When it comes to exercise, just about everyone is an expert. Whether it is your buddy at the gym who has phenomenal abs, or your sister’s boyfriend’s second cousin who says you can lose weight faster if you exercise upside down, everyone has an opinion about what works and what doesn’t.

Often, tips traded at the gym are as effective as trying to separate salt and water in a sieve. Those tips should be carefully considered before they are put into practice. From women who refuse to lift more than a three-pound weight out of fear of turning into She-Man, and hour-long workouts devoted to the midsection in hopes of melting away subcutaneous fat, here are five common exercise myths, and reasons why you can put them to rest.

I see it all the time: hordes of exercisers, from slightly overweight to downright portly, crunch and scrunch in hopes of dropping stubborn excess inches from their midsections. It seems that at the gym where I work out, the abs machines see more action than Fido at the dog park. The truth is, you can crunch to your heart’s delight but abs of steel will never see daylight unless you make modifications to your diet and exercise program. If you don’t have a clue what to eat, I suggest you book a session with a nutritionist. A licensed professional can clear up questions you have and will provide you with a solid plan that you can feasibly adhere to.

Another way to transform your keg into a six-pack is to change your workout regimen. Mixing up the routine on a weekly – or even daily – basis will force your body to work harder to adapt, which can reduce or shorten plateaus and fast-track your fitness potential. Also, treat the abdominals like you do every other muscle of the body. Working them out on a daily basis can lead to overtraining which can derail your efforts and increase your risk of injury.

Many people believe that a workout is a waste if the body doesn’t max out every time. The evidence behind this theory is purely anecdotal. This does not mean that lifting heavy weights won’t help you gain size and strength. Any bodybuilder worth his perfectly symmetrical salt will wholeheartedly affirm that he achieved success due to this type of training. For those of you who don’t wish to achieve the Schwarzenegger physique, going big all the time is unnecessary. Often, the key is consistency, not the amount of weight you’ve lifted during your routine. In fact, current research suggests that significant gains can be made by hitting the muscles more frequently. Before you run out and start bench pressing every day, you should know that muscles need about 48 hours of rest before you can hit them again. There is also a myth that says that you must spend an entire hour working only a few, select body parts to make great progress. That can actually slow your gains due to overtraining. So what’s the solution for working the muscles more frequently, without subjecting them to injury? Total body workouts, three times per week. Pick two exercises for each area of the body and perform about three sets of each. Better yet, try combination exercises that work more muscles at one time and you’ll kick start that body into high gear and achieve results in a hurry. While you’re at it, you might even vary the number of repetitions each time you exercise to force the body to continuously adapt to the new challenge. Make sure, though, that you don’t work a muscle group that’s still sore from the previous workout, as it may put you at risk for injury.

Increasing the amount of time you run or bike doesn’t necessarily speed up fat loss. Cardiovascular activity helps strengthen the heart and improves the rate at which oxygen is consumed by the body. The more efficiently the body consumes oxygen, the better off you will be. But cardio may not necessarily be the best way to burn fat. Research suggests that strength training may be the key to losing weight as the body continues to burn calories long after you squeezed out that last biceps curl. The reason for this is that the stress of lifting weights creates tiny microtears on the body of the muscle, and the mechanisms that repair the muscles are at work up to 48 hours after you’ve ditched that last dumbbell. That means that even though you are sitting through the “So You Think You Can Dance” results show, your body is still burning calories as it bandages up those hard-working muscles. On the flip side, caloric expenditure from cardiovascular exercises only lasts about an hour. Don’t give up on the treadmill just yet. You need both cardio and strength training for optimal fitness.

There’s a common misconception that if you work hard at the gym, you can eat anything you want. Oh, if life were that simple…. It is true that muscle builders are advised to consume more calories than they lose during a workout to avoid the risk of losing precious protein calories for fuel. However, the calories you consume must come from healthy, wholesome foods, as opposed to sugar- and fat-laden sources, or your high-intensity workout may be all for naught. These less healthy alternatives may lead to caloric excess and become stored as fat. More importantly, they may increase the risk of heart disease and other potentially fatal diseases. That’s not to say that you can’t enjoy a scoop or two of ice cream every now and then, but it is suggested that one consume tasty treats in moderation.

The first rule of exercise: If it hurts, stop. I can’t tell you how many people I run into who suffer from some sort of shoulder ailment as a result of improper training techniques or poor form. These people often have super-fit physiques that would make a Men’s Health model slink away, but what lies beneath the surface is a different story. In the interest of building big muscles, many exercisers load up as much weight as possible and jump right into an intense workout without giving the muscles ample time to warm up. Then they fight through searing pain to polish off a few more reps. I know I may never convince many of you to focus on function as opposed to physique, but I do know that nobody wants an injury. All you have to do is give yourself an adequate warm up that helps increase blood flow and prepare the body for the coming activities (perform the tasks you have planned, but with much lighter weights – or no weight at all). You’ll reduce the potential for injury and may even notice improvements. Don’t forget the first rule of weight lifting: If it hurts, stop!

The bottom line in dealing with fitness myths is that it’s better to take insight from a certified and knowledgeable professional as opposed to the well-built gym bunny in the locker room. Everyone is different, so what works for your friend may not work for you. A good professional is always happy to answer questions for you and should be able to dispel any misinformation. Don’t hesitate to ask your resident personal trainer for some rock-solid training tips.

Cheers, and happy training!