Getting Fit: The myth of ‘spot reduction’
This week’s article is on an area that I also hear a lot about, “Spot Reduction.” Everyone has seen those TV commercials where someone is trying to sell you a machine, abdominal exerciser, or thigh minimizer, while also telling you that you can lose that midsection by using their machine in just a few weeks.
Well, you can’t.
I had a reader e-mail me saying that she had just turned 40, was the mother of two children and had battled losing weight despite going on and off many diets. It wasn’t until she started exercising and eating healthy foods that the weight came off and stayed off. TK’s question was that no matter how many crunches she did, she still had a “pooch,” that just wouldn’t go away.
OK, TK, here is you answer: Every woman deals with this so-called “pooch,” especially if you have had kids, and even men have this “pooch,” but they just call it a “gut.” The only way to get rid of that “pooch” is a combination of things — weight training, abdominal exercises, lots of intense cardio, and eating those healthy foods that you love so much.
Probably one of the biggest myths in the fitness industry is that you can pick out one area of the body and “spot reduce.” No matter how many crunches, chest exercises, leg lifts, or arm curls you do, you will only tone and strengthen the muscle underneath that layer of fat strapped to your belly, arms, and legs.
“If spot reduction worked, people could chew gum and have super skinny faces.”
I frequently explain to women that the place where they want to lose the weight first, is probably going to be the last place that they actually lose it. The reason for this is that the genes you are born with help to determine where your body is going to store fat. You can however work to change your body’s shape with the fat reduction approach I mentioned earlier, weight training, abdominal exercises, lots of intense cardio, and healthy eating habits.
Weight training helps the body to gain strength and muscle, therefore increasing your metabolism — or your body’s “furnace” for burning fat. The more muscle you have in your body, the less fat you have in your body, therefore giving you a leaner and sleeker appearance.
There are three areas of your abdominals that you need to work: Upper, lower, and obloques. Crunches will work the upper abdominals giving you the top part of the “six-pack abs.” The “pooch” area is really your lower abdominals and this area is worked when both the spine and hips are flexed, for examples hip raises and reverse curls. Your obloques are worked when you combine a crunch while turning to the opposite side. All abdominal exercises will help to tone and strengthen the muscle underneath that layer of fat and without this tone muscle your stomach area would just be a blob.
Cardio is the only way that you are going to burn that fat off your stomach, butt, legs — or wherever it may be. A lot of people think that just walking will do this. I have people tell me that they do a lot of walking with no results. You can not go out and take a stroll for two miles at dusk, you have really got to bust your butt and hustle.
Developing healthy eating habits is a major part of changing your body’s shape. You have got to watch what goes in your mouth is you really want to lose fat. Many people tell me that eating healthy is no fun or tastes terrible. Arnold Schwarzenegger was once asked, “What do you eat to stay fit,” and he replied by saying, “if it tastes good then its probably not good for you.”
Taste is acquired, a mind set so to speak. Some people love the taste of guacamole and some people can not stand it. Therefore you need to change your acquired tastes. After you have not had that fat-loaded Ranch dressing for a while, you will not miss it.
So to everyone out there, if you’re tired of lugging around that spare tire, pooch, flab, saddlebags or whatever you want to call it, you can change it, but it is going to take a commitment on your part. And again it is not going to happen in just a few weeks time like so many of those commercials tell you. You have to stick with your weight training, abdominal exercises, cardio training, and healthy eating habits for a lifetime. Permanent changes in your lifestyle result in permanent changes in the way you look and feel.
TK, I hope that I’ve helped to answer question, thank you for writing in and if you want more ideas, please e-mail me back or drop in and see me. Remember, if you have a question, please e-mail me at [email protected]. Label your e-mails “fitness question.” Or, you can write to me at Paige Northcutt, P.O. Box 7281, McMinnville, or drop by USA Gym Monday-Friday.
Until next week, have a Happy Easter and think about what you’re eating.