Fitness expert reveals the MAJOR mistake in the gym that is stopping you from losing weight
Dr. Shannon Ritchey, a doctor of physical therapy, fitness trainer and founder of Evlo Fitness, revealed the common reason people aren't achieving their fitness goals - despite regularly going to the gym.
The answer? Group fitness classes.
Shannon, who first shared her thoughts on TikTok, explained that most group fitness classes are not physically changing your physique.
Clarifying she's 'not a hater' when it comes to group classes, the expert instead suggested there are more efficient ways to get into shape.
'I've been teaching group fitness for over 15 years, I've taught at big gyms, local studios, corporate studios, rec centers, and on my own virtual platform, Evlo Fitness,' she told DailyMail.com.
Despite leading 'nearly every format' of fitness, Shannon says there are common misconceptions with group fitness classes - stating they 'don't actually change your body composition in the way they claim to.'
Shannon explained that when embarking on a fitness journey, you want to see physical change in your body - or body recompositionng.
'You want fat loss and muscle growth,' she pointed out.
'Body re-composition means losing fat while building muscle - it's the goal behind what many people refer to as looking "toned."'
'Group fitness classes can be a great way to stay active, especially if they help you stay consistent.
'And for beginners, they may trigger some early changes in body composition,' she pointed out.
Shannon said that over time the lack of progressive overload and failure-based training in most group classes tends to stall results, particularly when it comes to muscle growth and long-term body composition improvements.
'If you love group fitness, you don't need to stop.
'But knowing this science allows you to make more informed decisions - and apply principles that will actually move the needle,' she shared.
Below, Shannon breaks down the best way to achieve your fitness goals with FEMAIL.
Group fitness classes have the wrong 'focus'
Shannon explained in most group workouts, the focus is on fatigue, not failure, which she says helps to build muscle.
She explained in order to 'effectively stimulate muscle growth' - or even maintain it - each set must be done until 'failure,' or at least 'one to three' reps shy of failure.
'You can use anywhere from about five to 30 reps per set — as long as the final rep is challenging enough,' she explained. 'Each set should last about 20 to 70 seconds.'
According to the fitness trainer, doing more than 30 reps or hold a position longer than about 70 seconds, will result in fatigued or an intense burn or shake, but studies show it's not heavy or intense enough to build muscle.
'So holding a plank or lunge for minutes may burn and feel tough — but it's not the right kind of challenge to build muscle,' Shannon explained.
The expert warned that just because something involves weights, burns, or feels hard doesn't mean it's stimulating muscle growth.
Are group fitness classes burning fat?
'Likely not in a significant way,' Shannon admits.
While exercise can burn some fat, the actual amount of fat burned during a single workout is small and usually insignificant without dietary intervention, the doctor added.
'"Toning" means building muscle while losing fat. But fatigue-focused workouts often don't build muscle,' she shared.
'Most classes don't burn enough fat to meaningfully change body composition,' she warned.
Shannon added that you cannot 'spot-reduce fat' by targeting specific muscle groups— fat loss happens systemically, and is mostly driven by diet.
Is cardio good for weight loss?
Shannon said cardio supports fat loss by increasing your total energy expenditure, but its effects are modest unless combined with dietary strategies.
'It's best used as a tool for health and activity, not as your main fat-loss method,' she advised.
'A good starting place is 150 minutes of light-to-moderate intensity cardio per week. That could be walks, bike rides — whatever you can stay consistent with,' Shannon added.
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