Gym Myths by Karl O'Sullivan

We’ve all heard gym myths, those little pearls of wisdom passed down from one big guy at the gym to another not so big guy, such as you have to separate muscle groups to get big, cardio is for losing weight lifting is for building, you need fat to turn into muscle and so on, gym myths can be hilarious, my current favourite is ‘as you get older your fitness drops and you gain weight’ this theory that as you get older you get fat and that’s just the way it is, is a complete myth and absurdity. Let’s look at it objectively, all people, that is humans are animals, we may have 3D televisions and cool phone apps but we are still animals and part of the animal kingdom, now keeping that in mind what other animal on the whole planet gets fatter as it gets older? What creature has the genetics which say as you get older you are going to be fat? …that’s right, not a one, there is no animal or any unavoidable reason that’s says you will get fat and overweight just because you get older. It is true as you get older your metabolic rate will drop and your level of cardiovascular fitness will see a decrease, but a few tweaks in life style and diet will tackle the metabolic rate issue and cardiovascular fitness peaks around your early forties and then doesn’t see a significant drop until you are well in your seventies! Now that is an amazing thing, the human body is meant to stay active and healthy as we get older and with modern science and health care we can all look forward to longer, healthier and more active lives. The few things to remember are as you get older and wiser you need to train smarter not necessarily harder, when you’re young you can lift big and push yourself to high intensities, put as you get older you need to allow more time for your active recovery and maintenance, being sure to take time to maintain flexibility, good posture and overall function. Also except that you can’t burn the candle at both ends and eat lots of junk food and stay slim, the metabolic rate as you get older can’t handle that kind of life style, so its making the smart choices, eating more natural and clean, cutting back on unnecessary indulgences, that’s not to say you can’t treat yourself to a glass of wine and a dessert, but maybe don’t get trapped in the student mind set of several bottles and then an all you can eat at the local take away. I truly believe the time invested in your health and fitness will ensure a much greater and longer lasting happiness.