You’ll “Get Abs” If You Do Tons of Crunches, & Other Fitness Myths You Need To Stop Buying Into

By Rasha Ali for USA Today

Even though we know fad diets and fitness trends come and go, it's easy to get swept up in the idea that they could be true, especially when there are so many crazes hitting you from every which way.  One day protein shakes are the answer to everything. The next, there's a blogger telling us a mere 10 squats a day will give us better butts.

Rather than rely on wishful thinking, we asked dietitians and trainers to weigh in on five common fitness beliefs. Spoiler alert: they're mostly myths.

1). You need protein shakes to build muscle. Protein shakes are touted as a be-all-end-all solution. They're advertised as meal replacements and as a way to grow and maintain lean muscle. Turns out, you don't actually need to take protein supplements if you're getting adequate protein from food. Kelli McGrane, registered dietitian for Lose It, says although protein shakes can be convenient, you have to be cautious about which ones you pick because they could have added sugars and can cause bloating.

"There are many excellent high-protein foods that can help you build muscle, such as plain Greek yogurt, chicken, lean beef, fish, eggs and tofu," McGrane says. "Plus, in addition to providing protein, these foods also supply additional vitamins and minerals that are important for metabolism and cell growth."

2). Ab-based workouts will “give you abs”.  If you're after that chiseled stomach, doing 100 crunches a day won't help you get there any faster. "Abs are made through nutrition," Austin Dotson, personal trainer, says. "You can do billions of abs exercises, but if you do not consume the proper diet, Jesus will come back before your abs do."

You have to lose body fat to see your abs. To do that, you have to mix proper nutrition with both weight training  and cardio exercises (like running on a treadmill, jump rope or high-intensity interval training). In short, you can't crunch your way to abs.

3). Doing cardio is the only way to lose weight. Yes, cardio can help you shed some pounds, but it's not the only way to do so. In fact, you don't have to do any cardio at all if you only want to lose weight. It all comes down to the calories you're consuming, says James Smith, personal trainer and owner of James Smith Academy.

"Put it this way, Ross Edgley swam around the U.K. for five months, he swam 12 hours a day and came back 5 kilograms heavier. Alternatively, a housewife could manage her intake of calories and lose 5 kilograms in five months without going to the gym or doing any cardio."

Although cardio can be effective in helping burn calories, make sure you're not doing too much of it, Dotson added. "We need muscle to burn fat, so too much cardio is the fastest way to plateau and actually retain more fat," he says. "You need to add some type of strength/resistance training in your regimen  and switch up your methods of cardio."

4). Squats are the best butt-building exercise. Yes, squats can help you grow your gluteus muscles, but there are other exercises that are better suited for targeting that area. Celebrity trainer, Eric Fleishman says exercises like walking lunges and fire hydrants can transform your glutes faster than squats. They're less dangerous too. To add some volume to your backside, make sure you're focusing on all parts of the butt, Dotson says.

"You have to focus on all areas of the glutes: Maximus, medius, minimus, so squats alone won’t do the trick, you need to add in hip abduction, and abductors as well as glute bridges, lunges and deadlifts," he says. You also have to eat enough to sculpt your butt, Dotson says. Make sure you're getting enough protein and other nutrients for those muscle gains.

5). Your fat can turn into muscle. Fat and muscle are two entirely different types of tissue and you can't magically transform one into the other. However, lifting weights can help you build muscle and lose fat at the same time.  "Lifting weights can promote muscle growth, which in turn can increase your metabolism," McGrane says. "This metabolism boost, in addition to a healthy, calorie-balanced diet and general increase in physical activity, can help you burn more fat." 

You can do this by adding resistance training (along with any cardio) into your gym routine. Make sure to strike a balance, as too much cardio can end up burning up your lean muscle, Dotson says.