3 Myths From This Past Week

Audio Accompaniment

Soooo I haven’t been feeling well for the past couple of weeks, meaning I had some more time to spend on my phone.

However, I did my best to stay intentional with my scrolling and spent most of the scrolling to learn instead of to consume (nothing wrong with the latter in moderation).

While scrolling I came across some different myths in the industry that I’d like to tackle.

And as these can be sensitive topics, I want us to approach these as sensitively and with as much loving accountability as possible.

I say us because I would love your feedback either in the comments or in my dm’s on Instagram. I love having open conversations with yall.

MYTH I: Soreness is bad

In the Shorts, TikTok, and Reels space, I’ve noticed more and more people almost demonize soreness after workouts.

Now if you have been working out for a while or have a background as an athlete you know the difference between being sore and being SORE.

The first sore is just feeling the twinge in your calves after a hard day of running or feeling it a little extra when you sit down after a heavy leg day.

The second sore is barely being able to walk up and down the steps, not being able to lift your arms above your head etc.

You never want to push yourself so hard that it interferes with your daily activities but if you have plateaued and you’re never sore it could be very likely that your muscles are understimulated.

If you are still progressing and not feeling sore, that’s awesome, keep doing what you’re doing.

But if you haven’t made progress in months and you’re no longer meeting your goals, it’s likely you could benefit from upping the intensity.

In a 2010 study, The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training, PhD Brad Schoenfeld includes muscle damage among the 3 main mechanisms for muscle growth alongside mechanical tension and metabolic stress.

Mechanical tension is essentially the stress your muscles experience during activity from outside sources ie:

• the stress experienced by your biceps when lifting a dumbbell

• The tension your glutes experience when pushing up from a squat

• the stress your quads and glutes feel when holding an isometric squat or a horse stance for my fellow martial artists

You can think of metabolic stress as the stress your muscles experience from mechanisms occurring inside the body.

When you workout the body produces metabolites like lactic acid.

One theory suggests that the body responds to the swelling created by the excess of metabolites (substances produced during metabolism) by signaling parts of your muscle cells to strengthen.

People refer to this as “muscle pump” ~when your muscles look extra defined and “juicy” after a workout.~

So although soreness isn’t a prerequisite for achieving your fitness goals, ~because honestly, muscle growth may not even be one of your goals~ if you find yourself stuck, it may be time to embrace some more difficult workouts.

MYTH 2: Spot reduction

If you have ever worked with me, have followed me for a while or know me personally you know how much disdain I have for “spot reduction”.

Spot reduction is the idea that you can target specific body fat with specific workouts, supplements, or one of the things that make me cringe the most…waist trainers.

There is no reputable scientific data that suggests this is even remotely possible.

(if you have found anything supporting the idea please send it my way, I am not opposed to changing my stances given new and strong evidence)

When you set the goal to live a healthier life via lowering body fat, exercise is one of the best ways to do so alongside getting your nutrition dialed in.

But when you see videos like “best juice to eliminate belly fat” or “Top 3 workouts to get rid of belly fat and keep your hips”, issa scam sis.

If you’re losing body fat you’re going to lose it from your booty and your chest too, cues sad violin noises.

Now what is possible is to lose overall body fat and target specific muscle groups to help them grow.

For example, if you want to obtain more of an hourglass shape focus on growing your lats, and working on developing your glutes.

You should still be doing full body to ensure you’re preventing muscular imbalances but this is a safe and healthy way to keep/develop your curves if that is important to you.

It is always important to focus on longevity and sustainability than crash diets, and extreme workouts that can disrupt your body’s microbiome and make you lose too much weight too fast.

MYTH 3: Best Diet for X

Over the years, I’ve tried many different diets and the one I’ve found works for myself and every client I’ve worked with … is the one that works for them.

As someone who struggles with disordered eating, anything too restrictive is a disaster in the making for me.

However, for clients I know who have healthier relationships with food and need structure, those protocols work the best for them.

I also think it depends on what part of your journey you are in.

At this point in my wellness journey, I eat intuitively.

I know for myself, I can not eat gluten or dairy without moderate to more intense health ramifications.

I also know that I love intermittent fasting and it helps me maintain a higher focus in the mornings.

I also sync with my cycle and can tell when my body wants raw vs cooked foods.

I now know when the best time for me to drink a smoothie or make soup is etcetera.

But I also think that’s because I made a lot of mistakes that made me learn how to listen to my body.

Our bodies are beautifully designed to help us.

They’re designed to cue us when we are thirsty or hungry.

When we need more vs fewer calories.

When we need to double down on more nutrient-dense foods before a cold.

We just have to listen, but that takes practice.

I hope you all are well and are ready for August!

Can you believe we only have 5 months left of the year?

In these last 5 months, I want to make more content for you all so I’ve made different channels for my two main audiences:

•  here on Youtube for mindfulness and Muslim lifestyle content.

•  here on YouTube for quick and efficient fitness videos.

I’ve completely rebranded my Youtube and taken down all of my old videos sheds a single tear.

I’m excited to see what the next couple of months bring and inshAllah it’s amazing and transformative for all of us.

Praying you all have a week filled with abundant light and radiant health,

Aqilah