18 Fitness Myths That Need To Be Stopped Immediately

    The next person who tells you that all it takes is willpower is to be silenced.

    Sally Tamarkin
    by Sally Tamarkin

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We asked fitness experts, trainers, and instructors "What's the most harmful popular misconception about health and fitness?"

    Here's what they told us.

    1. Just find one perfect kind of exercise that works and stick with it.

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    "Getting too specialized in one type of fitness routine without variety will 9 times out of 10 lead to injury. Each exercise program should contain strength, cardio, and mobility."

    — Albert Matheny, C.S.C.S., Naked Nutrition and Soho Strength Lab

    2. A real fitness routine will require a lot of time, sacrifice, and commitment.

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    "Most people who don't work out believe that exercise takes focus and energy away from their other life goals. 'Ain't got no time for that,' they'll say.

    It's only when you come to realize that exercise ADDS focus and energy to everything else in your life that it becomes to most perfectly logical thing to do."

    —Rob Sulaver, C.S.C.S., founder of Bandana Training

    3. That if a workout doesn't crush you, it's not doing anything.

    4. That everyone should be trying to lose weight.

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    "For many people, the number on the scale shouldn't matter. It isn't what you weigh — it's ... your body composition [that] needs to change. The ratio of muscle to fat is far more important than the scale can reveal."

    —Alycea Ungaro, owner and founder Real Pilates

    5. That you can get dramatic and lasting results quickly.

    6. That extreme diets work.

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    "If someone is going to promise you you'll lose two dress sizes in a week ... they might as well say something equally as unrealistic as 'and we'll all be driving magical unicorns to work tomorrow!'

    Is it possible to shrink two dress sizes in a week? Sure. But there's no shot it will last long-term; and any protocol or modality it took to achieve that is nothing more than band-aid fix."

    —Tony Gentilcore, C.S.C.S., co-founder Cressey Sports Performance

    7. All you need is willpower and motivation to stay on track.

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    "My belief is that if you're relying on motivation and willpower you will eventually fail. They can get you off the couch maybe, but it's up to you to put into place the infrastructure for success (habits, social support, self-compassion) that will allow you to make sustainable change."

    —Jessi Kneeland, founder of ReModel Fitness

    8. Lifting weights will give you big, bulky muscles.

    9. Cardio is essential no matter what your goals are.

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    "Spending long periods of time doing ... continuous, low-intensity cardio, can actually be counterproductive.

    Alternatively, short bursts of high-intensity exercises (also known as high-intensity interval training or HIIT) have been shown to burn fat, and lots of it. Thirty minutes of HIIT is much more efficient and effective than an hour of steady state cardio. Less can be more!"

    —Annie Mulgrew, director of programming CityRow

    10. You should be able to see your results.

    11. That rest might be good for you but it doesn't contribute to #gainz.

    12. You can pretty much eat whatever you want if you work out hard enough.

    13. That you need to count calories.

    14. That getting stronger is all about how much you're lifting.

    15. That every workout should be high-intensity.

    16. That diet and nutrition is all about the numbers.

    17. You need to work those abs for a better core.

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    "There is a common misconception in the fitness world about the core, and core strength. When asked about their core, most people immediately point to their midsection. Additionally, those same people will go to do abdominal exercises relentlessly to strengthen their 'core,' but all they are doing is creating a strength imbalance around their spine, and their lower back will become highly susceptible to injury.

    The core actually exists from your neck and proceeds all the way down to include your glutes and hip flexors ... With a balanced and strengthened core ... you are much less at risk for injury when running around your daily life, and you are a lot stronger than most people."

    —Lisa Niren, head coach, Peloton

    18. You should really stop eating carbs if you want to see results.