Cardio Myths You Should Stop Believing!

Ever wonder why some people do cardio every day but still look chubby? Go to any gym and you’ll see a huge crowd running on the treadmill, climbing the stair master, or cycling for hours. Too much cardio actually does more harm than good. It can lead to muscle loss, fatigue, soreness, sluggish metabolism, and even weight gain. This explains why you’re working your tail off and still have no results. So, here are some cardio myths you should stop believing:

Cardio Is the Ultimate Solution to Weight Loss

Cardio’s popularity is largely due to its weight loss benefits. Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily true. When you start a cardio routine, you lose pounds in the first few weeks. Sooner or later, you hit a plateau and increase workout duration to burn more calories.

The more cardio you do, the more efficient your body becomes. This means you’ll burn fewer calories despite working out more. On top of that, your metabolism slows down. Strength training and HIIT, on the other hand, have the opposite effect.

Cardio Tones Your Muscles

Contrary to what you may have heard, there is no such thing as “toning your muscles.” The only way to make your muscles firmer is to lift weights. Cardio works your heart, but has little effect on muscles. It actually burns lean mass, leading to muscle loss. This is why most bodybuilders and fitness models skip their cardio sessions in the off season.

Power walking on the other hand can enhance the bodies ability to burn fat while maintain muscle mass plus has the added benefit cycling blood through the body which in turn assist with repair and all over good health.

Cardio Can Compensate for Bad Eating

Many people mistakenly believe that they can eat fries, pizza, and cookies, and then just go burn it off at the gym. This is just another myth. Most cardio exercise only burn 500-600 calories per hour. A single chocolate bar or a cheeseburger has 550-600 calories. Just think about how much cardio is needed to burn the extra calories you get from pizza, ice cream, French fries, and cake. Not even the best exercise routine can compensate for bad eating habits.