Friday, December 11, 2015

Ten Blatant Workout Myths Debunked, by Yuri Elkhaim


I did not start my afternoon searching for exercise tips yesterday but a video on Cracked.com just happened to lead to Yuri Elkhaim addressing exercise as mentioned in the blog post title. What a fortunate find (though creepy Internet cookies are probably at the root cause)! Anyway, if you are interested and have fifteen minutes, I recommend watching. You can click on the link below:

Yuri Elkhaim Presents Ten Blatant Workout Myths Debunked

Meanwhile, I’d like to mention some of the points. Some were no surprise, as I was fortunate as a young person to join a health club under my father’s membership. So I knew that resistance training does not automatically lead to bulk. Actually, it’s quite difficult to achieve a huge physique even for men. So ladies need not worry about turning into The Incredible Hulk. You’ll just become stronger and healthier, though please things slow to avoid injury.

Now a high protein, low carbohydrate snack shortly before resistance training seemed logical to me. That turns out to be a wise choice. It’s fuel for your body. But Mr. Elkhaim doesn’t insist you avoid carbs, either, so I’ve been correct in balancing the rest of my meals accordingly. Pure protein post workout does not seem to add any additional benefit, by the way.

Regarding the stability ball, these do not necessarily provide the benefits that have been touted. I’m glad. Frankly, the things make me fearful. The risk of a falling and potentially causing serious injury has not seemed worth the benefits of “strengthening my core”. I’ve achieved better strength and posture just by using progressively heavier weights. Those who use them are no fools, but they do need to think about their goals. Slouching negates the benefits, too, by the way.

A fact I learned recently is that sitting for eight to ten hours a day is not healthy. On that note, I'm going to take over one of my cats' "trees" as a standing desk. ~grin~ Really. Check it out:


As for sit-ups, they are not going to automatically give a person that washboard flat belly shown on television. You must get rid of fat. Even I knew that. And weight training is going to provide a longer caloric burn rate than aerobics. This leads to the best tip of all.

Yuri Elkhaim recommends combining aerobics with strength training. Yes, you read that right! The key is how you exercise. Instead of taking the recommended breaks between lift sets, rotate between machines without pause. What does this do? It increases your heart rate for an extended period just like jogging, cycling, or what have you.

I plan on trying that tomorrow. Wish me luck. I definitely plan to take that idea slow. The phrase “No pain, no gain,” as Mr. Elkhaim points out, is not wise either. We want to avoid damage and keep the momentum going.

Good health to you, dear reader! Do you have any additional recommendations? I’d enjoy reading them in comments.

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10 comments:

  1. I need to exercise more. You are making me feel inadequate.

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    1. Oh, no! Please don't feel that way. You get lots of exercises doing so many wondrous deeds in your community. :) Seriously, you seem more active than a lot of people. Be well!

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  2. As a dancer, I avoided weights until the pain from an RA flare-up left me desperate for something that would help. Using light weights with focused and stretched slow reps made a huge difference. It eased swelling in my joints and helped my provide better muscles support.

    Enjoy your weight routine. I love the standing desk. I plan to do something similar but without the cat post.

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    1. Oh, I so admire dancers. It saddens me that you suffer RA. I hope you are feeling well and continue finding healthy ways to ease your pain. Be well!

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  3. that cat tree/laptop stand is ingenious! i love to dance so i will need to get some new dvd's bc on demand is tailoring their exercise videos to 20 year olds. no, i do not want to learn hip hop, thank you. i usually take my book downstairs and read while walking on the treadmill. i do need to do some weights too. thanks.

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    1. I'm glad you appreciate my "desk", where I'm standing as I type this. :) I'm with you on not being much of a hip hop fan. Sometimes I just put on music and do my own thing to move around. Reading on the NordicTrack is something I like to do, too, though that means my arms aren't doing the motions.

      By the way, trying to turn resistance training into a cardio combo did give me a headache. Guess I'm a little old to go that nonstop for the time being. Pain definitely was NOT my goal. Thank you for stopping by!

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  4. Stability balls look great but I am scared of them too...they seem balance-less! The standing desk is a great idea, Darla! It is true that the more we sit the worse it is!

    As exercise goes, my favorite is walking now! I used to go to an aerobics class but that changed when we moved cities and I never got around to looking for another. I do make good use of the staircase though. :)

    Hehe, Cracked.com is too addictive!

    Hugs Darla! Merry Christmas and a very happy 2016! As always, thank you for your support!

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    1. What a delight to find your reply, Vidya. It's very much appreciated. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!

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  5. Very inspiring, Darla. I love that creative standing desk you've made! I need one too.
    Wishing you a wonderful 2016.

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    1. Thank you! I hope you have a lovely new year, as well.

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