Minimising the amount of body fat you hold in a certain area is often referred to as “spot reduction”. Most experts and personal trainers will tell you that spot reduction is impossible and that you can’t pick and choose where your body stores fat. This is partially true. Our genetics do play a massive role in determining body composition. However, recent research suggests that you might actually be able to minimise fat tissue in certain areas if you follow the right training regime. Intrigued? Read below to learn all about spot reduction and how you can turn your soft spots into firm muscle.
Is Spot Reduction A Myth?
It has long been touted that spot reduction is impossible because of numerous scientific studies. Researchers like those in the Katch et al. study would get one group of people to do weeks of focussed abdominal training and compare their waist size to a control group who didn’t train abs at all. They found no significant tummy fat differences between the two groups, thus concluding that doing hundreds of sit-ups and crunches won’t give you a shredded six pack. Another study done by Kostek et al. found that training your non-dominant arm for a 12 week period did not noticeably make it any leaner than the dominant arm. Once again, they concluded that spot reduction is not possible and training a certain area on your body won’t reduce the size or number of fat cells near it. Although training a specific muscle will increase its ability to endure more exercise, it won’t necessarily change the amount of fat around it or improve its appearance.
More Recent Research
The beautiful thing about research is that more of it is always being done. New studies now give us hope that fat reduction might actually be feasible after all. A study done by Palumbo et al. recruited 16 untrained ladies and got them to complete an eight week training program. Half of them consistently trained upper body while the other half focussed on lower. Both groups did 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise after their sessions (either on the bike or the arm ergometer). Both groups lost the same amount of fat but the lower body group lost significantly more from their legs and the upper body group lost more from their arms. DXA scans and calliper measurements were used to confirm these results. Everything in this study was so tightly controlled, the only difference between the two groups was the training focus on either upper or lower. Due to the strengths of the study design, it is arguably the first reliable one we have on the possibility of spot reduction.
How To Spot Reduce According To The Science
It’s important to clarify that you won’t get leaner in a certain place just because you train that area at a high intensity. There are other things you must do on top of this in order to successfully see regional fat loss. Firstly, you must be in a calorie deficit. It is impossible to lose fat if you’re eating more energy than you burn. This is an inarguable rule of thermodynamics. Secondly, as stated above, you need to train your targeted muscle group at a high intensity. Ten sit-ups a day just won’t do. In order to get the required increase in temperature and blood flow, you must use a sufficiently heavy load. Experts recommend 70% or more of your one rep max. So if you’re trying to target fat loss around your thighs and your heaviest one rep leg extension is 100kg, you need to regularly complete reps of 70kg and above in order to make a meaningful difference. The same applies for any muscle whether that be triceps, abdominals or glutes. Finally, a hit of cardio after your workout is needed to burn off the fatty acids that were immobilised by the weight lifting. Otherwise they will just return back to your fat cells. It was theorised in the Palumbo study that the post-workout cardio block is what helped the ladies successfully lose weight from their targeted regions. 30 minutes on the bike helped one group get leaner legs and the arm ergometer lead to greater fat loss in the upper body. According to this research, the right amount of cardio on top of resistance training and a calorie deficit is the path of least resistance to achieving spot reduction.
Conclusion
The current Wikipedia page stating that “spot reduction is a myth” might be in need of an update. Regional fat loss is certainly possible provided you fulfil certain criteria. Be in a calorie deficit, train the specific area with enough intensity and do a hit of cardio afterwards. This method is the best evidenced-based strategy to firm up those soft spots you’ve been trying to get rid of. Remember genetics still play a large role in determining body composition and you should still be sceptical about anyone selling ‘belly blasting workout plans’, but in general it is possible to tone up certain areas if you take the right approach.
Written by Lauren Carruthers.