‘Get rid of your abdominal fat in seven days’, or so the typical ads go. Belly fat reduction is the primary fitness quest for most, and there are many training programmes doing the rounds that promises not just that but even the much vaunted six packs. Other popular ones are cellulite reduction of the thighs, the glutes… the list is rather endless. But is there any truth to these claims of reducing fat in specific regions of the body regardless of what your fitness levels are? Are these training programmes, some of which are available for free on the internet, fads? Experts give a lowdown on targeted weight loss or spot reduction, deciphering the science.
What is targeted weight loss?
Spot reduction or targeted weight loss work on the idea that one could lose fat in certain parts of the body – like abdominal fat, the fat in the inner thigh region – by exercising muscles in the area.
“What people have in mind when it comes to spot reduction is losing fat from one particular part of the body,” says Gautam Sangappa, a fitness consultant and founder of Proton Fitness Academy, Bengaluru.
One can do different exercises that work on specific muscle groups and help tone the muscles of that region, but the question remains whether they necessarily burn fat in that region.
“In targeted weight loss, people exercise a particular part, or a particular muscle to reduce the fat or utilize the fat from that area. But that doesn’t happen as there’s a different pattern of how the body uses fat,” says Syed Tanzeem Pasha, a personal training coach at FITTR, Bengaluru.
Is spot reduction a myth?
According to a review article, irrespective of the type of population (age, sex) or the type of exercise programme, there is no effect on the localized adipose tissue deposits of the muscles that are being trained. In other words, there will be no spot reduction.
“For example, if an individual who is obese follows a fitness routine to beat obesity, exercises only the right side of the body, involving his right arms and right legs, if targeted weight loss works, then the right side should be super toned and left side should remain fat. But this doesn’t happen. Spot reduction is a myth,” explains Sangappa.
How does fat loss happen with exercise?
Fat, which is an energy source for the body apart from carbohydrates and proteins, is stored in the form of adipose tissue, below the skin layer or found surrounding the internal organs. While working out, the fat is burnt throughout the body.
“When the body reaches a calorie deficit stage, and the energy from the glycogen is exhausted, that’s when the body’s next preferred source of energy, the fat, is tapped,” says Pasha. “Fat that is stored in the form of triglycerides in the fat cells (adipose cells) of the body break down further to form fatty acids and glycerol which reach the muscles that require the energy through the blood stream. That’s how the fat gets burnt.”
“Fat oxidation or breaking down of the fatty acids help getting rid of the fat. To do this one will have to increase the metabolism in the human body, by increasing the amount of movement. So, in the process fatty acids get oxidised giving out carbon dioxide and water as the byproducts. The carbon dioxide is expelled out while breathing and water is removed from the body in the form of sweat and urine,” adds Sangappa.
How to increase fat loss
Spot reduction and targeted weight loss are not the path one should be taking in the fitness journey. Intake of fat burners will also have a lot of side effects. The key is to work towards overall body fat reduction to become fit instead. There are certain means and methods that help one achieve this.
“For example, while doing a high intensity workout, there might not be much of fat expenditure at that time,” says Sangappa. “But the high intensity workout stimulates the EPOC (excess post-workout oxygen expenditure) which increases the metabolism rate throughout the day thus aiding in fat burning.”
Similarly, one can perform resistance training exercises that increase muscle mass and aid in better fat metabolism throughout the day. Decreasing the calorie intake and increasing the calorie expenditure speedens the fat loss process.
“Good nutrition and exercise in all formats – resistance training for the entire body without necessarily targeting any specific region, cardio that includes all the major muscle groups, certain flexibility exercises which can augment both the resistance training and cardio, can help burn fat,” says Sangappa.
Takeaways
- Spot reduction or targeted weight loss works on the idea of losing fat in a specific region of the body by working on muscles groups there.
- Spot reduction is a myth, say experts. Even though certain muscle groups can be targeted during workout, the fat expenditure comes from different adipose tissue deposits throughout the body and not exactly from the localised muscle that is being worked on.
- Burning fat throughout the body can be done by getting the nutrition right and doing resistance, cardiovascular and flexibility exercises.
