Have you ever wondered if doing an exercise that targets a certain body part or muscle group will help you lose fat from that specific area?
If so, then you have wondered about the concept of spot reduction. Spot reduction refers to the idea that you can “reduce” the fat from one specific “spot” on your body just by doing exercises that target that body part.
You know, like thinking ab exercises burn belly fat, back exercises burn back fat, chest exercises burn chest fat, arm exercises burn arm fat, leg exercises burn leg fat, and so on. The question is, is any of this actually possible or is it just a big dumb myth?
Well, simply put…
Spot Reduction Is Bullshit
Despite the many silly things people do in their workouts, the tons of terrible diet and fitness information in existence, and the blatant lies being told to you by companies selling various types of fitness equipment and ab exercise machines, spot reduction is nothing but a completely impossible myth.
You can’t make your body lose fat from one specific area just by doing exercises for that area. Fat can only be lost from the body as a whole in an order that is predetermined by your genetics. Honestly, the only way around this fact is with liposuction.
There are just no magical workout methods, exercises or machines that can make it happen. Don’t believe me? Alright…
Here’s Proof That It’s Just A Stupid Myth
So much money is being made thanks to the myth of spot reduction that scientific studies were actually done to prove how wrong it is.
The first one that comes to mind tested the body fat percentage of the left and right arm of tennis players. If spot reduction were possible, then the arm the players use to hold and swing the racket would have less fat on it than the arm they don’t use.
The results? There was no difference whatsoever between either arm.
So, for everyone doing a million sets of crunches and other ab exercises thinking it’s having any direct effect whatsoever on the fat on your stomach… you are completely wasting your time. If anything, all you’re doing is overtraining the crap out of your abdominal muscles. The fat covering them will remain completely unchanged.
The same is true for every other body part and muscle group no matter what anyone (or anything) else claims. Why? Because…
Exercises Target Muscles, Not Fat
There really is no better way to explain why spot reduction is a myth than by telling you that the only thing exercises actually target is muscles, not the fat that is covering those muscles. So then how do you lose that fat from the specific spot you want to lose it from?
Simple. You create a caloric deficit through either a proper diet, exercise, or a combination of both. As I explain in my guide to how to lose weight, the only thing you need to do for fat loss to take place is consume less calories than you burn. This creates a deficit of calories, and that causes your body to burn your own stored body fat for energy instead.
This is the ONLY thing that will ever allow you to lose fat from the entire body as a whole, and this is the ONLY way the human body is actually capable of losing fat.
Like I mentioned earlier, the order in which specific body parts begin to lose fat is predetermined by your generics and is impossible to change. This means most men will typically lose fat from their lower abs last (and gain it there first) just like most women will typically lose fat from their thighs and hips last (and gain it there first). Nothing you do can change the way your body stores and loses fat.
However, as long as you have a proper diet and/or workout routine that causes a caloric deficit to exist, then fat will ALWAYS be lost. And at some point it will eventually start to come off from the specific body part you were hoping to originally use the spot reduction myth to lose it from.
This might not be what you were hoping to hear, but it’s the truth. The truth might hurt, but it also saves you time, effort and money. Speaking of saving money…
But This Product Claims It’s NOT A Myth!!!
I know what you’re thinking now. You saw one of the many hilariously stupid infomercials advertising some completely useless ab exercise machine or fitness product of some kind that makes it seem as though spot reduction is completely real and not a myth.
Well, if you’re going to try to sell a product that doesn’t actually do what it claims (and NONE of these products ever do what they claim), you’re going to need to start lying in order to make sales. In the case of all of these crappy machines, spot reduction is the lie they most often tell.
In fact, these infomercials are probably the #1 reason this myth exists in the first place and remains alive after all these years. These companies literally come out and say that using their magical machine will directly burn the fat from the specific body part it targets. And this flat out lie is how they trick uninformed people into buying useless crap (most often abdominal exercise machines).
I know it’s bullshit. By reading this, you know it’s bullshit too. And the company themselves? Yup, they definitely know. The only people who don’t are the ones still gullible enough to get their credit card ready for “3 easy payments of $19.95.” Until the day that stops, these useless products will keep on existing and the spot reduction myth will keep on living.
Let’s Kill This Myth Once And For All
So, here’s the big point. Spot reduction is a myth believed by people who don’t know any better and a lie used to sell useless products and machine to those very people.
The truth is, ab exercises will NOT get rid of your belly fat. Leg exercises will not help you lose fat from your legs. Back exercises will not get reduce your back fat. Tricep exercises will not burn the fat on the back of your arms. Chest exercises will not get rid of your man boobs. The fact remains the same for every other muscle group and body part you can think of.
Exercises and machines target muscles, a proper diet targets fat. Spot reduction is a myth that can’t actually happen. Don’t waste your time (or money) trying.
***NEW*** Still have questions about what workout routine and diet will work best for you and the results you want? Need help putting it all together? Well, after nearly 10 years of requests, I’ve finally created the ultimate solution.
I call it The Ultimate Fat Loss & Muscle Building Guide, and in it I provide all of the answers, details and facts that make up the highly proven workout and diet system I’ve used to help countless men and women completely transform their bodies. Now it’s your turn. Learn more here.