If you don’t hurt, it’s not working

It’s common for muscles to feel sore after a workout (called DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness), but there’s a common misconception that if you don’t feel DOMS after a workout, then you didn’t workout hard enough. Firstly, everyone is different, so a good workout that causes DOMS in one person may not cause it in another. Chasing muscle soreness (essentially inflammation from the repair of microscopic tears in the muscle) can lead to injury. So whilst DOMS is a common side-effect of a hard workout (especially one that is new to your body), it’s not necessary to feel sore afterwards to know that it’s working!

Heavier weight = better workout

Strength training in any workout that provides resistance to your muscles. This is great for bone density and muscle growth, but the workouts don’t need to be in the form of heavy weights or resistance machines – smaller weights, kettlebells and medicine balls can be used with similar effect. Not got any weights? Gravity, resistance bands and your own body weight are great alternatives! Read why everyone should lift weights.

You can get abs by working your core

This is a bit of a loaded one, because what exactly do we mean by ‘get abs’? We all have core muscles, even when you can’t see them. Most people who want to ‘get abs’ mean ‘see ab definition’, which is a different ball-game. The common misconception is that if someone works out their abs a lot, they will develop a defined stomach area. Since ‘spot fat reduction’ is not a thing (i.e. you can’t lose fat specifically on one part of your body but not the rest), just training your abs won’t ‘give you abs’. The better option is to pair full-body functional training (which uses your core a lot) with a healthy diet. The result? A stronger core and lower overall body fat percentage, which could lead to a defined core (please also bear in mind that due to variation in genetics, some people will find it really difficult to achieve definition).

Every workout should leave you a sweaty mess

I absolutely love sweaty workouts. The more out of breath, the better, which is why I sometimes struggle with slower, more functional workouts. However, different workouts have different sweat-factors, i.e. lifting weights might not leave you as sweaty as a boxing session, but that doesn’t mean it was any less valuable to you. In fact, it is important to mix up your training – doing workouts that leave you 100% exhausted and a sweaty mess every time is a great way to lead to burnout and injury. Mix it up and don’t think of sweatiness as a marker of a good workout!

More workouts = better results

Obviously consistency is great when it comes to working out, and getting moving regularly is an important part of keeping healthy. However there is such thing as working out too much, and so more is not necessarily better. Recovery is at least as important as your training, and well-placed recovery days can help your muscles repair better, leading to greater improvements in your fitness/muscle strength.

Image by @alittlepickmeup