True or False?

4 workout rumours you need to stop believing #asap

So, here's the problem. Getting your dream body (aka the body of the girl you stalk religiously on Instagram), ain't easy. And there are a few annoying rumours out there that women believe that are just plain wrong. So, to make sure you're getting the best results from your FT NEXT cycle, we wanna call these rumours OUT! It's time to push them to the side, and make sure you're getting the real info.

1. Weights = bulky body 

Sorry babe, this isn’t a thing. Like… at all. We all know those feels when you’re stalking a bunch of mega babes on Insta and you think to yourself… “Seriously though, why doesn't my body ever look that.” We get it, you eat clean, you try and go for a walk or a run a few times a week, but yet… nothing seems to work. Well babes, getting those muscles working and lifting some heavy weights might actually be the thing your routine is missing. Now we know what you’re thinking… “But like, I don’t want to get bulky or get super big.” #newsflash.. “getting bulky” is actually one of the hardest things that a woman can do and bodybuilders go through so much preparation and planning to look that way. So don’t worry, no it’s not by accident, and yes, they work freaking hard to look that way.

So here’s the 411, yeah girl, doing cardio is great. We’re not saying you should be cutting that out. But it’s time to try doing something a little different. Doing weights (especially a few times a week) will actually do your body so much good. Without out getting too technical, all you really need to know is that 5 pounds of muscle will look so much leaner and more toned on your body than 5 pounds of fat.

2. Sit ups = abs

Beeeeeeeep! Wrong answer. Babe, it’s time to shut this sh*t down. Doing 100 sit ups a day for however many days probably won’t get you a shredded six pack. This is because what’s over the top of your abs is body fat, which isn’t going to disappear from a few sit ups. Now don’t panic, we’ll get there. Combining your Flat Tummy Tea cleanse with some new exercises (plus a bit of healthy eating) will help you see some freaking amazing results. But you’ve just gotta stick at it. Oh, and by the way, it doesn’t have to be boring. Basically anything that gets your heart rate up, like boxing or playing a sport with your girlfriends, will help you get rid of that body fat!

3. Exercise = losing weight.

Ok, we’re gonna stop you right there. We’re sorry to potentially burst your bubble, but we’ve gotta be honest for a second. Just because you went to the gym this afternoon, doesn’t mean you can go and eat a cheeseburger with fries for dinner and everything will be all g. You’ll actually find that a lot of studies say that following a healthy diet is actually a slightly more efficient road to weight loss than exercising. But, before you say anything, obviously doing both is like the dream team. But the reality is that you can’t possibly ever burn enough calories to make up for the fact you have a totally horrible diet. So it will always be easier to be a bit more mindful of what you’re eating as it’s easier to eat a little less than burn a little more. 

We sound like a bit of a broken record here, but you know, we know it, and it’s all about balance. You need fats, protein and carbs in your diet and that’s a fact. It’s not about how much you put in, it’s about what you put in. If you think about eating the same weight in vegetables as a burger, you’re gonna get more out of the vegetables straight up. And plus, you’ll probably be able to eat twice as much. So find what works for you, but at the end of the day, if you’re eating enough of the right amounts of food, you should never really go hungry.

4. More sweat = better workout 

We call BS! While developing a little sweat moustache is generally a pretty good indication that you’re freaking killing it, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re pushing yourself to the limits. On the flip side, if you never break a sweat, it doesn’t mean that you’re not working your butt off either. Everyone is different, and let’s be real, sometimes we get a little sweaty walking in heels to the train station, yet when we get to it in the gym, it takes FOREVER for some form of perspiration to come to the surface. So forget judging your workout on how much you sweat. What you should do? Measure your workout based on intensity, not sweat. If you gave it your all and you get that feeling at the bottom of your tummy where you sorta feel sick, but you also sorta feel awesome… then you know that you smashed it.