The Spot Training Myth

You’ve probably heard the claims that you can change your body overnight with this brand new gadget or exercise program. The spot training myth abounds!

“Lose the belly”  

“Banish your trouble zones”

“Drop stubborn fat off your thighs by drinking this special shake”

There are so many gadgets, supplements, nutritional products, and exercise programs on the market these days telling us we can lose the fat off our thighs, arms and belly.  It’s no wonder we’re more confused than ever!

But, can you really lose fat from specific places – and not others?

A recent study looked compared the results of women who focused on diet changes only, and those who made dietary changes but also did abdominal strengthening exercises.

Researchers wanted to see if the addition of abdominal exercises had any bearing on belly fat loss . [ 1 ] 

And, the results? Both the exercising group AND the non exercising group saw almost identical results!

All of the participants lost overall body fat, reduced their BMI, and lost belly fat. The women who added abdominal exercises (attempting spot reduction) were no further ahead at reducing belly fat (or overall body fat) than their non-exercising counterparts. 

And, the takeaway? Spot reduction exercises seem like a great idea, but they just don’t work. You can’t pick and choose where you want your body to lose fat.

Our bodies are each unique and they store fat differently based on our individual situations.

When we lose weight, our bodies decide where it’s going to keep fat and where it’s going to release it.

Factors such as our age, gender, hormones, and genetics all play a role in how and where our bodies store fat. Alas, the spot training myth is just that, a myth.

Can you “spot tone”?

So, if you can’t spot reduce certain areas of your body, can you “spot tone” them?  Well, sort of.

If you want to achieve that 6-pack look, you can start working on your core training regime.  Over time, you will gain strength and build muscle. However, if you’re still carrying a hefty layer of body fat over your abs, you won’t be able to see this hard-earned definition.

Furthermore, only training one or two specific muscle groups on your body is not the most “functional” way to train.  All the muscles in our body work together to move us safely and efficiently every single day.

Our exercise regime should be no different!

So, what actually works to shed body fat and tone “trouble areas”?

Chris McGrath , ACE Fitness Consultant says, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you want to burn more fat and ‘sculpt’ more muscle, increase your fitness level.” [ 2 ]

He advocates for full-body resistance training exercises , and focusing on larger muscle groups with [simple bodyweight] exercises such as:

  • Squats
  • Lunges
  • Pull-ups
  • Push-ups

McGrath also adds, “These movements incorporate large and small muscles, giving you far more bang for the buck.  Work them in a circuit fashion that promotes non-stop movement and you can improve your fitness even more.”

Nutrition is the magic bullet!

The one thing that both groups in the previously mentioned study had in common was a change in dietary habits.  I know – shocker!

The bottom line is really that the food we consume (or don’t consume) has more effect on your bottom line.

A balance of proteins, healthy fats, fruits, and veggies will give you a strong advantage in reducing your overall body fat.  Sorry if this wasn’t the “magic bullet” you were seeking, but nutrition really does play a huge part in (re)shaping our bodies. 

Now that we know that spot training myth is bunk, check out this Spicy Fat Burning Chili with the metabolic boosting advantage of chili peppers [ 3 ] to reduce your overall body fat. 

RECIPE:

Spicy Fat Burning Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 pound ground turkey, lean

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, any color

1-2 finely chopped Serrano or Jalapeño peppers – remove the seeds for less heat!

2 cans (x 400mL) diced tomatoes, no salt added

1 can (400mL) red kidney beans

1 can (400mL) pinto beans

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

Preparation:

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the turkey, and cook until browned.

Toss in the onion, garlic and peppers, and saute until tender. Add the tomatoes, beans and spices, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until chili thickens. Serve and enjoy!

REFERENCES

The post The Spot Training Myth appeared first on No Limits Fitness.

About No Limits

No Limits Fitness provides step-by-step programs to help busy adults get the body they’ve always wanted, without restrictive diets or time-consuming workouts, so they can lead more fulfilling lives. Life is a much better experience in a strong, healthy body!

Recent Posts

The Single Biggest Predictor of Success With Your Fitness

By Juan Perez • 03 May, 2024
Every year millions of people make the resolution to improve their fitness. It’s not exactly a secret that the majority of these good intentions will quickly turn into empty promises. When you first get started, your excitement and energy are high and it’s easy to feel like you’re in control and that your will power alone will help you through the difficult days ahead. The reality is that you’ll probably have more days when you don’t “feel” like training. This is the reason we preach Standards Over Feelings because we understand how fundamental this is for human behavior. There have been several studies on human behavior that have helped identify the single biggest predictor of success when it comes to long-term consistency with your fitness. It’s not keeping a gym bag ready and with you at all times…although this helps. Setting your gym clothes out the night before is a great idea…but it’s still not the determining factor. Surprisingly it’s not even having an accountability partner. Schedule in advance when and where you’ll do your training. Everything else is simply in support of this habit. Being accountable to someone you don’t want to disappoint is incredibly helpful, but if you haven’t taken that first step, accountability falls short. Having been that accountability piece for hundreds of people, I’ve been ignored and ghosted more times than I can count. Even my sister stopped responding to text messages and phone calls at one point. (I called our mother but apparently you can’t put an adult on restriction). Scheduling in advance WHEN and WHERE you’ll workout is the single most important step to developing consistency with your fitness. This helps you develop integrity with yourself…if you say you’ll do something, that thing gets done. Period. Show up like a boss and bosses don’t cancel. Your training is time on your calendar dedicated to getting better. The workouts on your calendar become non-negotiable. You don’t wake up and see how you “feel” because you already know there will be days you don’t “feel” like it. In advance, you schedule your training where it best fits into your life with your responsibilities. Once you’ve planned your work, you show up and work the plan. If you fail to plan the work, you’re significantly increasing the likelihood of failure. Ask someone that has been remarkably consistent with their fitness if they know when and where they’ll workout.  This has already been decided. Their feelings aren’t involved in the process. If you truly want to be consistent with your fitness, this habit is a must: Schedule in advance when and where you’ll workout.

Crunch-Free Zone: 5 Exercises For Stronger Abs

By Will Matthiessen • 19 Apr, 2024
Crunches.  The go-to core exercise for a lot of gym goers. Yet, it’s one of the worst ab exercises you can do. Shocking, I know. You’re probably wondering why it’s one of the worst. Crunches put force on your spine and oftentimes strain on your neck. They force your spine into flexion, which is generally what people are told not to do in order to protect their back. Aside from the pressure it puts on your spine, crunches don’t activate your core muscles to the extent that a lot of other dynamic core exercises do. If your goal is to have sculpted abs like a lifeguard on Baywatch, crunches are not your solution. Aside from the aesthetic aspect, a strong core is important for your body’s balance and stability, posture, and reduction of back pain and other injuries. If you want to develop a rock hard core, here is a list of exercises better than the old fashioned crunches that you can start incorporating into your workouts: The Hard Style Plank Put your forearms on the ground and your arms set shoulder width apart. Your arms should be parallel to your body. Once you’re up in the plank, imagine squeezing your elbows to your knees and your knees to your elbows. Don’t be surprised if you start shaking like a leaf as soon as you create that tension. Dead Bugs Lie on your back with your arms straight up and your hands above your shoulders. Bend your legs at a 90-degree angle with your toes facing up at the ceiling. Imagine pushing your belly button into the ground and keeping your body tight enough to where if someone was pulling on your limbs, you’d be able to resist it. Next extend your right arm and left leg at the same time, without touching the ground. Keep pushing your belly button into the ground to avoid arching your back. The right leg that is still bent should stay completely still while the other leg is in motion. Bring your arm and leg back into the start position and then switch sides. When it comes to Dead Bugs, one of our favorite sayings applies: “Slowly is holy. Faster is disaster.” If you want to increase the intensity, add a kettlebell to the stationary arm. If you want to significantly increase the intensity, press the kettlebell once you’ve reached the fully extended position. Reverse Crunches Lie down flat with your back on the floor and your legs straight down, toes pointed up. Press your lower back into the floor and pull in your belly button as you lift your legs together up off the floor. Push your heels through the ceiling at the top and slowly lower them back to the ground. Fun, right? Double Kettlebell March Hold two heavy kettlebells in the racked position. Pull your belly button to your knees and your knees to your belly button to find max tension in your core. Once you feel that tension, slowly lift one knee up 90 degrees and then switch legs. Hollow Rocks I’ve saved the worst (I mean best) for last. Lay down on the ground with your legs a little bit off of the ground as well as your shoulder blades and head. With arms extended over your head, rock back and forth like a banana rocking back and forth on a counter. Or a see-saw…take your pick. Alright, now that I’ve given you the secret sauce to getting rock hard abs, it’s time to get to work people!

How To Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

By Juan Perez • 05 Apr, 2024
One of the first recommendations you’ll hear for someone wanting to lose weight is to begin by counting calories. Although weighing your food and counting calories does work for some people, the reality is that this approach to weight loss has an astonishingly high failure rate. If this strategy is “based in science”, why does it fail more than 95% of the time? The Top 3 Issues With Counting Calories The number of calories in the foods you eat are estimates. This is where the concept of counting calories being “based in science” can be misleading. The FDA allows companies to use 5 different formulas to estimate calories and a standard deviation up to 20% is acceptable. This means that something listed as 150 calories exists on a range between 120 calories and 180 calories. How ripe is your banana? The ripeness affects caloric availability. The second issue is that as individuals we each absorb a different amount of the calories from the food we consume. Thirdly, Americans are notoriously bad at determining healthy portion sizes. Our super-sized culture has heavily influenced our concept of a normal sized portion. The good news is that there is another way to lose weight without counting calories. The Three Pillars of Nutrition Whether or not you’re a card-carrying member of Camp Calorie Counters, the foundation of your nutrition is built upon three pillars: Food Quality, Food Quantity and Food Timing. Food Quality All calories are not created equal. The popular 100 calorie snack bags do not offer the same nutritional value as 100 calories from fruits or vegetables. When the majority of your meals are composed of minimally processed single ingredient whole foods (lean protein, fruits and vegetables), you’re more likely to get the micronutrients your body needs to thrive. Food Quantity As mentioned earlier, Americans aren’t known for our skills at eyeballing healthy portion sizes. Although using a food scale to determine portion sizes can be helpful, it isn’t always practical. This is the reason we recommend learning to use your hand as a guide to determine portion sizes. You can’t take a food scale with you everywhere you go but you’re always allowed to bring your hands!
Show More
Share by: