This story appeared in the July/August 2020 issue as "Bust A Move." Subscribe to Discover magazine for more stories like this.
Misinformation and outdated science abound when it comes to attaining our fittest selves. Gyms, social media and infomercials throw around buzzwords and promote fad routines, leaving many of us bewildered about what will actually boost our bodies — and what’s just smoke and mirrors.
“It’s embarrassing,” says San Diego State University physiologist Fabio Comana, who sees “misconceptions, built on hearsay and YouTube videos,” on a daily basis. He adds: “There’s a lack of evidence-based science, and people are misinformed.”
In the interest of science and helping you achieve a better you, we asked exercise science experts to set us straight on five of the top myths about the biomechanics of working out.
