Fitness myth pet peeves...

Top of my list - that you need a heart rate monitor. And that they are totally accurate for calorie burns.

But the bulky thing is high up there.

I wouldn't say it's 100% accurate because I don't believe anything is but it's a lot more accurate than using the numbers on the machine or a random website. I bought my HRM for Insanity and it made me push myself harder and yes, when I did slack off or I wasn't feeling it the calorie burn was less. *shrugs* it works for me.

What is accurate about the HRM is that it will tell you how many beats per minute your heart is making. And with that information you can determine if you are working out hard enough. Over time, you are able to figure out what your HR will be at certain levels of exertion. For me, if a 30 second sprint does not put my HR over 154, I know I could have pushed harder, and will push harder during the next sprint.

As for counting calories, I like it because I know it is probably under-reporting actual calories burned. I'd rather log low than log high.

I hate the women bulking thing A LOT

BUT mostly, and it does relate to that, I hate when people say these myths to people who've been working out longer than them and who have had success....
Like, okay so you've seen me lose 30 lbs, you constantly say you'd like to have legs like mine, yet you feel the need to justify why my work out is wrong and yours is right? You don't want to do weights because you are going to bulk up... do I look bulky to you!? lol
Everyone thinks they are the expert when they begin and everyone seems to forget that different things work for different people and that everyone's goals and motivators are different as well.

If my best friend says to me one more time "no i'm not going to do pecs, I don't want to lose my boobs" or "no i am going to do an hour of cardio, not interval training because an hour will get me the results I need" I am probably going to snap lol.

No pain no gain...
This one is hard for me to explain b/c getting into shape certainly can be uncomfortable (and I'm telling you-trying to sit up right now is difficult cuz my abs huuuurt), but pushing on in spite of significant pain caused me some pretty serious issues with my legs that have taken almost a year to resolve. So it bothers me when I see people tell others to push on even though what they're experiencing significant pain.
ETA> people should be encouraged to seek PROFESSIONAL medical help for some things, and excerice routines can be modified in the meantime... injury doesnt mean throwing out baby with the bathwater

Not really a myth....but a pet peeve is definitely when those of us who are new to working out or healthy living in general get reprimanded or treated like idiots for *honestly* not being aware that some of these things are myths. (I get the whole, stop posting questions on things that have already been answered - I pretty much NEVER have to post questions because I search and they've already been answered). But I don't get why everyone thinks that all of this is SUCH common knowledge and of course they've known about all of these things since birth.

And I'm really not getting why saying "I want to tone up" is such a big deal? Please explain because I definitely would like to be toned. Call me blonde, ignorant, or just plain dumb....but these things honestly discourage me from asking ANY questions and even being around fit people who clearly know it all.

Oh and pet peeve #2: People who USED to be fat and ignorant and forget where they came from and what it felt like.

I think for many people, the peeve is not someone who doesn't know. The peeve is those who ignore reality and facts, and insist on perpetuating myths despite being given the chance to learn. If you read the responses here, there's at least one person insistent on perpetuating myths that even a little research would dispel.

That makes sense I guess. I've definitely read enough know it all posts that say completely opposite things, so I'm sure there are a slew of myths being preached out there. It's hard to filter through what's accurate and what's not. It just gets frustrating when some of these are questions I honestly have had, like how do I start running? Look, I know how to run...but I have weak knees. I've read "just go for it" "just walk faster" but also have read "dont overdo it", "you need to have proper form", "you need proper shoes so you don't get shin splints and die"...so I decided to "just go for it" and then started having knee pains. But if I ask questions I'm an idiot who doesn't know how to run? And then I've been wanting to try the rowing machine, but read an article the other day about "those amateurs who don't know how to row properly". I guess what I'm just trying to say is hey at least we're trying, right? :blushing:

When you see people in a thread seeming to get torn into over these myths you have to consider that they're almost never newbies who are just asking a question. 9 times out of 10 they're either

a.) new but presenting themselves as an expert who is going to come in and school us all (this doesn't go over well in any forum I've ever been in). The example that comes to mind is the person whose first post is a long list of foods never to eat because the cause immediate fat storage.

or

b.) not new, should know better, but continue to perpetuate incorrect information. Often these members have been involved in debates before and have already been presented with evidence that refutes their claim. Another thing that sometimes happens is that a newbie asks a question and a debate breaks out between a couple of regulars who have already been debating that topic. I've seen those get pretty ugly, but it's not that anyone is being rude to the newbie, they're just having an argument on the newbie's thread.

Your question sounds totally reasonable. If you decide to post about it, I'd just say "I've heard this, but I've also heard this other thing that seems to contradict it." I'll bet you'll get good responses.

"Muscle weighs more than fat."

Anytime I read/hear this, it is like nails on a chalkboard. A pound of dirt weighs as much as a pound of feathers. Muscle is more DENSE than fat, so you can have more of it, but the two weigh EXACTLY the same.

Myth: Muscle is more dense than fat.

Truth: One cubic inch of muscle weights more than one cubic inch of fat weighed at the same time, on the same scale at the same point in space, at the same pressure and at the same temperature.

Physics wins again!

Don't make me bring in the concept of entropy!

I know it's not technically fitness, but someone mentioned bacon so it's probably okay to say this...

Not eating the whole damn egg. Yes, I'm sure the egg whites are less calories but there are a lot of vitamins in the yolk and unless you have specific medical dietary restrictions you're not going to increase your cholesterol or have a heart attack... it'll be okay.

And while I'm on the subject of "unless you have a specific medical dietary restriction"... low carb, gluten free, etc., etc., etc. Why don't you just... I don't know... eat like a normal person? Sure, don't eat only carbs and don't overload yourself with gluten rich deliciousness but don't delude yourself or others by pretending that you're "super special" and you have to have a super special diet if you don't...

OMG I'm never going to make my 1000 calorie limit today... I can't possibly eat that much!

This one pisses me off no end. I am almost to my 1200 limit and it's only after lunch time.
Gonna have to go out and run laps just so I can eat some supper, lol

LMFAO! That really tickled me.

Lifting and cardio are two different things.

Lifting is a great cardiovascular exercise!

OMG I'm never going to make my 1000 calorie limit today... I can't possibly eat that much!

I hate this one too. Obviously, anyone who's on this site knows how to eat more than 1000 calories a day, otherwise we wouldn't be here!

the yolk thing is not really a myth IMO.
when I am lifting heavy but am also a runner, I have to try to keep my macros in check and the yolk is simply a waste of calories with very little value to me. (L) protein = egg whites.

Egg yolks are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and contain a lot of nutrients that the whites don't have. If you get those elsewhere, then don't bother with the yolk. It's up to you. But there is a lot of good in yolks that gets overlooked and those poor yolks get a bad rap.