Hi Everyone!
I can't count how many times someone says to me that they want to get rid of fat in a certain area - and they want exercises on how to do that. Unfortunately, this type of thinking is completely wrong. We cannot spot train.
Our bodies have fat throughout our bodies and the distribution is dependent on a number of factors such as genetics, gender and age. OVERALL body fat must be reduced to lose fat in any particular area. Although fat is lost or gained throughout the body it seems the first area to get fat, or the last area to become lean, is the midsection (in men and some women, especially after menopause) and hips and thighs (in women and few men).
This means, that if you want to lose fat in a certain area - you have to work hard and burn lots of calories. This way you will lose fat all over the body. As you become leaner - you will start to notice the fat leaving your targeted areas. Strength training should be done for all muscle groups to be balanced.
My take on the whole thing... STOP focusing on targeted areas and instead focus on overall health. Exercise to be strong and healthy for life :)
Wow! I cannot believe I have had this misconception for SO LONG!!! Thank you for clarifying! You're such a smarty pants ;)
ReplyDeleteI had an awesome question about spot training... so I just want to clarify how it works..
ReplyDeleteSo, when you do strength training to a certain muscle group you are in a sense "spot training" because you are trying to increase the muscle of that group and that does work. For example, if you are doing strength training in your bum muscles... your muscles get tiny tears and if you eat right and rest they are repaired by building new muscle. So you can make your muscles stronger with spot training.
However, if you have fat over top of that muscle - you cannot reduce the fat there by doing exercises for that particular muscle group. Fat will disappear from the body based on genetics, gender and age. So, as you burn calories and lose fat - your body decides where to take it from. So, if you are doing strength training for your bum and you have a lot of fat in that area - you can't guarantee the fat in your bum will go away with just doing exercises for your bum. You still have to use the formula of burning more calories than you take in - so that you lose fat in your body. Your body will decide when it leaves your bum.
If anyone has questions about this let me know .. It is easier to explain in person