Trouble areas & what you do (in addition to cardio)?

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Ayh5xd
Ayh5xd Posts: 6 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Mine is my upper arms and the area on my back, between the shoulders and around the neck. In addition to running, I try to add in some dumbbell curls for biceps and triceps with the heaviest weight I can comfortably lift for 3-4 sets of 5-7 reps. Also some seated rows at similar sets and reps. What are some of all your target areas and how do you work them out?

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  • dt3312
    dt3312 Posts: 212 Member
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    I'm a senior citizen and I don't have any target areas. I just try to exercise and lose weight and get in better overall shape and have a well-rounded exercise program. In addition to cardio, I do strength training, balance exercises, core strengthening exercises and flexibility exercises.
  • cantfail
    cantfail Posts: 169 Member
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    Sadly it isn't possible to spot reduce. Your body determines where it stores and loses fat. Working out your arms may tone up the muscle underneath, but it won't cause fat to come off.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
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    Calorie deficit
    good amount of protein
    heavy lifting

    You can't spot reduce fat. Genetics determine where you lose weight from. The best you can do is lose weight at a moderate pace, eat a good amount of protein and do some form of resistance training program to help retain LBM
  • Ayh5xd
    Ayh5xd Posts: 6 Member
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    Thank you for your responses. You all bring up a great point that I wish I had clarified in my original post: there is no way to spot reduce.

    BUT, you can use targeted strength exercises to build muscle in areas that will in turn help you carry some of weight in the mean time. This in turn will help you hold your body in a different way-stronger back muscles that help straighten that slouch, or stronger leg muscles to help quickening that gait, for example. So even if it doesn't directly help you lose fat, targeted exercises will help you present yourself better and change how your body looks while you are on your journey, not to mention in the long run.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
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    You typically cannot build muscle in a deficit(newbies have a small window for minor gains in the beginning of strength training but it is minor at best). This seems to be a common misconception. You can, however, retain your current muscle by resistance training, good amount of protein, and a moderate deficit. This will leave you looking leaner at goal weight.
  • L4dyK4te
    L4dyK4te Posts: 26 Member
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    Hey there! I personally have had a lot of success with Les Mills BodyPump classes 2-3x weekly (and the BodyStep 3x weekly). In particular, deadlifts, rows, clean 'n' presses, and push ups have really helped my posture. However, I do agree with SugaryLynx that resistance training + good amount of protein in diet + moderate deficit should get you where you want to go in terms of losing fat and keeping as much muscle as possible in the process. That's what I'm doing with good results. :)

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