The age old "You can't target areas of fat, lifting" BS!

Z_I_L_L_A · February 2017

I hear this all the time and am kinda confused or doubtful about the conclusions. Why can't you target a certain area and reduce the fat in that area lifting?

My answer is, I call BS on that.

not_a_runner · February 2017

But lifting doesn't reduce fat...?

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld · February 2017

Z_I_L_L_A wrote: »

I hear this all the time and am kinda confused or doubtful about the conclusions. Why can't you target a certain area and reduce the fat in that area lifting?

My answer is, I call BS on that.

Lifting works the muscle.

The muscle isn't visible with a load of fat on the top of it.

CafeRacer808 · February 2017

I'm curious as to why you think it's BS...

Need2Exerc1se · February 2017

I've always kind of thought not being able to target fat was BS too. Not based on anything other than my own personal life. Maybe I can't, but it sure seems like I can.

TavistockToad · February 2017

Z_I_L_L_A wrote: »

I hear this all the time and am kinda confused or doubtful about the conclusions. Why can't you target a certain area and reduce the fat in that area lifting?

My answer is, I call BS on that.

Because...?

CipherZero · February 2017

The great thing about factual information is our beliefs have no bearing on their truth.

Need2Exerc1se · February 2017

CipherZero wrote: »

The great thing about factual information is our beliefs have no bearing on their truth.

What is the "fact" based on? How was it proved?

BishopLord · February 2017

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

CipherZero wrote: »

The great thing about factual information is our beliefs have no bearing on their truth.

What is the "fact" based on? How was it proved?

Based on the fact that when you get rid of body fat through working out, it comes from all over the body, not just a specific area. For example, say you only did recumbent bike for 30 minutes a day. Sure, your legs will get firmer, but you're still using other muscles, and your body temperature has risen, resulting in fat melting away not only in your legs, but your glutes, abs, chest, back, and lastly the arms.

cwolfman13 · February 2017

http://www.yalescientific.org/2011/04/targeted-fat-loss-myth-or-reality/

Need2Exerc1se · February 2017

BishopLord wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

CipherZero wrote: »

The great thing about factual information is our beliefs have no bearing on their truth.

What is the "fact" based on? How was it proved?

Based on the fact that when you get rid of body fat through working out, it comes from all over the body, not just a specific area. For example, say you only did recumbent bike for 30 minutes a day. Sure, your legs will get firmer, but you're still using other muscles, and your body temperature has risen, resulting in fat melting away not only in your legs, but your glutes, abs, chest, back, and lastly the arms.

I know the theory. But what proof is there that different exercises don't cause more fat from certain areas to be used? It's the proof I'm interested in. Genuinely interested.

deluxmary2000 · February 2017

cwolfman13 wrote: »

http://www.yalescientific.org/2011/04/targeted-fat-loss-myth-or-reality/

Pfffft! Are you really going to trust Yale Scientific over the OP?

Z_I_L_L_A · February 2017

I worked out with a guy that was over weight, 335 lbs. Didn't do the typical cardio or diet thing. Weight still the same now but he has been blasting his shoulders with super hi reps and is strong as hell. His shoulders have striations front and back but every where else is the same as before. So to say you can't target certain areas and lose fat in that specific area seems bogus.

I'm not the Sci-fi nutrition guy, so I just wanted to know. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it myself.

not_a_runner · February 2017

Unfortunately I've never found any way to control where that fat comes from. For many people their midsection is the last to go. I think this is partly based on genetics. Other people hold fat in other areas.
But saying a certain exercise will make me lose more fat in a certain area doesn't add up for me...
If that were the case, if I did only crunches/ab work, I should be losing fat only from my stomach right? I think everyone would be doing a lot of crunches if that were the case.
That would mean ladies could keep all the fat in their butt, and lose all the fat in their waist. Who doesn't want a big ole booty and visible abs?
The fact that I have yet to see anyone utilize that strategy effectively is proof enough for me that no, you cannot spot reduce.

Need2Exerc1se · February 2017

cwolfman13 wrote: »

http://www.yalescientific.org/2011/04/targeted-fat-loss-myth-or-reality/

Interesting. I'm not sure 2 studies that focused on arms only would constitute 'proved' but it is interesting data.

scottrey · February 2017

That makes total sense, because when I was overeating all that time I was only targeting to carry the fat on my love handles. It worked too. *tongue planted firmly in cheek*

jemhh · February 2017

Z_I_L_L_A wrote: »

I worked out with a guy that was over weight, 335 lbs. Didn't do the typical cardio or diet thing. Weight still the same now but he has been blasting his shoulders with super hi reps and is strong as hell. His shoulders have striations front and back but every where else is the same as before. So to say you can't target certain areas and lose fat in that specific area seems bogus.

If he hasn't lost weight, he would have been eating at maintenance, making it easier for him to build muscle than eating in a deficit would. I would suspect that he has built up his shoulders more than anywhere else, which has given them more definition than elsewhere. And perhaps he has a tendency to lose fat there sooner than he does other areas.

Z_I_L_L_A · February 2017

So the muscle in his shoulders just pushed the fat somewhere else out of the way. Maybe he just didn't have a whole lot of fat on his shoulders.

sardelsa · February 2017

If anyone figures out how to do it, let me know *shakes fists at banana rolls*

cwolfman13 · February 2017

Targeting fat deposits with a specific workout or movement doesn't make any sense..subcutaneous fat like moob fat or belly fat isn't the fat that isn't immediately available for energy. Subcutaneous fat is stored as triglycerides which your body can't burn...it has to be broken down into glycerol and fatty acids to enter the blood stream...when you burn fat for energy, your body is going to take it from wherever it can get it...which isn't going to be subcutaneous fat stores.

not_a_runner · February 2017

So essentially he recomped, lost some fat and gained muscle and stayed the same weight.
(I also have recomped, I weigh the same as I did a few years ago but have a very different body composition now because I've built muscle everywhere and lost fat. I imagine if I had only trained one muscle group it would have gone similarly to this situation. But anyway....)
It's common for people's upper body to be the first thing to lean out even when using a full body program.
And If he was mainly working shoulders that's probably the only area he made much progress with building wise , so it makes sense to me that everything else would look the same while only his shoulders improved. You can't expect other areas to look any different when he did nothing to improve them, both training and diet wise.
Sounds like a poor training plan to me.

The age old "You can't target areas of fat, lifting" BS!

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