Stop Reducing!!?!!

92_sweetheart
92_sweetheart Posts: 131 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So today I asked what exercises can I do to help me remove some back fat. I was told "Oh you can't spot reduce"! I asked on other site btw!

Here was the exact question word for word: What exercises can I do to get reduce back fat? I am 218.4lbs. 5'2 and female. Yes very overweight!!! Anyways, I am doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I am on level 1 day 7! Starting weight 221.8. So far I have lost about 1.5 inches off my waist, 1 inches of my hips, 1 inch off my arms, and .5-1 inch off my calf. Anyway as I lose more off my waist the more my back fat seems to shows. Like I am really losing in the lower part of my back, but I have back fat in the middle like where my natural waist line begins. What can I do? Any workout plans?


I realized I said STOP! lol I meant SPOT!!!

Replies

  • ToughTulip
    ToughTulip Posts: 1,118 Member
    Nope, you can't spot reduce.

    Just keep your diet consistent, and keep working out. Give it time, it will come off eventually :)
  • BlueMacaroniArt
    BlueMacaroniArt Posts: 122 Member
    The other site was correct. It will just take time. Eventually, you will lose it where you want to but you can't tell it to come off in that place first. Sorry.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    How about if she asked the question differently:

    How can I tone up the muscles on my back?

    You can't spot reduce. You can make parts of your body look better so the fat doesn't look so flabby.
  • Josee76
    Josee76 Posts: 533 Member
    I didn't try to spot reduce.... but I did P90X and this was my results after 2 rounds!


    Joseebackpics.jpg
  • horndave
    horndave Posts: 565
    You body will lose in areas it wants to lose in. A consistent diet, working out will help your body lose inches. It will decide when the back fat comes off. However, you can strenghten areas of your body. Cardio and exercises that target your back should help tone and strengthen those areas.
  • mnlght535
    mnlght535 Posts: 84
    I didn't try to spot reduce.... but I did P90X and this was my results after 2 rounds!


    Joseebackpics.jpg

    Thanks for the share and absolutely fabulous. Great job and congratulations :smile:
  • virichi08
    virichi08 Posts: 465 Member
    It'll come off all over over time. I tend to lose weight in my stomcah and face first and then everything else follows. IM with u on the back fat tho, cnt weight for it to go down some more. Also u can do back excercises. just go to bodybuilding.com or simply google back excercises. it won't melt the fat away strictly from u back, but it will tighten up those muscles. =)
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    Tae Bo and shake weight have worked wonders for me.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Fat comes off where it wants to come off - frustrating, but true! I had been doing various JM DVDs and walking for a couple of years, and had success with weight/fat loss. But it wasn't until I started running with the c25k program in January of this year that I really started losing more fat, and my back fat finally disappeared. :bigsmile:

    Still working on the hips, legs & tummy (tummy will be the last to go on me!) - and you'd think the running would 'target' the legs for fat loss over my back, and while it's certain that my legs are getting stronger & slimming, it was most noticeable from my back first.
  • lolobi1
    lolobi1 Posts: 17
    Hiya Firstly well done for getting through week one of Shred : -)
    My advice would be 'Be Patient!'. You've only just started the program and you're already seeing great results. I doubt you'll be asking this same question by day 30 as long as you stick to the plan.
    Good luck with ya journey...
  • Amy911Gray
    Amy911Gray Posts: 685 Member
    The back---on me it's the last thing to go...that and the thighs!
  • 92_sweetheart
    92_sweetheart Posts: 131 Member
    I mean like I am losing inches in my lower back and shoulders, but not really the middle. So it looks more flabby there and you can see it more now. I meant like will oblique and ab workouts help that problem.
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
    Trouble spots are almost always the last to go. For me, that's my tummy and thighs. You can't spot reduce. Just keep working out and eating right, it will come off eventually.
  • mercymarque
    mercymarque Posts: 450
    Start doing some cardio, treadmil, eliptical, arch trainer, intervals, lifting weights. It will take time but u will get results. If u have a smart phone u can also download couch to 5k. U do 20 minutes of walking and jogging. Walking and jogging get the weight off nice plus u r using every muscle.
  • ladybug1620
    ladybug1620 Posts: 1,136 Member
    I mean like I am losing inches in my lower back and shoulders, but not really the middle. So it looks more flabby there and you can see it more now. I meant like will oblique and ab workouts help that problem.
    NO. Ab workouts will tone muscles under fat, but they won't make fat disappear any faster.
  • Captain_Spatchcock
    Captain_Spatchcock Posts: 136
    Ask as many times as you want in as many places as you want. The answer will always be the same.
  • mandamommy3
    mandamommy3 Posts: 297 Member
    Like said before the fat will come off from certain areas on its own. But since you said you are doing 30DS, I wanted to let you know that more areas across the back are worked the higher the level you go so it could help somewhat. And I wanted to add that you might want to add some extra cardio in to the mix too.
  • treimnitz
    treimnitz Posts: 51 Member
    It is true that you can't spot reduce. You can only tone the muscles under your back. The best thing you can do is keep up on your diet and lifting weights. It'll take time, but it's worth it in the end!
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    I mean like I am losing inches in my lower back and shoulders, but not really the middle. So it looks more flabby there and you can see it more now. I meant like will oblique and ab workouts help that problem.

    Don't worry. Your body will get around to it when it decides to get around to it. It will get around to it.

    If people could spot reduce, we'd see obese people with six pack abs.
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
    Here on MFP people will dismiss questions when spot reducing is even mentioned. A question that will get a more informed answer would be what are great lower back exercises.

    Supermans, Reverse Plan, Spinning actually helps your waist. That's just a few. There are many more. Of course you will lose fat overall from continued exercise, but it wouldn't hurt to add exercises to your routine that can focus on your targeted area.
  • 92_sweetheart
    92_sweetheart Posts: 131 Member
    Here on MFP people will dismiss questions when spot reducing is even mentioned. A question that will get a more informed answer would be what are great lower back exercises.

    Supermans, Reverse Plan, Spinning actually helps your waist. That's just a few. There are many more. Of course you will lose fat overall from continued exercise, but it wouldn't hurt to add exercises to your routine that can focus on your targeted area.

    Thanks for understanding what I meant and helping. That like saying ab exercises don't work. Aren't they working on a specific area.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    adding exercises to spot reduce can't hurt but it's pretty much wasted effort if you're doing it hoping to spot reduce.

    for instance i have hardly done any ab stuff over the past 7 months and i've lost about 6 inches from my waist. yet in that same time, i've done a crap load of squats, deadlifts, lunges and only lost 2 inches from my thighs. i've done a zillion push ups and bench presses and lost absolutely nothing from my chest.

    your body releases fat according to your body shape and that body shape stays the same since it's based on genetics. i'm something of an hourglass, so no matter what or how i exercise i'm going to lose like an hourglass
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
    adding exercises to spot reduce can't hurt but it's pretty much wasted effort if you're doing it hoping to spot reduce.

    for instance i have hardly done any ab stuff over the past 7 months and i've lost about 6 inches from my waist. yet in that same time, i've done a crap load of squats, deadlifts, lunges and only lost 2 inches from my thighs. i've done a zillion push ups and bench presses and lost absolutely nothing from my chest.

    your body releases fat according to your body shape and that body shape stays the same since it's based on genetics. i'm something of an hourglass, so no matter what or how i exercise i'm going to lose like an hourglass

    True, but you worked your core in many of those exercises, hence the lost of inches in your waist. The point is yes you do need to lose bodyfat overall, but it doesn't hurt to do exercises with your specific goals in mind. Most of the time that's what people mean when they ask the spot reduction question. What exercises are good for this or that, but they are dismissed.

Categories