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The Truth About Spot Reduction

By Joe Thiel

Claims Made by the "Experts"!

There exists a disregard for physiological facts on the part of those profiting from the sale of "muscle-specific" exercise devices claiming their use to result in localized fat loss. For example, performing abdominal exercises using any one of the currently marketed "ab-isolating" devices, or even doing appropriately prescribed sit-ups for that matter, does little or nothing to rid the waistline of fat as is so often claimed. These devices and the above stated exercise have value in conditioning muscles in the abdominal region but that is the extent of their usefulness. This is not to diminish the need for core training, simply to state that it does not lend to fat loss.

Understandably, the overweight and unfit want so badly to find an easy answer that little can be done to discourage their purchase of inappropriately marketed and only marginally valuable devices. In the face of professionally produced infomercials and advertisements touting credible endorsements, it is definitely an uphill battle to educate consumers to the contrary.

Common Sense -vs.- Spot Reduction

There is simply no such things as localized extramuscular fat loss, no matter how biomechanical correct the device, the credibility of the endorsement, or the form/type of exercise prescribed. Consumers are in desperate need of insight through fitness education that dispels otherwise believable myths such as these localized fat loss claims. Fitness education leads to understanding, and understanding leads to the design of no-nonsense, effective overall fitness programs.

Any learned and experienced personal fitness trainer would tell you that resistance exercises performed for a specific muscle group will not result in fat loss only in and around the target muscle group area. Take the misguided, overweight beginning resistance trainee who religiously performs biceps curls and no other resistance exercise. After several months in the gym will this, now seasoned trainee be boasting lean hard biceps attached to an otherwise fat sloppy physique?! Imagine running, being one of the most researched and long-practiced types of fat burning exercises, resulting in localized fat loss. If indeed localized fat loss were possible among runners, why aren't initially overweight runners now sporting unchanged overweight upper torsos balanced atop lean, well-conditioned and muscular legs?! After all, aren't the lower extremities solely involved in this type of activity?! There is no difference between these ridiculous considerations and the claims made that training abdominals results in fat loss around the waistline. It just doesn't work that way. Period.

About the Author:

Joe Thiel is a certified personal trainer. He has personally trained hundereds of satisfied clients throughout the Midwest. He currently owns and operates personal training studios in Springfield, IL and Chesterfield, MO. He can be

His websites: http://www.ftspringfield.com and http://www.ftchesterfield.com