If there is no such thing as spot reduction, then how do you

SolidGoaled
SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
... how do you explain that since I've started TurboFire kickboxing 3 months ago, my legs have probably lose the most fat and firmed and shaped the most? If I was doing TurboFire on my hands, I bet my arms would look hot! Still losing nothing on the backfat end and stomach fat end.

Replies

  • Bootzey
    Bootzey Posts: 274 Member
    you added muscle
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    nope, no such thing as spot reducing fat (other than surgery that is).

    where ever your body decides to drop fat is where it will drop, it has very little to do with which muscle groups you target. Now, you have to bear in mind I'm talking about FAT. Muscle CAN be manipulated locally on the body, which can produce significant changes in that area, making it look smoother, and more lean.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
    nope, no such thing as spot reducing fat (other than surgery that is).

    where ever your body decides to drop fat is where it will drop, it has very little to do with which muscle groups you target. Now, you have to bear in mind I'm talking about FAT. Muscle CAN be manipulated locally on the body, which can produce significant changes in that area, making it look smoother, and more lean.

    Yeah... I'm really not debating it - honest - it just seems really coincidental that my legs are the trimmest things on me now and I've been doing TurboFire 6 times a week and have also added running recently - my freakin' stomach won't budge! I have so many pants that I can finally pull up past my thighs - but cannot button them over my flabby stomach. Oh well - my 3 kids were worth it, I guess. ;)
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    Definately cant spot reduce... but you can spot "build" muscle... the more muscle you have in a certain area the faster you will lose weight... it onlly makes sense that you will lose it where you have the most muscle...


    so start seriously building some core muscles and you will see changes.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
    :huh:
    Definately cant spot reduce... but you can spot "build" muscle... the more muscle you have in a certain area the faster you will lose weight... it onlly makes sense that you will lose it where you have the most muscle...


    so start seriously building some core muscles and you will see changes.

    Hmm... well what you just said sure sounds like spot reducing to me! :huh:
  • darrenham
    darrenham Posts: 110 Member
    Yeah, and it's wrong :D

    Everyone's body is designed to store fat in slightly different places. It makes little sense biologically to store fat on your legs. Your legs don't need to keep warm, as they contain your largest muscles, and large fat stores would make walking less efficient.

    Women generally store fat on their chest and hips first and foremost. As such, you can expect to lose other fat first. But not necessarily.

    I can guarantee you that you did not spot reduce and that it will be a combination of the above and that you've increased the size of the muscles in your legs. If there's more muscle for the fat to spread over, and you reduce the amount of fat, your legs will stay the same size, but appear more defined. But that is a consequence of losing weight, not working your legs specifically.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    what darren said

    on a somewhat parallel topic, in my research on fat burning, I DID come across a couple of studied that did show very slight spot reduction.

    BUT (and this is important)

    this was intra-muscular fat, not subcutaneous fat.

    I.E. it was the fat similar to what you see as "marbling" in a steak, as opposed to the fat you'd trim off from around the edges (that would be the subcutaneous fat).
    It was seen after very strenuous, very targeted workouts on a specific muscle group, usually in the legs.
    the problem is, the amount of targeted fat burned was so small, you'd never even notice it (talking about amounts to small for a scale to even detect over weeks), generally because the human body doesn't really do much fat storage inside the muscle sites like some other animals do, it's usually either around an organ (visceral) or just under the skin (subcutaneous). Not sure why, never really cared enough.

    but there it is. So is spot reduction possible? Technically, under very very specific circumstances, yes (a little), but really for us in the real world, no. Fat is burned off usually in a LIFO scheme (Last in First out) so your "newest" fat stores are usually the first to reduce, regardless of where they are.
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    :huh:
    Definately cant spot reduce... but you can spot "build" muscle... the more muscle you have in a certain area the faster you will lose weight... it onlly makes sense that you will lose it where you have the most muscle...


    so start seriously building some core muscles and you will see changes.

    Hmm... well what you just said sure sounds like spot reducing to me! :huh:


    No by building more muscle, you will make your metabolism move faster IE more fat loss.. now the more muscle you build on your legs the more defined your legs will become in a quicker amount of time... if you build muscle on your stomach as you lose inches or fat which you will eventually do. you will see that definition quicker... (you aren't just goiing to get cut and fit everywhere and then still have a flabby belly you will eventually lose that fat) But if you don't build muscle there it will appear flabby longer. That was my point. Muscle makes you lose fat quicker... Muscle also makes you look thinner and more toned quicker.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,316 Member
    By spot reduction, we mean you can't controll which spot to reduce.

    It's all about your body type. Generally, the last place you gain weight is the first place you loose weight.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
    what darren said

    on a somewhat parallel topic, in my research on fat burning, I DID come across a couple of studied that did show very slight spot reduction.

    BUT (and this is important)

    this was intra-muscular fat, not subcutaneous fat.

    I.E. it was the fat similar to what you see as "marbling" in a steak, as opposed to the fat you'd trim off from around the edges (that would be the subcutaneous fat).
    It was seen after very strenuous, very targeted workouts on a specific muscle group, usually in the legs.
    the problem is, the amount of targeted fat burned was so small, you'd never even notice it (talking about amounts to small for a scale to even detect over weeks), generally because the human body doesn't really do much fat storage inside the muscle sites like some other animals do, it's usually either around an organ (visceral) or just under the skin (subcutaneous). Not sure why, never really cared enough.

    but there it is. So is spot reduction possible? Technically, under very very specific circumstances, yes (a little), but really for us in the real world, no. Fat is burned off usually in a LIFO scheme (Last in First out) so your "newest" fat stores are usually the first to reduce, regardless of where they are.

    I really like your analogy of the marbling in a steak - that makes what you're saying really gel.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
    :huh:
    Definately cant spot reduce... but you can spot "build" muscle... the more muscle you have in a certain area the faster you will lose weight... it onlly makes sense that you will lose it where you have the most muscle...


    so start seriously building some core muscles and you will see changes.

    Hmm... well what you just said sure sounds like spot reducing to me! :huh:


    No by building more muscle, you will make your metabolism move faster IE more fat loss.. now the more muscle you build on your legs the more defined your legs will become in a quicker amount of time... if you build muscle on your stomach as you lose inches or fat which you will eventually do. you will see that definition quicker... (you aren't just goiing to get cut and fit everywhere and then still have a flabby belly you will eventually lose that fat) But if you don't build muscle there it will appear flabby longer. That was my point. Muscle makes you lose fat quicker... Muscle also makes you look thinner and more toned quicker.

    "now the more muscle you build on your legs the more defined your legs will become in a quicker amount of time... if you build muscle on your stomach as you lose inches or fat which you will eventually do. you will see that definition quicker..."


    This sentence still sounds like "spot reducing" to me. I guess its the wording you're choosing that is confusing me. Are you saying, that if I build muscle on my stomach with crunches (AbripperX, for example), that my stomach fat will go away faster than if I just didn't work that area at all?

    edit for grammmer. :P
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member


    "now the more muscle you build on your legs the more defined your legs will become in a quicker amount of time... if you build muscle on your stomach as you lose inches or fat which you will eventually do. you will see that definition quicker..."


    This sentence still sounds like "spot reducing" to me. I guess its the wording you're choosing that is confusing me. Are you saying, that if I build muscle on my stomach with crunches (AbripperX, for example), that my stomach fat will go away faster than if I just didn't work that area at all?

    edit for grammmer. :P

    no, that's not really true. While yes, muscle burns calories even when it's not being used, you can't dictate to your body where the fat is burned from.
    The Concept is this, when you build muscle, the skin around muscle is smooth and looks generally much more even. And the body doesn't "jiggle" around muscle like it does around fat. So building up muscle in an area will make you look more proportional and "leaner". You're not actually getting smaller building muscle, but you are giving yourself better definition (even if it's not yet noticeable under the fat layer). So the idea is, build muscle to not only burn more calories, but also to look better when the fat is gone.
  • hotpickles
    hotpickles Posts: 639 Member
    I always know I'm starting to lose weight when my wrists, chest, shoulders and arms get smaller. Do I want to lose weight from these areas? Heck NO! But that's the thing. Everyone is different with regards to where they will see weight come off first, but from my experience, I notice the areas that like to "hold on" to fat will lose the fat last.
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    I read several posts in here about using core exercises to get rid of stomach fat, you may as well say it isn't true. I believe doing some ab work will help reduce inches if you haven't done any core before as the strengthening of the muscles will help hold the fat up, but there is definitely a point where doing more won't help (your abs can't go past flat). The best exercises for getting rid of stomach fat is anything dealing with your legs as they are your largest muscles, use the most energy, and thus will burn the most fat.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member


    "now the more muscle you build on your legs the more defined your legs will become in a quicker amount of time... if you build muscle on your stomach as you lose inches or fat which you will eventually do. you will see that definition quicker..."


    This sentence still sounds like "spot reducing" to me. I guess its the wording you're choosing that is confusing me. Are you saying, that if I build muscle on my stomach with crunches (AbripperX, for example), that my stomach fat will go away faster than if I just didn't work that area at all?

    edit for grammmer. :P

    no, that's not really true. While yes, muscle burns calories even when it's not being used, you can't dictate to your body where the fat is burned from.
    The Concept is this, when you build muscle, the skin around muscle is smooth and looks generally much more even. And the body doesn't "jiggle" around muscle like it does around fat. So building up muscle in an area will make you look more proportional and "leaner". You're not actually getting smaller building muscle, but you are giving yourself better definition (even if it's not yet noticeable under the fat layer). So the idea is, build muscle to not only burn more calories, but also to look better when the fat is gone.

    Yup - I get what you're saying. I think there is some misconception that muscle sitting under a layer of fat just melts that layer away, like butter on a hot plate. Its hard to get that back out of your head when you've believed it for a long time, I guess. I definitely see the benefits in having a strong core, and not having slack muscles in that area. Thanks for explaining things in a clear technical manner. :)
  • Matiara
    Matiara Posts: 377 Member
    I started doing kickboxing as my primary cardio the first part of March and had the same thing happen. Within a couple of weeks, my legs were firmer, my definition came back, and my jeans got more comfortable. I just figured that my leg muscles were firming up.

    I think it's a matter of finding what works for your body, because it goes without saying that there's no one routine that's going to give everyone the same results. For myself, I"ve found that cardio routines where I move around and use floor space are more effective for my body than machine based cardio, that standing ab work is more effective than floor work, and that too many straight lunges and squats enlarge my bum. I don't know the "whys?" behind these, but I listen to my body. It' has the facts, I just have opinions. :smile:
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    :huh:
    Definately cant spot reduce... but you can spot "build" muscle... the more muscle you have in a certain area the faster you will lose weight... it onlly makes sense that you will lose it where you have the most muscle...


    so start seriously building some core muscles and you will see changes.

    Hmm... well what you just said sure sounds like spot reducing to me! :huh:


    No by building more muscle, you will make your metabolism move faster IE more fat loss.. now the more muscle you build on your legs the more defined your legs will become in a quicker amount of time... if you build muscle on your stomach as you lose inches or fat which you will eventually do. you will see that definition quicker... (you aren't just goiing to get cut and fit everywhere and then still have a flabby belly you will eventually lose that fat) But if you don't build muscle there it will appear flabby longer. That was my point. Muscle makes you lose fat quicker... Muscle also makes you look thinner and more toned quicker.

    "now the more muscle you build on your legs the more defined your legs will become in a quicker amount of time... if you build muscle on your stomach as you lose inches or fat which you will eventually do. you will see that definition quicker..."


    This sentence still sounds like "spot reducing" to me. I guess its the wording you're choosing that is confusing me. Are you saying, that if I build muscle on my stomach with crunches (AbripperX, for example), that my stomach fat will go away faster than if I just didn't work that area at all?

    edit for grammmer. :P

    No what I am saying is this....

    Right now you have hardly any stomach muscles... if you were to build them define them make them more toned. that as you lose fat, from your stomach you will see your muscles sooner because they are more prominent under neath the fat...

    What I mean by muscle speeding up your fat loss, is that if you build a pound of muscle for instance it will make the fat come off your body faster... it doesn't matter where you build your muscle, it will help the fat come off your body quicker..

    By the sound of it, your legs are in great shape, but your stomach isn't... so that leads me to believe, that your stomach would be a good place to start building muscle, so that your body will shed fat faster... it will shed it faster off your butt, your arms your legs your stomach every were faster... but buy building that muscle on your stomach, when you finally do lose the fat on your stomach, your muscles will be visible quicker... because your stomach muscles are more prominent where as they werent before,

    I am not saying that if you build stomach muscles, it will make your stomach fat come off faster, I am saying that it will make your body fat come off quicker all together and that includes your stomach fat.. I was simply suggesting building your stomach muscles, because it sounds like your legs are in check, and your stomach could use some work! when you build that muscle, it will make your stomach feel tighter which will just improve as you lose the fat that the newly built muscle will help shed.
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