You CAN Spot Reduce

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Replies

  • ellie319
    ellie319 Posts: 139 Member
    Could any of you tell me why you think you cannot spot reduce? I have even had a trainer tell me "you can't spot reduce" is a myth.


    your trainer probably only has a mail in certificate....bad info...
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    I get what she is saying.

    Sure, you cannot focus on WHERE you lose fat from. But, if you are consistantly losing fat and toning the muscles in a particular area while losing fat, as the fat goes, THAT area is smaller, because you ARE increasing muscle, If you have a lower BF%, which you get with more muscle, less fat, then even though you are just toning that area, it improves faster than others may.

    It can be explained without being rude though. Not every one knows everything, so, when you get the chance to educate someone, why not do THAT instead of making that person feel like a fool for even suggesting the idea?

    they tried, it didn't take and she wasn't all peaches and rainbows about being incorrect

    I only saw a few people trying. Most people didn't even realize what she was saying. She was talking about a reduction in the measurement of a particular area. Everyone knows you can't pick which area to lose their fat. She wasn't talking about fat, she was talking about toning muscles. Some will say that's a "gain," and to be sure, that's correct, but it is also correct that a reduction in the number on the tape measure is still a reduction.

    I read every page I know how it went down. She refused to listen and understand what the definition really meant, she wanted to continue to use the word that already had another definition instead of saying oh I was wrong and this is what I really meant. Hence people got pissy downward spiral from there.



    I don't believe that any of "those people" actually read and absorbed what she actually meant. Instead they made assumptions and responded with snarky comments.

    You can believe whatever you like, you don't know for SURE. She stated she knew she would take flack for it so she knew from the get go what was going to happen and it did, she walked right through the open door. People eventually got snarky and she still doesn't believe it means what it means.
  • phillbis
    phillbis Posts: 353 Member
    If you think you can spot reduce then only lose weight in your left cheek and left cheek only. Get back to us with how that worked out.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
    what's a pook? \m/

    It's probably a term you only hear out in Newfoundland; their language is not for outsiders to understand. :laugh: (I kid, but seriously... my mother-in-law's best friend is from there, and sometimes, I have no idea what she's just said.)

    Reason number 1 why I love NL :heart:
    And we'll keep talking to you regardless haha
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Then she shouldn't have used the words "spot reduction", which commonly refers to the reduction of body fat by doing exercises that target that area. Like, I want tummy fat to go away, so I'll do crunches, and no cardio, and keep drinking soda.

    Ok. Wrong terminology. Perhaps she truly thought that "spot reducing" meant losing inches in an area. And, if you have firm abs and weigh 125 lbs, you will be (in terms of inches and centimeters) "smaller" around your waist. I am not arguing that the phrase was not the correct one to use, I am merely saying that sometimes, it is ok to see their point, explain how certain parts are right, and then, politely, educate the person on the parts that are wrong. Even if OP won't agree (not saying she won't), someone else reading it may benefit from your knowledge. I have learned a lot from other people here. And it was all of other people's threads. It was all when someone took the time to explain it properly instead of just calling the OP a moron. (Not saying you have, just in general)

    THIS^^^^

    Also, is that an aeon in your profile pic?
  • zsaoosh
    zsaoosh Posts: 402 Member
    “Building muscle can make that body part look better”, maybe you should have stated this instead of “you can spot reduce”? I understand what you were trying to say but maybe you should try to explain a little better and not get onto people when you knew this was going to start something :happy:
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,131 Member
    How is this thread still happening?
  • Neecy_Pooh
    Neecy_Pooh Posts: 122
    I may get a lot of crap for this, but I am so tired of people saying you cannot spot reduce.
    When someone asks, how can I lose inches off my stomach or asks for good arm exercises, please do not response "you cannot spot reduce".
    Weight training and programs like the 30 Day Shred really do help you "spot reduce", You can lose inches in particular spots by doing particular exercises. Otherwise, why to we kill ourselves with push ups and crunches? It is because they work.
    I have done 30 Day Shred several times and a lot of inches in places that were focuses on during the workouts.
    Another example, if I only weight train with my arms and not my legs, I will see a big difference in my arm "spots" lol, and not my legs.
    There is hope! You just have to work for it!

    I am really not understanding why you think that the 30 Day Shred "spot reduced" cerain parts for you. I HAVE the 30DS dvd and have done it. First off, it is not even that intense, secondly - no where in that vid does it work just one area of the body. It is an all over workout.

    This is especially funny..".Another example, if I only weight train with my arms and not my legs, I will see a big difference in my arm "spots" lol, and not my legs." Why would you see a difference in your legs if you are NOT working them. Is this post a joke? Did you just want to see how many responses you would get? I mean really.

    In conclusion, the push up works more than just the arms. Therefore, proof that you are NOT spot treating. The chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps....as well as the abdominals and quadriceps.

    So again, NO you cannot spot reduce.
  • CJisinShape
    CJisinShape Posts: 1,404 Member
    Not to be controversial BUT, I think the poster has a point. Certain exercises can make certain areas smaller or larger, and certain conditions you exercise on makes a difference. I noticed this while watching the Olympics and noticed that the sport a person played determined body shape even more than race. I noticed that the female swimmers, while having serious muscle mass also had a fat layer for insulation. The ladies had large backs and slim waists. The gymnasts had wide waists and large thigh and shoulder muscles, but very low body fat. The type of exercise and the conditions you do the exercise on make a big difference in what areas get small or big. So, in essence, you can spot reduce, just maybe in a different way that people normally think of spot reduction.
    Shape is from genetics. You can't change the way your muscle or body shape is. You can "enhance" the muscles you already have by training them directly.
    And NO you can't spot reduce an area without surgery.
    On going thinking and misinformation like this without scientific clinical studies to back them up will just confuse people and cause desperate people on here to think it's possible.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Whatever, I'm not trying to argue. We all know that average black person is going to have rounder shaped gluts than an Asian person. However, get the Asian into track and field and the black person into marathons, guess what will happen to said gluts? You don't have to take my word for it. Look at any female Olympian swimmer. Black white or Asian, they will have a wide V shaped upper body, tiny waist, fat layer all over. Look at any marathoner. Lean head to toe. Any track and field- large thighs. Genetics may have you predesposed to a certain body type, but tell that to those swimmers who look more like other swimmers than members of their own race.
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    Not to be controversial BUT, I think the poster has a point. Certain exercises can make certain areas smaller or larger, and certain conditions you exercise on makes a difference. I noticed this while watching the Olympics and noticed that the sport a person played determined body shape even more than race. I noticed that the female swimmers, while having serious muscle mass also had a fat layer for insulation. The ladies had large backs and slim waists. The gymnasts had wide waists and large thigh and shoulder muscles, but very low body fat. The type of exercise and the conditions you do the exercise on make a big difference in what areas get small or big. So, in essence, you can spot reduce, just maybe in a different way that people normally think of spot reduction.
    Shape is from genetics. You can't change the way your muscle or body shape is. You can "enhance" the muscles you already have by training them directly.
    And NO you can't spot reduce an area without surgery.
    On going thinking and misinformation like this without scientific clinical studies to back them up will just confuse people and cause desperate people on here to think it's possible.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Whatever, I'm not trying to argue. We all know that average black person is going to have rounder shaped gluts than an Asian person. However, get the Asian into track and field and the black person into marathons, guess what will happen to said gluts? You don't have to take my word for it. Look at any female Olympian swimmer. Black white or Asian, they will have a wide V shaped upper body, tiny waist, fat layer all over. Look at any marathoner. Lean head to toe. Any track and field- large thighs. Genetics may have you predesposed to a certain body type, but tell that to those swimmers who look more like other swimmers than members of their own race.

    That has already been explained earlier in this thread, actually. People with the right body type tend to be the most successful in each particular sport, particularly if you limit your observation to the Olympics.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?
  • Dad_of_3
    Dad_of_3 Posts: 517 Member
    You CAN reduce spots. Here's proof:

    products_original232x234.jpg

    Oh wait. Never mind- I misread the thread topic...
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
    How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    Clearly your abilities haven't diminished yet.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Not to be controversial BUT, I think the poster has a point. Certain exercises can make certain areas smaller or larger, and certain conditions you exercise on makes a difference. I noticed this while watching the Olympics and noticed that the sport a person played determined body shape even more than race. I noticed that the female swimmers, while having serious muscle mass also had a fat layer for insulation. The ladies had large backs and slim waists. The gymnasts had wide waists and large thigh and shoulder muscles, but very low body fat. The type of exercise and the conditions you do the exercise on make a big difference in what areas get small or big. So, in essence, you can spot reduce, just maybe in a different way that people normally think of spot reduction.
    Shape is from genetics. You can't change the way your muscle or body shape is. You can "enhance" the muscles you already have by training them directly.
    And NO you can't spot reduce an area without surgery.
    On going thinking and misinformation like this without scientific clinical studies to back them up will just confuse people and cause desperate people on here to think it's possible.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Whatever, I'm not trying to argue. We all know that average black person is going to have rounder shaped gluts than an Asian person. However, get the Asian into track and field and the black person into marathons, guess what will happen to said gluts? You don't have to take my word for it. Look at any female Olympian swimmer. Black white or Asian, they will have a wide V shaped upper body, tiny waist, fat layer all over. Look at any marathoner. Lean head to toe. Any track and field- large thighs. Genetics may have you predesposed to a certain body type, but tell that to those swimmers who look more like other swimmers than members of their own race.

    That has already been explained earlier in this thread, actually. People with the right body type tend to be the most successful in each particular sport, particularly if you limit your observation to the Olympics.

    Every coach I ever had has always said, "Never say can't"

    Yes, at the Olympic level, most people will fail, but you can escape your shape, to an extent. And you can be successful at sports with hard work and dedication, even if you weren't "born to play."
  • CJisinShape
    CJisinShape Posts: 1,404 Member
    Not to be controversial BUT, I think the poster has a point. Certain exercises can make certain areas smaller or larger, and certain conditions you exercise on makes a difference. I noticed this while watching the Olympics and noticed that the sport a person played determined body shape even more than race. I noticed that the female swimmers, while having serious muscle mass also had a fat layer for insulation. The ladies had large backs and slim waists. The gymnasts had wide waists and large thigh and shoulder muscles, but very low body fat. The type of exercise and the conditions you do the exercise on make a big difference in what areas get small or big. So, in essence, you can spot reduce, just maybe in a different way that people normally think of spot reduction.
    Yeah, the sport they play has an influence on their body shape. Sprinters have larger legs. Why? Because they have large leg muscles because in order to be fast over short distances, you need large/strong leg muscles. Gymnasts have large shoulders. Why? Because they spend a lot of time on their hands, which builds up shoulder strength. The exercises you do determine what areas get big, not the areas that get small.
    Swimmers do not have "slim waists" because they do a lot of ab work, which is the definition of spot reducing. Swimmers might appear to have a slimmer waist because their shoulders and backs are so large. This is NOT spot reducing. This is just an optical illusion. A woman with measurements of 40-25-40 appears to have a smaller waist than a woman with measurements of 32-25-32. Really, they have the same sized waist.

    We are saying the exact same thing. Their are exercises you can do to make a body part smaller or larger. Some tummy exercises will strengthen your core and pull your stomach in. Spot reduction. You have reduced inches in that area. Their are leg exercises like squats that make the muscle bigger, and others, like yoga, that make the muscle lean. Don't argue with me. It's obvious. If you want to talk about lipid loss in a specific area, I wasn't talking about that. Thank you.
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,131 Member
    How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    Clearly your abilities haven't diminished yet.

    I didn't realize I was being snarky here. I went away for a bit and was shocked that we were still arguing over this. ::goes to sit in a corner::
  • How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    I'm sad you have nothing better to do then watch this thread closely and insult people.
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,131 Member
    How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    I'm sad you have nothing better to do then watch this thread closely and insult people.

    I'm sad that I don't remember being snarky.
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
    How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    I'm sad you have nothing better to do then watch this thread closely and insult people.

    I'm sad that I don't remember being snarky.

    I'm still sad that spot got reduced :cry:

    1670139_6379.jpg
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    Clearly your abilities haven't diminished yet.

    Thank you for playing. Sarcasm is like a second language to me.
  • How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    I'm sad you have nothing better to do then watch this thread closely and insult people.

    I'm sad that I don't remember being snarky.

    I didn't think you were! After 12 pages you would think this would end already xD
  • misskatibear
    misskatibear Posts: 158 Member
    Agree to disagree?
  • Discoveri
    Discoveri Posts: 435 Member
    Well I found my workout for the day. I'm going to go through this entire thread and do a squat for every time I see the word "spot".


    Here's some more for ya...
    Spot spot spot spot spot spot spot spot spot spot spot spot spot spot...ha

    :heart:

    443 "spots" in the first 10 pages. I really didn't think this one through. I better get to it.

    Tell you what love, I'll join you . 443 bodyweight squats today!

    YAY! :drinker: I just finished them up. I think I'm going to start doing this more often when these sort of threads pop up. Next time: Lunges!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    I'm sad you have nothing better to do then watch this thread closely and insult people.

    I'm sad that I don't remember being snarky.

    Now that is truly depressing. Spot reduce your sadness! :flowerforyou:
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,131 Member
    How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    I'm sad you have nothing better to do then watch this thread closely and insult people.

    I'm sad that I don't remember being snarky.

    I didn't think you were! After 12 pages you would think this would end already xD

    Ok good! Usually I would remember if I was trying to be funny or snarky. I think the thread might die now
  • morgansmom02
    morgansmom02 Posts: 1,131 Member
    How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    I'm sad you have nothing better to do then watch this thread closely and insult people.

    I'm sad that I don't remember being snarky.

    Now that is truly depressing. Spot reduce your sadness! :flowerforyou:

    I reduced my sadness with a donut.
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    How is this thread still happening?
    MAGIC!
  • You can tone up muscle, but you can't lose fat in one specific area.
  • How is this thread still happening?

    Are you sad that you can't think of a new snarky comment?

    I'm sad you have nothing better to do then watch this thread closely and insult people.



    I'm sad that I don't remember being snarky.

    I'm sad that your Sad because you didn't know that she thought you were sad from not thinking of a snarly comment and that made you Sad. Not knowing why you were sad
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    But...........you can change the appearance of a specific area through strength training?