Can you Target Certain Areas of the Body to Reduce Fat From? (Spot Reduction)
Spot Reduction
The concept of spot reduction follows the false, but common belief that training a specific muscle will result in fat loss in that area of the body.
For example, some people believe that doing a lot of abdominal crunches will make their stomachs flatter. Or doing a lot of triceps extensions will cause your arms carry less fat.
I'm often asked by clients how they can lose fat from certain area of their body. It's understandable that people think this is possible after seeing companies and often fitness professionals advertising ways to lose their muffin tops, or bingo wings etc.
You can't just target a certain area you want to lose fat from. Doing loads of ab exercises won't speed up how much fat you lose around your waist. Fat is stored energy and it gets recruited equally from all over your body. People will store more fat in certain areas. Your genetics will determine where your body stores fat.
There have been studies on the possibility of spot reduction. For example, this study had 24 people only do exercises targeted the abdominals for six weeks found no reduction in belly fat (1).
Another study that followed 40 women for 12 weeks found that resistance training of the abdominals had no effect on fat loss around that area, compared to dietary intervention alone (2).
Another study showing spot reduction doesn't work (3).
For example, some people believe that doing a lot of abdominal crunches will make their stomachs flatter. Or doing a lot of triceps extensions will cause your arms carry less fat.
I'm often asked by clients how they can lose fat from certain area of their body. It's understandable that people think this is possible after seeing companies and often fitness professionals advertising ways to lose their muffin tops, or bingo wings etc.
You can't just target a certain area you want to lose fat from. Doing loads of ab exercises won't speed up how much fat you lose around your waist. Fat is stored energy and it gets recruited equally from all over your body. People will store more fat in certain areas. Your genetics will determine where your body stores fat.
There have been studies on the possibility of spot reduction. For example, this study had 24 people only do exercises targeted the abdominals for six weeks found no reduction in belly fat (1).
Another study that followed 40 women for 12 weeks found that resistance training of the abdominals had no effect on fat loss around that area, compared to dietary intervention alone (2).
Another study showing spot reduction doesn't work (3).
There aren't any shortcuts that mean you you can lose just from that area. If you want to lose fat from a certain part of your body, you'll have to get your overall body fat down low enough and build and build muscle in that area to improve it's appearance creating a 'toned' look.