The recipient of a bachelor's degree in nursing from Felician University, Susanne Capozzi is a staff RN at Davita Dialysis, where she oversees care for chronic hemodialysis patients and educates patients on dietary restrictions. Outside of her professional pursuits, Susanne Capozzi maintains an active lifestyle through running, hiking, and strength training.
While strength training can play a central role in improving overall health and wellbeing, it is afflicted by several myths. Here are three common strength training myths debunked:
1. Lifting on an empty stomach burns muscle - This is only true in instances of prolonged fasting. Generally, your body is going through several different biological and chemical processes each day, none of which are impacted by strength training. Protein catabolism may only become a concern when fasting longer than 24 hours.
2. Certain exercises can reduce fat around abs and thighs - Developing six-pack abs can be difficult, and unfortunately there are no gadgets or specific exercises that can help showcase your abdominal muscles. You can strengthen them with core exercises, but losing fat around that area can only be accomplished by maintaining a caloric deficit.
3. Only cardio exercise can burn fat - Cardio is certainly effective at burning fat, but strength training can also be a major contributor in that area. This is because strength-training exercises can raise metabolism, build lean muscle tissue, and help prevent injuries that might occur during cardio. Moreover, 1 pound of muscle can burn upward of 20 calories per day, whereas 1 pound of fat burns 5 calories per day at most.
While strength training can play a central role in improving overall health and wellbeing, it is afflicted by several myths. Here are three common strength training myths debunked:
1. Lifting on an empty stomach burns muscle - This is only true in instances of prolonged fasting. Generally, your body is going through several different biological and chemical processes each day, none of which are impacted by strength training. Protein catabolism may only become a concern when fasting longer than 24 hours.
2. Certain exercises can reduce fat around abs and thighs - Developing six-pack abs can be difficult, and unfortunately there are no gadgets or specific exercises that can help showcase your abdominal muscles. You can strengthen them with core exercises, but losing fat around that area can only be accomplished by maintaining a caloric deficit.
3. Only cardio exercise can burn fat - Cardio is certainly effective at burning fat, but strength training can also be a major contributor in that area. This is because strength-training exercises can raise metabolism, build lean muscle tissue, and help prevent injuries that might occur during cardio. Moreover, 1 pound of muscle can burn upward of 20 calories per day, whereas 1 pound of fat burns 5 calories per day at most.
