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Saturated fat directly causes cardiovascular disease
Pilates lengthens muscles and tendons
Free weights are better than machines
Cholesterol in your food goes directly to and sticks to your arteries
Weight lifting develops nonfunctional muscles
Cross Fit builds functional muscles
Specific balance training improves general balance
Weight lifting makes you tight
Whole grains are healthy
Meat is unhealthy
Veganism and vegetarianism are environmentally friendly practices
Vegans and vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters
Muscle weighs more than fat
Statins decrease your chance of having a heart attack
Weight lifting stunts kids growth by harming their growth plates
Multiple sets of the same exercise are better than one
Eating fat will make you fat
Synthetic vitamins don’t get absorbed by your body
Omnivores have undigested, rotting meat in their intestines
Rogaine works* (I am speaking for myself here)
Other people make you happy, or sad, mad, or…
Aerobics is the best exercise for weight loss
You have to lift weights at least three times a week for an hour each time
The bible says: “The lord helps those who helps themselves.” (Nope. Not in there.)
Jupiter has only 16 moons (It has 63.)
Lifting weights slowly will make you slow
Lifting weights quickly will transfer to quick movements on the playing field
Low carb diets hurt your kidneys
Oatmeal is good for you
Type II diabetics should lower their fat intake (They should lower their CARB intake.)
Atheism is a “religion”
Kettle bells are superior to dumbbells
Back hair is attractive
Heavy weights make you big and light weights make you toned
Doctors are experts in nutrition
Doctors are experts in exercise
Physical therapists are experts in exercise
Prehistoric man had shorter lifespans than we do
The computer chip will one day be as small as an atom (I heard this said)
You need to do cardio, stretching and strength training (You just need strength training)
There is such a thing as a “balanced diet”
We evolved to eat primarily starch (absurd claim made by Dr. John A. McDougall)
We are designed as herbivores (super-absurd claim made by Dr. Michael Greger)
There are different races of people
There. I think that’s everything. (Do let me know if I missed anything!)
I've been involved in exercise ever since I became a member of The Charles Atlas Club when I was 10 years old. In 1998, I founded and established Serious Strength on the Upper West Side of NYC. My clients include kids, seniors (and everyone in between), top CEOs, celebrities, bestselling authors, journalists and TV personalities.
Strong Kids Healthy Kids
Euphoria Olive Oil
Gary Taubes: Why We Get Fat
Michael & MaryDan Eades M.D.: Protein Power Lifeplan
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very nice list, although according to wiki, Jupiter has 66 moons now.
sharing this on my facebook, always love your post!
Thanks!
Everybody knows that (fill in the blank).
Atheism may not be a religion, but it is a leap of faith. There’s no conclusive proof that God exists or does not exist, so to believe either takes faith.
Here’s some other ones I thought of:
- It’s for the children…
- Cleanliness is next to Godliness. (Not sure I even know what that’s supposed to mean.) I always picture a white bearded robed man with a feather duster in his hand.
- “Healthy” whole grains
- Calories in, calories out, or “I can work off that cheesecake off with a run…”
-Betty Crocker “fruit” snacks (the word “fruit” makes moms feel good about buying candy for the kids)
- Sugar is ok, high fructose corn syrup is bad
“Atheism may not be a religion, but it is a leap of faith. There’s no conclusive proof that God exists or does not exist, so to believe either takes faith.”
Actually, it takes a leap of faith to believe in things that have no proof. There is no faith required to NOT believe.
Here’s some other ones I thought of:
- It’s for the children…
- Cleanliness is next to Godliness. (Not sure I even know what that’s supposed to mean.) I always picture a white bearded robed man with a feather duster in his hand.
*****Right you can be filthy and devout.
- “Healthy” whole grains
*****That’s in there.
- Calories in, calories out, or “I can work off that cheesecake off with a run…”
*****Excellent!
-Betty Crocker “fruit” snacks (the word “fruit” makes moms feel good about buying candy for the kids)
****Never heard of this.
- Sugar is ok, high fructose corn syrup is bad
*****Good.
Here’s one I didn’t see: Training to failure makes you a failure.
I have read that several times lately, not sure I even understand what whoever made it up, is trying to say?
Fred, you don’t think atheists believe? They believe there is no God.
Well if that’s the case, you’re a non-believer too because you don’t believe there is no god.
See?
Not believing in something is not a belief system in and of itself.
If you don’t collect stamps you’re not a non-stamp collector.
Yes, you make a good point about a belief system which I kind of equate with religion. Atheists don’t have a belief system, per se, but they have taken a leap of faith asserting there’s no God. That’s all I’m trying to say.
Oh, and I do believe (there’s that word again) that you used a double negative
Only people born in the USA can be POTUS. Only natural-born citizens are eligible, but one can be born outside the US to citizen parent(s) or inside the US to non-citizen parent(s).
@Margaret in AZ: you, too, are an atheist.
No? When was the last time you worshiped Zeus? Thor? What? You don’t believe in them? But they were gods, too!
See, we are both atheists. I just believe in one FEWER god than you do. Note: I don’t assert that god doesn’t exist…I just haven’t had convincing evidence that he does. So….the only thing I assert is that I don’t have evidence to believe that a god exists, and I don’t believe things based on faith.
BTW, Fred, you have just anticipated my next ebook (currently in progress): Working Title is “50 Lies About Health You Probably Believe – But Shouldn’t.”
My biggest challenge now is to trim them down to 50
it’s unfortunate that in the 21st century people still cling to foolish superstitions and develop even more foolish arguments to defend their indefensible point of view.
So are you saying that muscle doesn’t weight more than fat?
Can you explain please?
When I am fat, I generally weigh in around 130lb. When I work out hard and build some muscle, I can weight in as high as 135lb but my measurements are smaller.
If I stop working out, I don’t get fat right away but I do lose weight and can drop down into the high 120s very quickly.
So I was interpreting the smaller size but heavier weight as my muscle weighing more than my fat. This is not true? If not, then what is happening?
Kind regards,
Kim
“So are you saying that muscle doesn’t weight more than fat? Can you explain please?”
What weighs more, a pound of bricks or a pound of feathers?
“When I am fat, I generally weigh in around 130lb. When I work out hard and build some muscle, I can weight in as high as 135lb but my measurements are smaller.”
Yup!
“If I stop working out, I don’t get fat right away but I do lose weight and can drop down into the high 120s very quickly.”
You have some great genetics for building muscle!
“So I was interpreting the smaller size but heavier weight as my muscle weighing more than my fat. This is not true? If not, then what is happening?”
What weighs more, a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?
Kind regards,
Kim
Fred,
Well done….thanks for being a candle in the dark. As a trainer with a degree in exercise science and a former Division I coach I find myself having to constantly “un-learn” and “re-teach” myself and others how things really work. Like Twain said and you’ve often requoted “The history of our race, and each individual’s experience, are sown thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill and that a lie told well is immortal.”
Keep it up!
Thank Paul!
“Multiple sets of the same exercise are better than one”
This one shouldn’t be expressed as a truth, nor as something proven to be false.
There are too many conflicting studies.
There are too many confounding factors.
Just one example of people making better progress with more sets:
http://www.ergo-log.com/8setsofsquats.html
Alfie –
That study concluded this:
“It is possible that higher volumes are associated with relatively greater central and peripheral adaptation”, they write. The striking increase in strength in the 8-sets group may have been caused by the brain and nerves being given more opportunity to learn how to activate the leg muscles.”
Right. This does not mean that 4 or 8 sets improved hypertrophy better which is the main goal.
No, but it may have improved strength, and it may allow the trainee to user a heavier weight in another protocol which may produce a greater hypertrophy result.
And is hypertrophy always the goal?