Fitness Myths: Strength Training with Weights will make me Bulky

Many people avoid weight training because somewhere along the way they heard that it will make their muscles big. This is simply a matter of misinformation. Strength training is a critical element to create muscle tone and burn fat and should not be left out of your well rounded routine.

Light to moderate weights with between 12-20 repetitions are most effective for toning lean muscle mass. Building large muscles takes a great deal of discipline and a very strict regimen of heavier weights. Body builders work for years to get the muscle mass that they exhibit.

Stick to the moderate weights, enough to challenge your muscles at the higher reps and your muscles will be sleek and toned without any bulk.

Just Breath - There's more to breathing then meets the nose!

Your sitting in Yoga class and you are told to breath deep through your nose, exhale through your mouth. There are a lot of good reasons for this.  Emotionally, deep breathing reduces feelings of stress, aids in achieving a relaxed state, and assists us to put our busy minds to rest by inducing a meditative state.

How does it work? The answer is purely scientific.  According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, it's because of a gas called nitric oxide that's made by your nose and sinus mucous membranes. This gas is produced in small amounts, but when inhaled into the lungs, significantly enhances your lung's capacity to absorb oxygen. Nitric oxide is lethal to bacteria and viruses and is also known to increase oxygen absorption in your lungs from 10-25 percent. This is why it's important to inhale through your nose, especially when you are exercising.

Go ahead, take a deep breath!

The Truth of the Matter: Crunching builds and tones some of the ab muscles, which can help you to burn fat quicker, however, crunches alone are not going to remove that layer of fat fondly known as a ‘spare tire’. ...Read the rest