Myth or Not?? Body Fat Spot Reduction Is Possible Through Specific Nutrition & Exercise
As a fitness coach, this idea underlies one of the most common desires of people I interact with on a daily basis.
It comes in the form of various questions and statements - truly not that many and I’ll share some of them with you - but the idea is always the same. Losing body fat preferentially from specific areas of the body.
“I’d like to get a six pack so I know I need to do Ab workouts.”
“I’d like to tone my arms.”
“Can I focus on chest exercises to get rid of my man boobs?”
“What do I need to eat to get rid of my belly fat?”
“I’m planning to eliminate carbs, particularly sugars so that I can lose belly fat.”
“I need to do a lot of leg workouts so that I can have smaller legs that are more sculpted.”
So Where Did This All Come From?
It truly seems like an unfortunate combination of wishful thinking and surface level intuitive plausibility together magnified by a supplement and commercial fitness industry incentivized by profits to support these beliefs.
Let’s look a bit closer into both the desires reflected in the above statements and questions, and what the process of fat loss from an energy balance perspective actually looks like.
The Central Desires
In the end, the desire for a visible six-pack, toned arms, leaner legs, and a defined chest (among many other variations on the theme) all can be reduced to a singular idea. That of having a physique that is both simultaneously sufficiently lean (low body fat level) and with sufficient muscle tissue in order to provide the visual aesthetic perception of muscle definition (or tone).
This perception is the end goal.
So how does one achieve this? Typically, via stepwise focus on either the process of reducing body fat, or the process of building muscle tissue. The relative order of which is based on personal preference generally but can be influenced by factors including current body composition in order to identify an efficient process.
Energy In vs. Energy Out For Fat Loss
Without diving into the Laws of Thermodynamics, the reality is that an energy deficit, also called a “calorie deficit” is necessary for reducing body fat. Generally, if one consumes less energy from food than the body requires for sustaining all processes (basic life processes in addition to all movements etc), then body weight will decrease.
There are specific interventions which may support the great majority of such weight lost to be derived from the body’s primary energy stores - the lipids within adipose tissue (and muscle and the liver)
The opposite is generally true of a calorie or energy surplus, where weight is gained - either via muscle hypertrophy or typically storage of fats within adipose tissue.
How To Achieve A Calorie Deficit
This energy balance equation can be influenced in favor of a deficit by reducing calories consumed, or by increasing energy expenditure - typically through structured exercise, or by non-structured movement or activity - also known as non-exercise activity thermogenesis or NEAT.
Generally, the most potent lever of these is reducing caloric intake from food. NEAT, and exercise in their own right can be potent effectors depending on the person in question and their specific circumstances. Given the potential to increase output via movements not considered “exercise”, most people have a significant opportunity to increase the size of their calorie deficit by simply being more active on a daily basis.
Taken to the extreme, conceptually at least - it has been shown that individuals who routinely fidget or have a high level of spontaneous body movements like pacing etc have the capacity for significantly higher output than individuals who do not.
Then, there is the topic of exercise with broad and varied approaches that differ in intensity, duration, volume, load, and preferred fuel source.
Without going into an exhaustive treatment of exercise variables and their preferential fuel source (whether fat or carbohydrate based on aerobic vs anaerobic thresholds), let us at a basic level recognize that exercise requires energy and therefore can contribute to a calorie deficit.
Let us also recognize that resistance training at or above a required threshold will induce local damage, cell swelling or metabolic damage that requires repair. These repair processes as well as physical adaptations to support future exposure to similar training stimuli will result in increase in size of muscle fibers (aka hypertrophy). These processes require energy - thereby contributing to a calorie deficit, and larger muscle fibers themselves require greater energy for sustenance.The benefits of resistance training therefore can be thought of as providing two avenues for increased energy output - repair / growth and sustenance of new tissue.
Does Localized Fat Loss Result From Specifically Targeting That Region of The Body With Exercise?
With the above information in hand, we can now ask the questions as to whether exercising the muscles within the region where reduced body fat is desired, will produce (1) local reductions in body fat and (2) the underlying “real” desire of the perception of a “lean and toned” body region.
But specific strategy is “right” FOR YOU “right now” DEPENDS ON YOU, (AS LONG AS a CALORIE DEFICIT Is at the CENTER of your plan)
The scientific literature addressing this is largely inconclusive; although with some support for the possibility that it could occur with somewhat increased regional mobilization of fatty acid stores, but in the context of a global calorie deficit and global reduction in body fat.
But before we get too carried away that there is some theoretical support for the idea, let’s examine whether this will produce the actual end result that triggered the question in the first place.
Will doing endless abdominal exercises produce the aesthetic physique that many men are after, or will doing high frequency and volume arm or leg exercises produce lean toned arms or legs that women often desire?
The unfortunate truth is maybe not!
To understand why, let’s take the case of high frequency, volume abdominal exercises. In the presence of a sustained calorie deficit and subsequent global reduction in body fat, this may trigger a greater relative reduction in body fat around the waist. However, the resistance training will likely trigger an increase in the size of the musculature around the waist, leading to an overall thickening at the waist.
Depending on the individual involved, their initial starting point physique, the end result may not be what they had imagined or desired.
In the case of women aiming for sleek defined arms, the same forces are at play, overall body fat reduction - which is desired and desirable; the potential for slightly greater relative fat lost from the arms, but with increased muscle tissue. Again, the end result vs the initial desire needs to be considered.
The Take-Home Messages!
In the end, a thoughtful, moderate and consistent calorie deficit coupled with balanced total body resistance training to support preservation of lean muscle tissue (critical while in a calorie deficit) in the presence of sufficient cardiovascular training for overall cardiovascular health benefits appears the most effective route to pursue for the average adult individual aiming for both improved health and improvement in physique aesthetics.
What About Supplements For Fat Loss?
Of note, this discussion has deliberately omitted treatment of various pharmaceutical compounds which may influence the rate of fat loss in general by impacting systems including but not limited to insulin release, signaling, the glucagon, GLP-1 pathway, among others. It is acknowledged however that there is active investigation of the influence of the neural system, innervation of fat tissue and subsequent epinephrine release on the rate of lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation which could bear fruit in the future.
Nutritional supplementation has also deliberately not been addressed as these are neither regulated in a stringent manner as to the specific compounds contained, nor the concentrations therein. As such, any discussion would be largely speculative and may reflect back on evidence relevant to various pharmaceutical compounds studied in more reliable settings
What Do You Think?
I’d absolutely love to hear both your thoughts on body-fat spot reduction, your experiences with fat loss and any questions you have on the topic! Leave a comment below!
I’m Driven To Help People Just Like You!
That’s why I created this post! That’s why I’m a coach!
So the question is, are YOU READY for LASTING CHANGE!?
Now that you know that losing belly fat, or arm fat, or love handles, or man boobs isn’t something that you can specifically target by itself, isn’t it time for an effective, efficient, and overall smarter approach to achieving your goals?
Are YOU READY to LOSE FAT FOREVER?!
Send me a message here, and I’ll get in touch so we can get you on the road to the results you deserve, and that you never thought were even possible for you!