Enhance Magazine | Page 15

ON COMMON MYTHS by Keith Glines
fit tips

EVERYBODY

with Keith Glines

ON COMMON MYTHS by Keith Glines
Greetings , and welcome to Every Body ! This is my opportunity to share some of the information I ’ ve gathered over my twenty-year career in the fitness industry . I ’ ve studied and worked in areas from cardiac rehab and strength and conditioning to weightloss and improving muscle function . I ’ ve been exposed to many theories , approaches , techniques , and thought processes . Some of them are great and I still use them as tools in my toolbox . Some of them aren ’ t so great , which is why I want to share some of the information I ’ ve gathered so that you might be able to make some wise decisions regarding your fitness , muscular system , and health !
I ' m going to tackle some common myths and misconceptions in this article . This might ruffle some feathers and make you shake your head , but hopefully because this is different than what you thought or what you ' ve been told . Any irritation you have should be pointed in the direction of those who ' ve misled , misinformed , and misguided you on your journey to improved health . With that said ( don ' t shoot the messenger ), let ' s see how different my viewpoint is from yours !
MYTH # 1 : EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOU
This is a myth . . . sort of . It ’ s kind of weird to start with this one , right ? Seriously ?! Why would I say that ' s a myth ?! This is in a magazine at a health club , after all ! I ' m sure I ' ve lost a few people already , but bear with me . Exercise can be good for you , but it also can be bad for you . Most people don ' t think of it that way , but if you adopt the " if some is good , more is better " mentality , it ' s going to catch up with you . There is a famous quote by Paracelsus , the father of toxicology , who says " the dose determines the poison .” What might be an appropriate amount of exercise for one person might be a very destructive amount for another . Running 26 miles would be a bad idea for my feet , calves , knees , thighs , etc , but for those who have trained and prepared their body to run a marathon ( by gradually increasing their dose of exercise ) their bodies would be better equipped to handle it .
Even though exercise has a multitude of benefits , we all have to work within the confines of our capabilities .
So , even though exercise has a multitude of benefits , we all have to work within the confines of our capabilities ( how we ' ve prepared ourselves ), or we ' ll get hurt . When we have an injury ( overdose ), our health status has decreased . This isn ' t good ! Avoiding injury by maintaining an appropriate intensity level when exercising ; appropriate exercise selection ; and getting an appropriate amount of rest ( rest is an important part of any exercise program , as it is your chance to recover from the exercise you ' ve done ) is how we improve our status of health . So , some exercise is good , but too much can lead to injury , and injuries aren ' t healthy .
MYTH # 2 : LIFTING WEIGHTS IS GOING TO MAKE ME BIG AND BULKY
This one is a particular concern trainers hear from mostly women . The truth is that women don ' t naturally produce enough testosterone to increase their muscle mass enough to appear big and bulky . Getting big and bulky doesn ’ t happen without the proper genetics , a large volume of exercise that far exceeds what most people are willing to do , and very careful dieting and precision with the amount of protein / fat / carb intake . This can be a science in and of itself , so without putting in a ton of effort , you ' re not going to get big and bulky .
enhance magazine | MARCH 2017 15