You cannot target fat loss!!!
antdelsa
Posts: 174 Member
Hey guys,
So one of the things that i really hate is seeing these "trainers" and tv shows that give people the wrong information, the biggest of them all is targeting fat.
There is no way at all to target a specific area and burn fat, thats not how our bodies work.
There is no reason for you to do a million crunches a day to lose belly fat, i see this time and time and time again and its just a waste of time.
If you have the flabby arms, big belly, or whatever the only way you'll lose that is through proper nutrition and by dropping your over all bf% our bodies burn fat for energy, so the harder you're working out the more you're burning, it generally takes from the easiest source it can and doesn't just target one area of your body.
Get yourselves a balanced diet and workout plan, do compound movements in the gym and stop walking on the treadmill for hours and hours, rev it up with some hiit training, get that heart rate up and the calories will burn extremely fast, you have to shock your bodies and keep it guessing!!!
Doing the same exercises over and over again, day i and day out while at first you'll lose some weight, will only lead to a plateau and slow progression with your goals.
Our bodies are highly adaptive and you have to keep it guessing, you have to challenge it and push it for optimal results, that with a balanced nutrition plan will lead to the results you desire over time.
So one of the things that i really hate is seeing these "trainers" and tv shows that give people the wrong information, the biggest of them all is targeting fat.
There is no way at all to target a specific area and burn fat, thats not how our bodies work.
There is no reason for you to do a million crunches a day to lose belly fat, i see this time and time and time again and its just a waste of time.
If you have the flabby arms, big belly, or whatever the only way you'll lose that is through proper nutrition and by dropping your over all bf% our bodies burn fat for energy, so the harder you're working out the more you're burning, it generally takes from the easiest source it can and doesn't just target one area of your body.
Get yourselves a balanced diet and workout plan, do compound movements in the gym and stop walking on the treadmill for hours and hours, rev it up with some hiit training, get that heart rate up and the calories will burn extremely fast, you have to shock your bodies and keep it guessing!!!
Doing the same exercises over and over again, day i and day out while at first you'll lose some weight, will only lead to a plateau and slow progression with your goals.
Our bodies are highly adaptive and you have to keep it guessing, you have to challenge it and push it for optimal results, that with a balanced nutrition plan will lead to the results you desire over time.
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Replies
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While you can't target fat loss, you CAN tone certain areas through targeted exercise.3
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I was with you, OP, until you told me to stop walking and to shock my body with HIIT.20
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Shock the body? Oh boy!6
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rosebarnalice wrote: »While you can't target fat loss, you CAN tone certain areas through targeted exercise.
This isn't true...
"Toning" is simply building muscle and reducing body fat, while you can target muscle gains you can't target fat loss, "toning" is a myth and an overly used expression that tricks people into programs and this false idea of targeted weight loss.
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Yeah I was with you until you said stop walking and do HIIT....As if thats the only way to exercise effectively... And "shocking your body so it works beter" Is just stupid. How well do you do on a test when your shocked and kept guessing? Even the most basic thought behind it is stupid XD11
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Whats wrong with HIIT ? Lol its not tough at all go on a treadmill walk for a minute sprint for 30 secs and do this 10 times, increase the intensity each week, its simple... yes you'll be out of breath and probably wanting to quit, but I'd much rather be on a treadmill for 15 mins than for an hour plus, all I'm trying to say is push yourselves harder in the gym, challenge your bodies to go past the limits YOU have set for it mentally and you'll see quicker results3
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There is no such thing as "tone"
Your muscles have a predefined shape, and look.....genetics.
You will see what you have when you reduce your body fat enough to show the muscle.
Assuming that you do something to maintain/develop said muscle during weight loss.6 -
Whats wrong with HIIT ? Lol its not tough at all go on a treadmill walk for a minute sprint for 30 secs and do this 10 times, increase the intensity each week, its simple... yes you'll be out of breath and probably wanting to quit, but I'd much rather be on a treadmill for 15 mins than for an hour plus, all I'm trying to say is push yourselves harder in the gym, challenge your bodies to go past the limits YOU have set for it mentally and you'll see quicker results
Most people don't do HIIT right. And steady state cardio is good too!4 -
I actually came into this thread because your username is so similar to mine it made me do a double take! hahaha
But I love walking. And I also love HIIT.. but I decided not to do it while losing because it is taxing and tends to affect my recovery for lifting... so no bueno for me. I think it's best to let people do what they love to do, everyone has different goals
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You should have stopped while you were ahead rather than start adding a load of other myths!
Best to avoid using absolute phrases like "the only way....". Because if you think about it there are many methods to achieve fat loss not just one.14 -
rosebarnalice wrote: »While you can't target fat loss, you CAN tone certain areas through targeted exercise.
This isn't true...
"Toning" is simply building muscle and reducing body fat, while you can target muscle gains you can't target fat loss, "toning" is a myth and an overly used expression that tricks people into programs and this false idea of targeted weight loss.
I never said it was fat loss, but whether it's muscle gain or toning, I'll take it!
When I changed up my swimming routine to incorporate strokes that require different muscle groups than I had been using, I didn't lose a single pound, but my (formerly) flabby thighs and batwings sure noticed, and I actually got abs!
Pants that used to grip my waist and thighs began hanging off me, and blouses that used to bind around the armhole and upper arm loosened up noticeably. I even own a few tank tops now!
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This. I think this is what most people are really meaning, anyway.rosebarnalice wrote: »While you can't target fat loss, you CAN tone certain areas through targeted exercise.
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Whats wrong with HIIT ? Lol its not tough at all go on a treadmill walk for a minute sprint for 30 secs and do this 10 times, increase the intensity each week, its simple... yes you'll be out of breath and probably wanting to quit, but I'd much rather be on a treadmill for 15 mins than for an hour plus, all I'm trying to say is push yourselves harder in the gym, challenge your bodies to go past the limits YOU have set for it mentally and you'll see quicker results
Nothing's wrong with HIIT. What's wrong with walking? Why does my exercise routine have to be HIIT?6 -
If all your doing is steady state cardio day in and day out then thats fine, but you're cheating yourselves out of progress ..
As i said before our bodies are highly adaptive, walking for an hour on a treadmill is not pushing your body to its limits, you'll eventually burn less and less calories, its ok to do some steady state cardio, i walk/jog 3.5 to 5 miles on the morning to kickstart my metabolism so i burn more cals throughout the day, but i also make sure to spend 15-20 mins a day on the treadmill and or the elliptical pushing my body.
I didn't say HIIT was the only effective way to exercise, what i said was try something new, shock your body and see the results faster. If you can't do it then don't bash my post, start off slow and work your way up to it, because the fact of the matter is its a much much much more effective way than steady state cardio will ever be
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If all your doing is steady state cardio day in and day out then thats fine, but you're cheating yourselves out of progress ..
As i said before our bodies are highly adaptive, walking for an hour on a treadmill is not pushing your body to its limits, you'll eventually burn less and less calories, its ok to do some steady state cardio, i walk/jog 3.5 to 5 miles on the morning to kickstart my metabolism so i burn more cals throughout the day, but i also make sure to spend 15-20 mins a day on the treadmill and or the elliptical pushing my body.
I didn't say HIIT was the only effective way to exercise, what i said was try something new, shock your body and see the results faster. If you can't do it then don't bash my post, start off slow and work your way up to it, because the fact of the matter is its a much much much more effective way than steady state cardio will ever be
Says who? What credentials do you have?6 -
If all your doing is steady state cardio day in and day out then thats fine, but you're cheating yourselves out of progress ..
As i said before our bodies are highly adaptive, walking for an hour on a treadmill is not pushing your body to its limits, you'll eventually burn less and less calories, its ok to do some steady state cardio, i walk/jog 3.5 to 5 miles on the morning to kickstart my metabolism so i burn more cals throughout the day, but i also make sure to spend 15-20 mins a day on the treadmill and or the elliptical pushing my body.
I didn't say HIIT was the only effective way to exercise, what i said was try something new, shock your body and see the results faster. If you can't do it then don't bash my post, start off slow and work your way up to it, because the fact of the matter is its a much much much more effective way than steady state cardio will ever be
You don't think training should be tailored towards people's fitness goals and take their capabilities into account then?
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Hmmmm, and if you can't walk for 8 hours a day to burn more than you ever will with your half hour of HIIT don't bash those who can!
HIIT is good. Walking is good. Cardio is good. Lifting weights is good.
They all have relative strengths and weaknesses.
ETA: And your weight level changes will still depend on your caloric balance.11 -
There is no such thing as "tone"
Your muscles have a predefined shape, and look.....genetics.
You will see what you have when you reduce your body fat enough to show the muscle.
Assuming that you do something to maintain/develop said muscle during weight loss.
I said there's no such thing as "toning" which i stand behind ... toning is simply dropping bf and building muscle ... the toning phrase is misleading to people who are overweight and want to target a specific area, its the reason people are in the gym doing a million crunches and bicep curls, and not making the most out of there time in the gym, then wondering why they aren't achieving their goals0 -
queenliz99 wrote: »If all your doing is steady state cardio day in and day out then thats fine, but you're cheating yourselves out of progress ..
As i said before our bodies are highly adaptive, walking for an hour on a treadmill is not pushing your body to its limits, you'll eventually burn less and less calories, its ok to do some steady state cardio, i walk/jog 3.5 to 5 miles on the morning to kickstart my metabolism so i burn more cals throughout the day, but i also make sure to spend 15-20 mins a day on the treadmill and or the elliptical pushing my body.
I didn't say HIIT was the only effective way to exercise, what i said was try something new, shock your body and see the results faster. If you can't do it then don't bash my post, start off slow and work your way up to it, because the fact of the matter is its a much much much more effective way than steady state cardio will ever be
Says who? What credentials do you have?
This is common knowledge.0 -
Kickstart your metabolism? Shock your body?9
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Whats wrong with HIIT ? Lol its not tough at all go on a treadmill walk for a minute sprint for 30 secs and do this 10 times, increase the intensity each week, its simple... yes you'll be out of breath and probably wanting to quit, but I'd much rather be on a treadmill for 15 mins than for an hour plus, all I'm trying to say is push yourselves harder in the gym, challenge your bodies to go past the limits YOU have set for it mentally and you'll see quicker results
That's fine, but it ain't HIIT. If attempting HIIT, the treadmill is one of the last places to do so.
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queenliz99 wrote: »If all your doing is steady state cardio day in and day out then thats fine, but you're cheating yourselves out of progress ..
As i said before our bodies are highly adaptive, walking for an hour on a treadmill is not pushing your body to its limits, you'll eventually burn less and less calories, its ok to do some steady state cardio, i walk/jog 3.5 to 5 miles on the morning to kickstart my metabolism so i burn more cals throughout the day, but i also make sure to spend 15-20 mins a day on the treadmill and or the elliptical pushing my body.
I didn't say HIIT was the only effective way to exercise, what i said was try something new, shock your body and see the results faster. If you can't do it then don't bash my post, start off slow and work your way up to it, because the fact of the matter is its a much much much more effective way than steady state cardio will ever be
Says who? What credentials do you have?
This is common knowledge.
Lots of things that are commonly "known" aren't necessarily true.10 -
You should have stopped while you were ahead rather than start adding a load of other myths!
Best to avoid using absolute phrases like "the only way....". Because if you think about it there are many methods to achieve fat loss not just one.
What about anything i said is a myth?
All I'm saying is the more you put in the more you get out... how is this a myth.. how is mixing hiit into your training not beneficial over just doing steady state cardio? How is shocking the body a myth?
Please let me know lol
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queenliz99 wrote: »If all your doing is steady state cardio day in and day out then thats fine, but you're cheating yourselves out of progress ..
As i said before our bodies are highly adaptive, walking for an hour on a treadmill is not pushing your body to its limits, you'll eventually burn less and less calories, its ok to do some steady state cardio, i walk/jog 3.5 to 5 miles on the morning to kickstart my metabolism so i burn more cals throughout the day, but i also make sure to spend 15-20 mins a day on the treadmill and or the elliptical pushing my body.
I didn't say HIIT was the only effective way to exercise, what i said was try something new, shock your body and see the results faster. If you can't do it then don't bash my post, start off slow and work your way up to it, because the fact of the matter is its a much much much more effective way than steady state cardio will ever be
Says who? What credentials do you have?
This is common knowledge.
You have common knowledge of the OP? Tell me?4 -
-grabs a giant pail of popcorn and some bean bag chairs and shares with everyone-18
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Whats wrong with HIIT ? Lol its not tough at all go on a treadmill walk for a minute sprint for 30 secs and do this 10 times, increase the intensity each week, its simple... yes you'll be out of breath and probably wanting to quit, but I'd much rather be on a treadmill for 15 mins than for an hour plus, all I'm trying to say is push yourselves harder in the gym, challenge your bodies to go past the limits YOU have set for it mentally and you'll see quicker results
I don't personally see anything wrong with HIIT. I think what was being conveyed was that it's not the only good way to burn calories. Steady state cardio works just fine as well. I do steady state every morning for 35 minutes even though my machine will do HIIT workouts. I prefer steady state because I burn more calories doing it than I do with HIIT. As far as all the "you burn calories long after your workout with HIIT" comments you'll see, I think they are bunk, or at the very least over exaggerated. No reason to suggest that's the only way to burn fat/calories.5 -
No, but the man speaks the truth. The body, in it's constant attempt to retain fat and burn as little fat/energy as possible, adapts to everything we do. This physiology kept people alive when the next meal could be a week or more away. I mean HIIT or no HIIT it doesn't matter.2
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Whats wrong with HIIT ? Lol its not tough at all go on a treadmill walk for a minute sprint for 30 secs and do this 10 times, increase the intensity each week, its simple... yes you'll be out of breath and probably wanting to quit, but I'd much rather be on a treadmill for 15 mins than for an hour plus, all I'm trying to say is push yourselves harder in the gym, challenge your bodies to go past the limits YOU have set for it mentally and you'll see quicker results
You really miss the point, don't you.
No one said there was anything wrong with HIIT.
People disagreed with your assertion that HIIT is needed.
I'd rather be on the treadmill watching a hockey game. My preference and it is working for me. I don't need HIIT. I may choose to do HIIT at one point, but it is not needed.
That is where you went off the rails and your reply shows you missed the point of others comments.
Not even going to get into shocking the body.6 -
You should have stopped while you were ahead rather than start adding a load of other myths!
Best to avoid using absolute phrases like "the only way....". Because if you think about it there are many methods to achieve fat loss not just one.
What about anything i said is a myth?
All I'm saying is the more you put in the more you get out... how is this a myth.. how is mixing hiit into your training not beneficial over just doing steady state cardio? How is shocking the body a myth?
Please let me know lol
As I said before, it depends on your goals. Sometimes doing "too much" cardio, pushing the limits and HIIT can actually work negatively as I mentioned - in my case, it would have affected my recovery for lifting. So there is one reason right there.
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Hmmmm, and if you can't walk for 8 hours a day to burn more than you ever will with your half hour of HIIT don't bash those who can!
HIIT is good. Walking is good. Cardio is good. Lifting weights is good.
They all have relative strengths and weaknesses.
ETA: And your weight level changes will still depend on your caloric balance.
I've ran the new york marathon, i have no problem with walking and running long distances but it seems most people's goals here are to lose weight, maybe gain muscle.. why would someone looking to acheive those goals walk for hours on end? Why take that much time in the gym when it can be done more efficiently?
I never said not to walk, i said instead of doing steady state day in and day out, throw in some hiit, throw in some higher intensity exercise that will shock your body and cause you to burn more calories .... i don't see whats so wrong with that advice lol
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