If there is one thing that comes up with almost everyone trying to get lean, it’s not a lack of will. On the contrary. Most of the women and men I meet train, sweat, give up quite a few things along the way, and invest real time and energy. And yet, many of them feel stuck.
Not because they aren’t trying hard enough – but because persistent myths continue to manage their training, nutrition, and expectations.
Smart fat loss is not “weight loss at any cost.” It is a process of reducing body fat percentage while maintaining muscle mass – and sometimes even improving strength, fitness, and overall health. It is a process that requires understanding, patience, and precision. To move forward, one must first part ways with several ideas that sound logical, but simply don’t work that way in reality.
Myth 1: Sit-ups “reduce” belly fat
This is perhaps the most common myth. People do dozens and sometimes hundreds of sit-ups a week, work hard, and are disappointed when their stomach simply doesn’t change.
In practice, abdominal exercises strengthen the core muscles and improve stability and function – but they do not burn localized fat (spot reduction). The body does not “pull” fat from a specific area just because we worked on it.
Fat loss occurs in a general manner as a result of a sustained caloric deficit. That’s why you can see people with very strong abdominal muscles that are simply hidden under a layer of fat. Sit-ups are an important tool, but not an aesthetic solution on their own.
Myth 2: Cardio burns muscle
Many avoid cardio out of fear that they will lose the muscle they built. In practice, cardio does not “burn muscle” by itself. Loss of muscle mass occurs mainly in combination with an extreme caloric deficit, low protein intake, lack of resistance training, or excessive cardio volume.
For most people, a proper combination of strength training and cardio actually supports fat loss, improves cardiovascular endurance, and contributes to overall health. The problem isn’t cardio – it’s the extremes.
Myth 3: Light weights don’t build muscle
Muscle does not respond to the number on the weight – but to tension, volume, and accumulated fatigue. It is absolutely possible to build muscle even with lighter weights, as long as the set is performed close to true fatigue, through a full range of motion, and with good control.
Sometimes trainees who work precisely with moderate weight progress more than those who chase heavy weights at the expense of technique. Heavy weight is an important tool – but not the only one.
Myth 4: Stretching prevents soreness
“Do stretches so your muscles won’t be sore tomorrow” is a familiar sentence – but sore muscles are not caused by a lack of stretching. They are more related to a new stimulus, unusual load, and the eccentric phase of movement.
Stretching can be pleasant and beneficial, but it is not the solution for soreness. What does make a difference is gradual load management, sufficient recovery, light movement between workouts, proper sleep, and organized nutrition.
Myth 5: Muscle turns into fat
Muscle and fat are completely different tissues, and one cannot “turn into” the other. When you stop training, muscle mass decreases, and when you eat beyond your needs, fat mass increases – and these two processes together create the feeling that the body has “flipped.”
In practice, these are two completely separate processes – and control over them lies mainly in habits.
Myth 6: You must eat immediately after training
There is no short, rigid “anabolic window” that opens and closes in the minutes after training. What determines training results is total calories and protein throughout the day, not the exact minute you ate.
If you ate before training – you are probably already covered. If you eat two to three hours afterward as well – that is usually perfectly fine.
After years of working with trainees, it is clear to me that the problem is almost never the effort – but the beliefs that manage it. Myths cause people to work hard in the wrong direction, give up too early, or feel that they are “not built for this.”
Successful fat loss is not built from tricks, but from understanding. The moment you stop chasing magic solutions and start working consistently, with personal adaptation and sanity – the body responds accordingly.
The important question is not which exercise burns the most or exactly when you need to eat – but which beliefs it’s time to let go of in order to allow a real, long-term process.
Yossi Zaavi is a certified Wingate personal and small-group fitness trainer and the owner of Studio YoSport