Spot Reduction
Sadly, spot reduction is not possible.
You can’t lose fat on certain areas of your body just by doing exercises targeting those areas.
To lose fat, you have to eat a low calorie diet that supplies fewer calories than you burn throughout the day. If you want to lose body fat, you will need to change your nutrition instead of your exercise program.
Some people carry more fat on certain areas of their body. When you do lose weight, you may still carry more fat on certain areas of your body.
For instance, you might notice changes in your upper body and face first before seeing changes in your legs or lower body.
Most women have to get pretty lean to show definition in their legs and glutes. Most men have to get pretty lean before showing definition in their abdomen and lower back.
Overweight and obese people need to lose a lot of body fat before they show muscle definition.
Strength Training
Even though strength training cannot reduce fat on a specific area of your body, it will still help you build muscle.
Once you do lose body fat through your diet, that muscle definition will be more visible.
So if you want to achieve a better body composition, you should change your diet and perform strength training.
Can you spot reduce arm fat?
You cannot spot reduce arm fat, or any other fat from your body.
To lose fat from your arms, you need to create a calorie deficit with your diet. Still, you should also perform arm exercises to build arm muscle and strength.
Can you spot reduce legs?
You cannot spot reduce leg fat, or any other fat from your body.
To lose fat from your legs, you need to eat fewer calories than you burn.
Still, you should perform leg exercises to build leg muscle and strength.
Can you spot reduce abs?
You cannot spot reduce fat on your abs or any other part of your body. You still need to consume fewer calories than you burn to lose body fat.
One study found that abdominal exercise did not reduce belly fat. However, abdominal exercise did improve muscle endurance in the abdominal muscles.
Final Thoughts
Sadly, spot reduction is a myth. You cannot lose fat from certain body parts just by doing targeted exercises.
To lose a meaningful amount of fat, you still need to reduce the number of calories you consume daily. While you don’t have to eat drastically low calories, you do need to eat less than you burn daily to start burning stored body fat.
While strength training cannot create spot reduction, it can help you build muscle mass, strength and muscle endurance.
