Diet Vs Exercise - Which Is More Important?

By Howe Russ


While there are many common myths and questions surrounding weight loss and fitness, it seems whenever you go to a gym you will hear people asking is diet more important than exercise or is it the other way around. Today we will help you to get the the bottom of this conundrum and improve your own fitness results in the process.

The reason people tend to hear so many contradicting answers to this question comes down to the fact that many people base their final decision on what has worked for them in the past. While both aspects have proven benefits, the chances are if you pose this question to somebody who is always trying the latest trendy nutritional program they will heavily support eating habits as the most important factor.

Likewise, however, those with a long background of exercise under their belts will be much more likely to advise you that you need to concentrate more on the fitness aspect of your lifestyle. Many people even go as far as to advise that if you do this effectively, you can pretty much eat whatever you want. So who is correct?

Neither approach is correct if you are trying to achieve your best possible physique.

One of the biggest, yet most common, mistakes is for people to attempt to prioritize one aspect over another. You'll hear things like percentages being used, with people often telling others than exercise is 60 percent of the deal whereas nutrition is the other 40 percent.

Following just one principle tends to make people fall into one of two potential categories. While everybody is different in build and stature, there are certain stereotypical features to watch out for here. The next time you are having a discussion about how to lose weight and this matter pops up, take a look at the individual in question and they will probably fit into one of two fields:

* Somebody who follows a new eating routine every 3 months and tries to keep up to date with whatever is being championed as the latest super food. Despite losing weight, they tend to have an unhealthy shape to their body because they haven't been exercising at all. Remember, your muscles won't grow or become leaner unless you force them to.

* Those who love training in the gym but hate watching their nutrition. Sure, they may down a protein shake after a tough workout, but that is as far as it goes. When outside the confines of the local gym they will happily consume junk food, takeaway meals and alcohol on a regular basis. While their workout sessions will lead this person to developing some shape and tone to the biggest muscles in their body, they tend to struggle when it comes to toning their abdominal area and achieve a stocky, square look.

If you only pay attention to one factor, or you choose to place way more importance on one over the other, then your destiny is shown in the two stereotypes revealed above. Why would you do this? As somebody trying to build a better body, it simply would not make sense.

It's almost like trying to decide whether fuel is more important than your car. At the end of the day, neither is very useful on their own. The correct approach is to apply both factors to your lifestyle and realize that neither is more important than the other. They are not in competition for your attention, they are two things which are designed to work together. If you are able to apply the basic principles of a good nutritional plan and a healthy workout program you will see positive change and the results will be sustainable, too.

In a recent interview, former bodybuilding champion Jay Cutler was asked the question is diet more important than exercise and his answer perfectly summed up the correct approach. Whether you are trying to discover how to lose weight or get bigger, ultimately it's 100 percent diet and it's 100 percent exercise.




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