Why Spot Reduction Exercises Aren't Giving You Results
And what you should do instead for weight loss
CUT TO THE CHASE
Spot reduction, i.e. losing fat in one area of your body by doing exercises that target that particular area, is not possible.
Increase strength, calorie burn and (ultimately) fat loss with by performing compound movements, i.e. involving multiple major muscles, and progressively increase the weight.
Your fitness regime will only be as effective as your diet allows it to be — opt for a diet full of whole foods with plenty of greens, vegetables, fruit and water.
You’ve made the decision that you want to lose weight… great! Eager to get started, you set your sights on your “problem areas” – stomach, love handles and the back of your arms. You recall a fitness magazine article with exercises targeting those exact areas and get to work. But a month or even a year later, not much has changed when you look in the mirror. Frustrated, you start wondering “what am I doing wrong?”
Here’s the thing — you’re doing exactly what the weight loss industry has told you to do time and time again... “get killer abs in no time with these 5 easy exercises!” or “the four best moves to say goodbye to those bingo wings!”
But the truth is, hundreds of crunches a day won’t get you visible abs and countless tricep kick-backs won’t melt away that unwanted arm fat. Why? Because spot reduction (losing fat in one area of your body by doing exercises that target that particular area) is not possible. So your efforts, while well-intentioned, are misinformed.
WHY SPOT REDUCTION ISN'T POSSIBLE
There are a few physiological reasons for this:
Fat contained in fat cells is in a form known as triglycerides. Our muscles cannot directly use triglycerides for energy; the fat must be broken down into free fatty acids and glycerol before it can enter into the bloodstream. Being an efficient system, our bodies will pull fuel from wherever it can get it quickest; not necessarily the area being exercised. Where it comes from depends on a slew of genetic factors, body shape and composition, gender and age.
Most exercises that target one specific part of the body, like seated bicep curls, do not actually burn many calories. In order to lose weight, your body needs to be in a caloric deficit; i.e. burning more calories than it’s taking in.
It can be difficult for these concepts to really sink in because basic human reasoning tells us to exercise the exact area where we want to burn the fat. Sometimes, the proof is in the putting. Take me for example…
A few years ago, I decided that I (like many of us out there!) wanted to build my glutes. With no additional time in my schedule to dedicate to working out, I traded in one of my weekly arm days for legs; focusing on squats, lunges, hip thrusts and other compound exercises (i.e. involving multiple muscle groups). Squats, for example, utilize the quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, core and lower back. By progressively increasing the intensity and amount of weight used, I saw noticeable progress towards my goal in about four months.
But much to my surprise, I had seen a more significant difference in my arms. After years of curls and kick-backs, I could not believe much more toned they had become despite training them less. It went against so many things I had read or believed, but when I searched outside of XYZ fitness magazine or the article on the latest fitness craze, I was shocked at the amount of real research that proved just that.
A WORD FROM THE EXPERTS
One of the earliest, yet still most relevant studies was conducted by the University of California in 1971. Researchers compared the amount of fat at specific spots on the arms of a group of tennis players. They discovered that despite players’ using one arm dominantly, the fat percentage between each arm was the same. If spot reduction were valid, we’d expect players’ dominant arm to have far less fat than their non-dominant arms. Another major study by the University of Connecticut in 2007 had similar findings.
The one that really hit home for me was conducted by Los Lagos University in Chile in 2013. Participants completed 960 - 1,200 leg presses (yes, you read that right) against light resistance 3x/week. At the end of 12 weeks, they saw no significant change in the fat mass in their exercising leg, but displayed a meaningful decrease in fat mass in their… upper body.
These studies, and dozens of others, illustrate some very important truths:
Spot reduction is not valid
By engaging larger muscle groups with compound movements, you can burn significantly more calories while strengthening the underlying muscles; and
Fat loss, not just muscle growth, is essential to the appearance of a more toned physique; meaning, if you want those abs to pop out, no amount of crunches will get you there without first burning that top layer of fat
COMPOUND MOVEMENTS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you should never train your biceps, triceps or abs in isolation again. If growth is your goal, it can be an effective way to target and build those muscles. But, if weight loss is your goal, exercises that isolate one specific part of your body will have a negligible impact on reducing the amount of fat there or anywhere else. I love ACE Nutrition’s analogy: you can try to cook a turkey with a candle, or you could use the oven. It’s the same thing when it comes to calorie burn and fat loss.
Compound movements involving major muscle groups will torch calories by “getting the oven roasting” in a far superior manner than spot reduction exercises. Benefits include:
Burn more calories per exercise, as more muscles are being used
increase workout efficiency, by working more muscles in a shorter period of time
Build overall strength more quickly
Improve balance and coordination
improve joint mobility and stability through moving in natural patterns
Increase your heart rate during strength training, benefitting the cardiovascular system
Decrease fatigue
Enhance overall health
Great examples of compound movements to include in your exercise routine are:
Lunges*
Squats*
Step-ups*
Hip thrusts*
Deadlifts
Push-ups
Pull-ups
Jump rope
So if you’re looking in the mirror at relatively unchanged body despite hours of work at the gym, it’s time to (first and foremost, take a look at your nutrition, but also) experiment with your fitness approach. For videos of some of our favorite compound leg movements*, check out this week’s post on our Instagram @healthwellstyled! Stay positive and motivated, friends! We can’t wait to hear about your results!
