6 Workout Myths That May Be Stopping You From Reaching Your Fitness Goals

I don't know about you, but working out is my favorite before (or after) work activity.

It helps me relieve any stress that I may be feeling, all while helping me stay in shape.

I'm not a masochist, but there's something about post-workout pain, that soreness you feel all over your body, that makes it so satisfying.

However, there are a few misconceptions about how to work out, and because of them, you may not be giving your body the best workout possible.

Listed below are a few workout myths that just aren't true:

1. You can spot train.

My body works together, and all of my systems work together.

So, doesn't it make sense for every part of my body to be working together while I workout? The answer is yes.

There's no such thing as spot training. Although I divide my workout days by which part of my body I'm going to focus on, it does not mean that I don't have to worry about the rest of my body.

In order for me to see results on those trouble areas, I need to focus on my body as a whole.

2. Cardio alone will make you lose weight.

Having more lean muscle mass aids my body by building up my metabolism. In order for me to get lean muscle mass, I would need to strength train.

There is a misconception that strength training will make you bulk up, but that is simply not true. As long as you are eating healthy, along with a combination of cardio and strength training, you will gain lean muscle mass.

There's a difference between 100 pounds of muscle and 100 pounds of fat.

3. You have to stretch before working out.

Instead of stretching before my workouts, I do dynamic warmups instead. I get my body moving, as opposed to keeping it still as I stretch, to prepare it for more intense movement.

This also helps with my range of motion so I can do my routine efficiently.

I usually start my warmups with brisk walking and then transitioning into a slow jog. Then, I finally build my way up into a run.

4. You should work out every day.

If I worked out every day, I wouldn't see very significant progress because I would never give my body enough time to recharge itself.

Working out every day would be exhausting, and it would negatively affect my future workouts because I would not be able to push myself.

Whenever I workout, muscle fibers in my body are being broken down and then repaired to be stronger during my resting period.

Not allowing my body to repair itself would mean that my muscle fibers would stay broken down.

5. Crunches are a great way to get abs.

Crunches aren't bad for my abs, but I do other exercises to work on my abs as well.

I love planking because it really works on my core strength to help me hold myself up.

The best way to make sure you don't hit a fitness plateau is to switch up your workouts. Trying different ab exercises is just one way to do that.

6. Your workout was good if you're sweating a lot.

I never go jogging during the day.

Why? Because the humidity in the air can impede my workout.

If the weather's temperature is hot, I'm more likely to become tired and dehydrated at a much faster rate than if I had jogged at night with a cooler temperature.

My exterior would show that I worked out hard because of how much I'd be sweating, but my interior says otherwise.

These are just a few of the workout myths out there that might be stopping you from reaching your fitness goals.

If you're aware of these misconceptions, you're another step closer to getting the body and exercise routine you want.