Is it possible to target fat loss

Yet a study conducted by the University of California, Irvine on tennis players found that this is not actually the case. Tennis players constitute a population whose right and left arms have been consistently subjected to very different amounts of exercise over several years.

More recently, in a study led by the University of Connecticut, participants completed a twelve-week supervised resistance-training program in which their non-dominant arm was selectively exercised.

MRI assessments of subcutaneous fat before and after the program revealed that fat loss tended to be generalized, rather than only occurring in the trained arm. It turns out that there are a few basic physiological reasons why targeted fat loss does not work. The fat contained in fat cells exists in a form known as triglycerides. Muscle cells, however, cannot directly use triglycerides as fuel; it would be analogous to trying to run a car on crude oil.

Instead, the fat must be broken down into glycerol and free fatty acids, which then enter the bloodstream. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Spot reduction is an outdated concept.

The general theory is that doing specific exercises will reduce fat in certain specific areas of the body. For example, doing leg lifts will reduce fat around the hips and thighs, or doing ab exercises will lead to flat abs , or doing chest exercises will get rid of the fat under your breasts.

There is not enough evidence to support the idea that spot reduction is effective. If you want to lose fat in certain areas of your body, a comprehensive approach that addresses physical activity and nutrition is likely to be more effective. To lose fat , you have to burn more calories than you eat.

When you do that, you create a calorie deficit that causes your body to use energy stored in your cells in the form of fat. When those cells are used for energy, they start to decrease in size.

As a result, the body may get smaller because it holds less stored fat. Here's where things get frustrating. The body doesn't only draw energy from the cells in the area you're working. It gets energy from the body as a whole, which means that leg lifts alone won't do much for removing fat from the thighs. However, exercising your legs can increase strength and endurance in your lower body.

So, while targeting specific body areas during exercise can be effective to build muscle and shape those areas, it won't necessarily help you lose fat in that specific area. Instead, you'll need to address your overall diet to reduce the amount of fat that is stored, and increase your activity level to try to burn the fat that has already been stored throughout the body. So, what do you do if you want to lose fat from a certain area of the body?

The bottom line is that you may not be able to pick and choose where fat is lost on your body. Spot reducing doesn't work. Instead, your genes, hormones, sex, body type, body composition , diet, and other factors determine where and when the fat comes off. But, the number of calories you can burn isn't the whole story. Too many high-intensity workouts every week, can put you at risk in a number of ways.

Not only that but, if you don't have much experience with exercise, you may not have the conditioning or the desire for breathless and challenging workouts. If you have some kind of medical condition or injury, check with your doctor before doing high-intensity training or any kind of training. If you're doing several days of cardio each week, which is what is recommended for weight loss, you would probably want only one or two workouts to fall into the high-intensity range.

Here are some examples of high-intensity workouts. That means you are breathing harder than normal but can carry on a conversation without much difficulty and you feel pretty comfortable with what you're doing. The lower end of this range usually incorporates the fat burning zone. Moderate-intensity workouts have some great benefits. Here are some examples. For weight loss purposes, you would likely want the majority of your cardio workouts to fall into this range.

Some examples include:. This level of intensity is no doubt one of the most comfortable areas of exercise, keeping you at a pace that isn't too taxing and doesn't pose much of a challenge. This approach, along with the idea that it burns more fat, makes this a popular place to stay. But, as we've learned, you can burn more calories if you work harder, and that's what you want for weight loss.

That doesn't mean that low-intensity exercise has no purpose. It involves the kind of long, slow activities you feel like you could do all day. Even better, it includes activities you usually enjoy such as taking a stroll, gardening, riding a bike, or a gentle stretching routine. Low-intensity cardio doesn't have to be a structured, scheduled workout, but something you do all day long by walking more, taking the stairs , and doing more physical chores around the house. Exercise such as Pilates and yoga are at a lower intensity but help develop your core, flexibility, and balance.

They can be a part of a well-rounded routine. It may seem like a no-brainer that regular exercise can help you burn fat and lose weight. But it's not just about the calories you're burning. It's also about the adaptations your body makes when you exercise on a regular basis. Many of those adaptations lead directly to your ability to burn more fat without even trying. Regular exercise will also help you manage your weight. The more activity you engage in, the more calories you'll burn, and the easier it is to create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight.

If you want to become more consistent with your exercise regimen, use these tips to ensure you are regularly incorporating exercise into your life. To keep it even simpler, just choose an accessible activity like walking and do it every day at the same time.

It doesn't matter how long you walk, just that you show up at the same time. It's creating the habit that's always the hardest part. Adding more muscle by lifting weights and doing other resistance exercises can also help with burning fat, especially if you're also dieting.

Here are some benefits of weight training. If you lift weights at a higher intensity, you can actually increase your afterburn, or the calories you burn after your workout. That means that you burn calories during your workouts, but your body continues to burn calories even after your workout to allow your body to get back to its pre-existing state.

Lifting weights and maintaining muscle helps keep the metabolism up, even if you're cutting your calories. If you diet to lose weight, you actually risk losing muscle as well as fat. Muscle is metabolically active , so when you lose it, you also lose the extra calorie-burn muscles can provide. To start, choose a basic total body workout and do that about twice a week, with at least one day in between. Although findings from these studies warrant additional research, both had potential reasons for conflicting results, including measurement techniques and a small number of participants.

Despite these outlier studies, most scientific evidence shows that it is not possible to lose fat in one specific area by exercising that body part alone. Although spot fat reduction is most likely to be ineffective at burning fat in specific body parts, targeting troublesome areas by toning the underlying muscle can have beneficial results. Although spot reduction may not be the best use of your time, many evidenced-based methods can help you lose fat and tone your entire body.

For example, high-intensity workouts and exercises that engage the entire body have been shown to be most effective at shedding pounds High-intensity training, whole-body movements and cardiovascular exercise are very effective for losing weight and toning up.

For example, low-impact exercises like swimming and walking have been shown to be extremely effective for weight loss and are easy to do 18 , 19 , While increasing overall activity and adding new exercises to your daily routine is important for weight loss and your overall health, following a healthy meal plan is key when trying to shed body fat.

Studies have shown that exercise alone is not effective for weight loss unless a conscious effort is made to control calorie intake and make healthy food choices 21 , To lose weight and keep it off , combine the following diet tips with an exercise routine:. Following a healthy meal plan that includes lots of fiber, healthy fats and protein in controlled portions is a great way to slim down.

Eating healthy, minimally processed foods is the best way to do this. Although overeating is most often associated with unhealthy foods like cookies, chips and ice cream, it is possible to eat too many healthy foods as well. This is why controlling portion sizes and having a healthy awareness of both your hunger and fullness is important. Many people want a quick and easy way to lose fat, especially in troublesome areas like the hips, belly, arms and thighs.

Spot fat reduction has been shown to be ineffective in many studies. Luckily, there are other proven ways to lose body fat and keep it off. While resistance training may strengthen, build and tone muscle in a targeted area, a healthy diet and calorie-burning activities are necessary to burn fat and get a defined look. Ultimately, focusing on working towards a healthier, more toned body overall may be more beneficial than attempting to lose fat in one particular area. With hard work and dedication in both the gym and kitchen, you can achieve your weight loss goals.

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