Can’t Lose Weight Despite Exercising? 10 Workout Myths to Avoid

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Do you often feel like you’ve been exercising but still can’t shed those pounds? When it comes to "what’s the most effective workout for gaining muscle and losing fat," there are many seemingly logical yet incorrect workout myths that you need to be aware of.

Let’s talk about 10 workout myths! Looking back to my days working in the ER, I was skinny and frail, almost like a walking stick. Whenever I went to the gym, I always felt awkward and anxious because I wasn’t familiar with the equipment.

At that time, someone kindly suggested, "You need to bulk up first, then work out to turn that fat into muscle." Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t fall for this incorrect "Bro science," but many people still believe these hearsay tips. So here are some workout myths to clear up the confusion.

1. Bulk up before working out?

In reality, those with lower body fat build muscle faster. Fat is fat, and muscle is muscle—they are entirely different tissues. People with low body fat tend to be more insulin-sensitive, which helps them build muscle faster. However, bulking up can lead to insulin resistance, meaning you’re more likely to gain fat rather than muscle.

For those with higher body fat, it's more effective to focus on fat loss through diet first, then build muscle.

2. Running is the best way to build muscle and lose fat?

While cardio is great for health and heart fitness, if you look at track athletes, they tend to have leaner body types. That’s because running increases muscle endurance but doesn’t trigger muscle hypertrophy. Since their training burns a lot of calories, once they stop training and eat the same amount, they may gain fat. If you want a strong physique, running alone won’t cut it.

Night running is even riskier! If you end up grabbing a bag of fried chicken after a run, it's worse than staying home.

3. Swimming is the best way to sculpt your body?

Swimming is healthy, but research shows that being immersed in relatively cold water for extended periods can increase appetite. Many people feel extremely hungry after swimming, right? If you aim to lose weight through swimming, you’ll need to carefully monitor your calorie intake.

4. Strength training alone can build muscle and lose fat?

If I had to choose one type of exercise, I’d choose strength training. However, the body’s muscle fibers are divided into endurance-based red muscle fibers (Type I) and explosive power-based white muscle fibers (Type IIb). Red muscle fibers are great at burning fat, while strength training stimulates white muscle fiber hypertrophy. This allows muscles to store more glycogen, meaning the carbs you eat will be stored in the muscles rather than turning into fat. So both strength and cardio training are essential.

5. Finish your workout with a few push-ups after running?

The key is to do strength training before cardio! A few push-ups won’t be enough; your entire body’s muscles need systematic training. Plus, if you do cardio first, you’ll be too exhausted for effective strength training. Doing strength training first ensures your cardio will more efficiently burn fat.

6. You need to do sit-ups to get abs?

Abs are largely determined by diet, but you can still train them to become more defined. Without proper training, you'd need to be extremely lean for them to show. Sit-ups aren’t the best way to get six-pack abs, and if you pull on your head while doing them, you could hurt your spine. Ab rollers mostly work your upper back, chest, and core, but beginners may get injured. In comparison, exercises like crunches or leg raises are more effective and safer for abs, especially for beginners.

7. Will muscles turn into fat if you stop training?

Similar to the previous point, muscles won’t turn into fat if you stop working out. However, muscles can gradually weaken, and if you’re on a calorie-restricted diet, you might burn muscle. When you regain weight, it could be fat, which gives the false impression that muscles turn into fat.

8. Running faster burns more fat?

The amount of fat burned is similar whether you run fast or slow, but running fast burns more calories overall.

When we run, our body burns energy to fuel our movement. This energy mainly comes from two sources: fat and glycogen (which acts as the body’s "quick energy"). The ratio of these two fuel sources depends on your heart rate. When you run slowly, your heart rate is lower, and your body burns more fat for energy. When you run faster, your heart rate increases, and your body burns more glycogen.

So, which burns more fat—running fast or slow? The actual fat burned is almost the same.

Imagine you run slowly, with your heart beating 100 times per minute, and about half of your energy comes from fat and the other half from glycogen. If you burn 50 calories in 5 minutes, about 25 calories come from fat.

But if you run faster, with your heart beating at 140 beats per minute, your body might use only 30% of its energy from fat and 70% from glycogen. So, if you burn 100 calories in 5 minutes, about 30 calories come from fat.

While running faster burns more overall calories, the difference in fat burned is minimal.

It’s important to note that if you’re on a low-carb diet and haven’t eaten carbs before your workout, your body may break down muscle for fuel, meaning you could lose muscle mass as you exercise. After a big meal, I recommend running fast to burn off extra calories.

9. Will running make your legs too bulky?

Legs may temporarily swell due to blood circulation after running, but they won’t bulk up long-term. It’s just a temporary effect that will subside after a few days.

10. No confidence to go to the gym?

Whether you’re skinny or heavy, if you’ve ever avoided the gym because you lacked confidence or didn’t know how to use the equipment, there's no need to worry. Besides your first trainer, no one remembers how bad you were back then—they’ll only notice how great you look now!

Wishing everyone success in gaining muscle and losing fat!