We all love fitness secrets. But with a plethora of fitness information online and in advertisements, we are sometimes left with misguided information about working out. Not knowing the facts can lead to injury, frustration, and unexpected results. Here are 5 common myths about fitness and tips on how to get the most out of your workout routine.

1. Stretching before working out reduces injury during your workout

Some studies show that stretching before a workout can actually destabilize muscles. This is especially true for strength-training exercises. Stretching is great for after a workout, but warming up is always a better option pre-exercise.

2. Weight training will make you bulk up

Many women avoid weights in fear that it will make them too look too muscular. But building bulky muscles has more to do with the presence of testosterone than anything else. Lifting weights actually helps you lose weight and burn fat faster, so you’ll look trimmer. Paired with cardio, weights can help you to build muscle as you decrease fat and keep up your metabolism. It’s also great for strengthening bones.

3. Doing crunches and ab workouts will get rid of belly fat

Spot training is a myth. While crunches will help you build muscle in your middle, ab work alone will not lead you to a flatter belly. To make those toned abs visible, you must decease overall body fat with cardio in addition to your ab and strength-training routine.

4. If I’m not hurting the next day, I didn’t work out hard enough

Some people live by the motto, no pain, no gain. Excessive soreness is not a measure of a good workout, however. Soreness comes from tiny tears in muscle fibers, which occurs during a strenuous workout. Resting between workout sessions allows muscles to recover and repair. The key is to warm-up, not overdo it at the gym, and to allow muscles to rest a day or two before your next tough workout.

5. Longer Workouts get the best results

Working out for an hour can help you achieve your fitness goals, but breaking that up into several shorter sessions might help you get more from your workouts. Because your body adjusts when you workout over long periods of time, you could potentially achieve more with shorter, more intense workouts. Shorter, more frequent workouts are also a great way to overcome time constraints, beat boredom and reduce injury risk.