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Spot Reduction

When it comes to exercise and weight loss, one of the biggest myths you'll hear is that of something called 'spot reduction'. This has been floating around for years and refuses to go away! Many people still believe that they can shift excess weight from a particular part of the body just by working that 'spot' repetitively. This simply isn't the case.

How many women do you know who insist on performing no end of leg raises to shrink their hips? Or guys who do endless sit ups to reduce the size of their guts? Yes, you CAN target a particular area of the body and improve muscle tone by repetitive exercise, BUT you won't lose the excess fat from that one specific spot by doing so. Let me explain..

Your body has a set plan when it comes to losing fat, and nothing you do will change this pattern. Research shows that the first place you store fat, which tends to be the biggest problem area, is likely to be the last place you will lose it. Fat loss in women tends to start in the arms, followed by the trunk, then the legs.

You will lose fat faster from different parts of your body regardless of the type of exercise you do, so working a certain muscle will not necessarily affect the fat deposits that may be lying over that muscle. Thigh exercises won't necessarily burn "thigh fat."

Think about it: if 'spot reduction' really worked, wouldn't the whole world be walking round with slim faces, from years of repetitive eating and chewing?

In order to make your body burn its fat stores you need to create a calorie deficit through your food choices and regular exercise, which will eventually reduce the fat from your midsection and the rest of your body. In order to burn off one pound of fat a week you need to create a weekly calorie deficit of 3500kcals or 500kcals a day.

For most people this simply means cutting out the junk food.

So quit boring yourself to death with the same repetitive exercises and start focusing on the body as a whole. Variety is the key to better results both in diet and exercise, and the more you do, the quicker and more long lasting results you will achieve.