Pep Talk
Ahhhh, spot reduction. This is the Bigfoot of personal training circles. Much like the fabled unicorn, spot reduction is a lie that inspires magical hope that the impossible can exist.Now, unlike the unicorn, most people don't understand that spot reduction is a myth. But you might be asking, what is spot reduction? Spot reduction refers to the concept that you can lose fat or "tone up" one specific area of your body without affecting the other areas. As in, "I just need to lose this muffin top. What exercises can I do to tone this up?"
The plain and simple answer is, "None." Now, let me clarify, because that doesn't mean you can't lose the muffin top. It just means the approach is wrong. Zeroing in on one part of your body to lose fat can only be accomplished surgically. In order to understand the way we lose fat, you have to understand how our body stores it.
Think of your body fat as a lake. There are deep areas and shallow areas (i.e. areas where we store more fat, and areas where we are leaner). For example, you may store everything in your hips and thighs, while your upper body remains fairly lean. And everyone is different, just as every lake is different. There are different deep areas and shallow areas for every lake.
If you think about draining a lake of all water, you cannot selectively drain the deep areas. You must first drain the shallow parts of all water before you can even begin to touch the deep areas. The same goes for your body. You must get your entire body fat percentage down in order to start to tap into those "deep areas." Most people get discouraged when their measurements don't change around their waist, but they may not be realizing that their face is getting leaner, their arms are toning, and it might just take a few more weeks to see the difference they're looking for. Often times, impatience leads to throwing in the towel prematurely and going back to unhealthy habits.
Okay, so I've convinced you that losing fat is a total-body activity and you can't pick and choose body parts. What is the best approach? Exercise is, of course, a great way to stay strong and physically fit, but that is only part of it. No single exercise can "tone up" an area; you also need to strip away the excess fat. You can develop muscle, yes, and that gives your body shape, but you cannot see that shape underneath if you have layers of fat covering it like an ugly holiday sweater. That means the largest portion of the fat loss equation is nutrition.
To break down how critical nutrition is, consider the following comparison. Running for 6 miles can burn roughly 600 calories (this is just an estimate; individual results will vary). Eat 2-3 slices of takeout pizza after your run, and you will not only undo all that work, but (depending on the toppings), you may exceed the calories you burned during exercise. With this approach, someone who runs 6 miles every day could, theoretically, gain body fat. And they wouldn't understand why!
Fat loss is a matter of patience, regular exercise, and careful nutrition. The muffin top might not be the first thing to leave you, but don't get discouraged. Given sufficient time and effort, you can get rid of it for good.
Challenge Workout
Complete 3 rounds, taking breaks as needed, of:- 45 seconds Jumping Lunges (can step instead of jumping if needed)
- 45 seconds Plank
- 45 seconds Jump Rope
- 45 seconds rest
