1. Do my muscles turn into
fat if I don’t exercise them
after a while?

2. 1. “Muscle and fat tissue are two completely different
types of tissue.
2. Just as an apple will not turn into an orange, muscle
tissue cannot turn into fat or vice versa.
3. Muscle cells increase and decrease in size
according to your training program.
4. If you train quite hard, muscle cells increase in size.
5. When one stops training, muscle cells again
decrease in size.
6. If the person maintains a high caloric intake
without physical training, however, fat cells will
increase in size as weight (fat) is gained.”1

3. If I do a lot of sit-ups will I
get rid of my belly fat?

4. 1. “There are no “miracle” exercises to spot-reduce.
2. Multiple sets of sit-ups performed three to five
times per week will strengthen the abdominal
musculature but will not be sufficient to allow the
muscles to appear through the layer of fat between
the skin and the muscles.
3. The total energy (caloric) expenditure of a few sets
of abdominal exercises will not be sufficient to lose
a significant amount of weight (fat).”2

5. If I work out a lot, can I
eat whatever I want?

6. 1. “Weight loss is more effective when you cut back
on calories (dieting), as opposed to only increasing
physical activity or exercise.
2. Weight loss is more effective, nonetheless, when
150 or more minutes of physical activity per week
are added to dieting.
3. Weight loss maintenance, however, in most cases is
possible only with 60 to 90 minutes of sustained
daily physical activity or exercise.
4. When taking part in a weight (fat) reduction
program, people also have to decrease their caloric
intake moderately, use portion control, be
physically active, and implement strategies to
modify unhealthy eating behaviors.”3

7. If I walk 10 minutes in the
morning, 10 at lunch,
and 10 after work –
Is it the same as walking
for 30 minutes at once?

8. 1. “For health fitness, accumulating 30 minutes of
physical activity a minimum of five days per week
is recommended.
2. To develop and maintain cardiorespiratory fitness,
20 to 60 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise,
three to five times per week, is suggested.
3. For successful weight loss, however, 30 to 60
minutes of light to moderate exercise on most days
of the week are recommended.
4. Additional light intensity ambulation and standing
throughout the day are also strongly encouraged.
5. To maintain substantial weight loss, 60 to 90
minutes of physical activity on a nearly daily basis
is recommended.”4

9. Is there a gender
difference when it comes
to improving fitness?

10. 1. “Because of the increase in muscle mass typically
seen in men, some women think that a strength-
training program will result in their developing
large musculature.
2. Even though the quality of muscle in men and
women is the same, endocrinological differences do
not allow women to achieve the same amount of
muscle hypertrophy (size) as men.
3. Men also have more muscle fibers, and because of
the sex-specific male hormones, each individual
fiber has more potential for hypertrophy.
4. On the average, following 6 months of training,
women can achieve up to a 50-percent increase in
strength but only a 10-percent increase in muscle
size.”5

11. Does a short workout at
high intensity burn more
calories than a
long workout at a
moderate intensity?

12. 1. “We burn about 3 to 4 calories during light-
intensity exercise, 5 to 7 calories during moderate-
intensity exercise, and 8 to 10 (or more) calories
per minute during vigorous-intensity exercise.
2. As we begin to exercise and subsequently increase
its intensity, we progressively rely more on
carbohydrates and less on fat for energy, until we
reach maximal intensity, when 100 percent of the
energy is derived from carbohydrates.
3. Even though a lower percentage of the energy is
derived from fat during vigorous-intensity exercise,
the total caloric expenditure is so much greater
(twice as high or more) that overall the total fat
burned is still higher than during moderate
intensity.
4. If lack of time is a concern, you should exercise at a
vigorous intensity for about 30 minutes, which can
burn as many calories as 60 minutes of moderate
intensity but only 19 percent of adults in the United
States typically exercise at a vigorous-intensity
level.”6

13. To learn more about this information you can visit:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/449059-do-your-
muscles-turn-to-fat-when-you-stop-weight-training/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/540672-do-sit-ups-
crunches-get-rid-of-belly-fat/
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-
eating/workout-myths-debunked-i-can-eat-anything-if-i-
exercise.html
http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/article/20130203/C
WS04/302030527/One-step-time
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3529284
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/aa112
701a.htm

14. All pictures are from Microsoft Word Clip Art
1 - Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness: A Personalized
Program 12th Edition - Hoeger/Hoeger, pg. 224
2 - Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness: A Personalized
Program 12th Edition - Hoeger/Hoeger, pg. 224
3 - Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness: A Personalized
Program 12th Edition - Hoeger/Hoeger, pg. 142
4 - Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness: A Personalized
Program 12th Edition - Hoeger/Hoeger, pg. 159
5 - Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness: A Personalized
Program 12th Edition - Hoeger/Hoeger, pg. 226
6 - Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness: A Personalized
Program 12th Edition - Hoeger/Hoeger, pg. 186