(1)you have , most women lack enough to look like a body builder and never have to worry about it. Also (in part) by hypertrophy training(2) which will allow you to grow bigger muscles where endurance training will allow you to get stronger with out the bulk.

4. "YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT UNLESS YOU EXERCISE WITH AN ELEVATED HEART RATE"-

You are right on this one , you can lose weight watching TV and not moving all you have to do is not eat anything.
Does that make it effective? no
does that even make it a good idea? no
If you are going to commit to a weight loss program you have to understand it won't be comfortable if it is you are doing it wrong.
They use to talk about fat burning zone, your HR hits that point you are burning primarily fat, if you amp it up you burn more fat but you will also burn muscle. Its like this you burn more calories doing HIIT every other day opposite steady rate cardio every other day then you will doing steady cardio every day(3). You compare a 2 mile walk to a mile run. a mile run will not only burn more calories but will also increase your Resting Metabolic Rate... meaning you burn more during you exercise and will continue to burn more throughout your day.

Sources:
(1)http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/283/1/E154.short
(2)http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/endurance_and_hypertrophy_paradox
(3)http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/justin6.htm
(4) http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/04/29/from-geek-to-freak-how-i-gained-34-lbs-of-muscle-in-4-weeks/

I think you missed the point. All those statements were MYTHS (in his opinion). He wasn't agreeing with them, he was saying they were untrue, which is (for the most part) what you are saying as well.

JNick77

1. Low carb & High Fat diets are bad: Research shows that people practicing this diet lifestyle have lower cholesterol and healthier blood sugar than those on higher carb lifestyles. One doctor in particular observed in a study that trygliceride levels became more elevated when consuming more carbs.

Julijulz

Thank you for this thread!!!! This is exactly what I needed to hear today. I just recently starting lifting weights and am currently holding the water weight as a result. My question to you is, should I keep my heart rate lower when doing cardio to allow my muscles to build? I've heard that if you do cardio too intense when trying to build muscle, you can halt your progress?

soniaa777

thanks for posting. number 4. and number 3 for a lot of people, esp women. i read an article about women lifting weights- u wont bulk up like a man cuz we have different hormones- this was important to read because i am a tall women and being overweight, i already feel huge and was scared to lift weights. thought id get bigger.

soniaa777

thanks 4 posting this as well.

JNick77

Thank you for this thread!!!! This is exactly what I needed to hear today. I just recently starting lifting weights and am currently holding the water weight as a result. My question to you is, should I keep my heart rate lower when doing cardio to allow my muscles to build? I've heard that if you do cardio too intense when trying to build muscle, you can halt your progress?

I dont get why you think you're retaining water as a result of weight lifting.

cee134

The reason running is better is your lifting your whole body off the ground, which means you work more muscles. And and elevated heart rate is better not because of calories burned, but because it helps work the heart and clear build up in the veins.

ninerbuff

I see what you're saying about 2 miles walked vs 1 mile running... but in my experience I've found that I burn MORE calories when I run 1 mile than if I walk 2 miles.

I understand the theory behind it - but, in my experience running 1 mile is gonna burn a whole lot more calories than simply walking for 2 miles.

You don't. You may FEEL that way, and it's not a theory. It's basic physics. If I ran as fast as I could I might last a couple of hundred yards and felt my lungs burning, my heart rate high and fall to the ground to catch my breath. If I walked 400 yards, I wouldn't be breathing hard, my lungs wouldn't be burning, and I could probably walk even further. I would have burned more calories WALKING than running even though the running FELT HARDER.

Um. No I don't FEEL that way. I can read calories burned and it clearly shows if I go 1 mile running and 2 miles walking - I don't burn the same amount of calories. Not at all. I can run 1 mile and burn almost 200. If I walk 2 miles, I MIGHT burn 125. BIG difference.

You're basing it on what the heart rate monitor reads which can be manipulated. Watch a scary movie and your heart rate will go up. If it read higher during 5 minutes of being scared, would you have burned more calories vs walking 5 minutes at a low heart rate?

ninerbuff

So can several shorter walks be just as beneficial when it comes to overall health as one longer walk? Say, three 10-minute walks throughout the day vs. one 30-minute walk, or six 10-minute walks vs. an hour walk?

Just even adding a 5 to 15 minute walk for people who have been sedentary for a good period of time improves their physical health.
And yes, several short walks a day add up.

ninerbuff

1. Low carb & High Fat diets are bad: Research shows that people practicing this diet lifestyle have lower cholesterol and healthier blood sugar than those on higher carb lifestyles. One doctor in particular observed in a study that trygliceride levels became more elevated when consuming more carbs.

Several studies have proven this. Where some people get confused is between ketosis and ketoacidosis.

ninerbuff

Thank you for this thread!!!! This is exactly what I needed to hear today. I just recently starting lifting weights and am currently holding the water weight as a result. My question to you is, should I keep my heart rate lower when doing cardio to allow my muscles to build? I've heard that if you do cardio too intense when trying to build muscle, you can halt your progress?

When you do HIGH INTENSITY CARDIO, it's actually anaerobic, rather than aerobic. Weight lifting is anaerobic. So essentially you're doing anaerobic training twice if you do it back to back.
But individuals differ so it's hard to say if this is totally true.

momcindy

So can several shorter walks be just as beneficial when it comes to overall health as one longer walk? Say, three 10-minute walks throughout the day vs. one 30-minute walk, or six 10-minute walks vs. an hour walk?

Just even adding a 5 to 15 minute walk for people who have been sedentary for a good period of time improves their physical health.
And yes, several short walks a day add up.

Thank you for responding to this. I have to believe that doing something, even for a short period of time, is better than nothing at all. If my only choice is 45 minutes of nonstop exercise or nothing, I'll do nothing. But if I can start out with several shorter workouts, then that's doable for me and more than I was doing. It's not that I'm looking for an easy way out, it's the reality of my physical ability right now being this overweight where just walking across the room hurts some days.

ninerbuff

Thank you for responding to this. I have to believe that doing something, even for a short period of time, is better than nothing at all. If my only choice is 45 minutes of nonstop exercise or nothing, I'll do nothing. But if I can start out with several shorter workouts, then that's doable for me and more than I was doing. It's not that I'm looking for an easy way out, it's the reality of my physical ability right now being this overweight where just walking across the room hurts some days.

I feel to many people try to voice the benefits of eating right, exercise and rest. Practically every body KNOWS the benefits, yet why do we have a weight issue?
I concentrate more on the "how" can we add exercise or activity to the existing routine, rather than saying "you have to" add exercise. People respond more on the "how to" and not the benefits.

portexploit

There are a bunch of "THEORIES" that's all. I wanted to see about the calories burned if running 1 mile or walking 1 mile makes a difference in caloric burn (excluding POC(post oxygen consumption) Here are the results. BTW I disagree with not being able to reduce bodyfat and build muscle at the same time. I know what you're saying, but if someone has a lot of bodyfat and starts lifting, eating the same amount of calories. They will start to build new muscle, which inturn will burn the fat.

here are the results
mass = 60kg
distance = 1609 meters
240seconds(4minutes)

velocity = distance/time
6.7 = 1609/240

joules = .5(mass * velocity^2)
1347 = .5(60 * 6.7^2)

calories = joules / 4.18
322 = 1347 / 4.18

---

4 minute mile at 60kg for 1 mile = 322 calories burned.

---

mass = 60kg
distance = 1609 meters
480seconds(8minutes)

velocity = distance/time
3.35 = 1609/480

joules = .5(mass * velocity^2)
337 = .5(60 * 3.35^2)

calories = joules / 4.18
80 = 337 / 4.18

---

8 minute mile at 60kg for 1 mile = 80 calories burned.

---

JNick77

@portexploit: I believe what the OP was saying was a response to women's fear of gaining mass by weight lifting. Obviously if your strength training even at a calorie deficit you're going to get stronger and for your muscles to get stronger they have to grow, however; this isnt the same as mass gains and large bodybuolder type mass gains wont happen in a calorir.deficit.

oyvonnee

GREAT information - thanks for sharing! It is particularly encouraging for me as I can't (for now :-) do some of the same exercise routines as other (both in length of time and difficulty) but I do what I can and keep pushing for just a little more.

Thanks again! Yvonne :flowerforyou:

portexploit

@portexploit: I believe what the OP was saying was a response to women's fear of gaining mass by weight lifting. Obviously if your strength training even at a calorie deficit you're going to get stronger and for your muscles to get stronger they have to grow, however; this isnt the same as mass gains and large bodybuolder type mass gains wont happen in a calorir.deficit.

Yeah it won't happen with an advanced lifter.

LorinaLynn

Walking and running are not the same activities and shouldn't be compared. When walking, only one foot leaves the ground at a time. In running, both feet are off the ground. It's more of a jumping action and burns more calories. Now, running slowly vs running quickly probably burns about the same calories per distance, as does strolling vs brisk walking. If I were to hop like I was on an invisible pogo stick for one mile, I'm sure I'd burn a crap-ton more calories over the same distance as running OR walking.

James_1954

Walking and running are not the same activities and shouldn't be compared. When walking, only one foot leaves the ground at a time. In running, both feet are off the ground. It's more of a jumping action and burns more calories. Now, running slowly vs running quickly probably burns about the same calories per distance, as does strolling vs brisk walking. If I were to hop like I was on an invisible pogo stick for one mile, I'm sure I'd burn a crap-ton more calories over the same distance as running OR walking.

This has been an interesting thread for me, as a physics instructor, to read. LorinaLynn gets it. A quick thought experiment will demonstrate that the physical work done is not simply a function of the distance traveled: imagine running in place for an hour. You didn't go anywhere, so you didn't burn any calories, right? (Not right.)

By the way, for the person who multiplied their weight by the distance they traveled, please understand that you have correctly calculated the work required ... assuming the distance was vertical. Most of us run horizontally.

An exercise for any physics students out there: Jane Doe starts from rest, accelerates to 3.0 m/s in 10 m, runs at that speed for an additional 5000 m, then decelerates to rest over a final 10 m. What is the net work done on Jane Doe?

That's right ... zero.