- Can you give me an exercise that
will get rid of the fat on my stomach?
- What exercises can I do to tone my
thighs?
- Can you recommend some exercises
to make my arms, thighs and stomach smaller and also speed up my weight loss??
I hear questions such as this on a daily
basis, both from our clients and from people standing in the grocery line with me who want
to know what exercises I do for such "toned" arms. Spot reduction works only in
the laundry room, ladies and gentleman - there is simply no such thing as localized fat
loss. The reality is - muscles which are stimulated with exercise will increase in size,
regardless of what type of exercise gadget is used to "tone" an area.
While resistance training is vital to overall fat loss and sculpting the body that you
want, "overtraining" an area with the hopes of "toning" it will lead
to muscle being added disproportionately and the area getting larger. If you build muscle
more quickly that you strip fat in any area, it will get bigger.
Many people focus on exercising a particular body part which is hidden
by fatty tissue in an effort to "burn away" the localized fat and expose toned
muscles. No amount of dips, lunges, or abdominal work will "burn" the fat
off in a particular area. Unfortunately, most people cannot see their beautiful toned
muscles because they are covered by a layer of body fat.
That having been said here are the facts regarding "spot reducing,
toning, and firming:"
- Body areas which are not "toned" simply contain excess body fat
- Physiologically, muscle is always firm
- Our bodies are genetically preprogrammed to carry a certain amount in a particular body
area
- The area of the body that first notices a decrease in body fat will vary from person to
person – it is genetically predetermined
- In order to lose fat from your body, an energy "deficit" must occur (ie you
must burn more calories than you consume
- It is impossible to "firm" fat, nor can you "tone" muscle
- No one can predict which area of their body will lose fat first
- Eventually you WILL experience fat loss in the more difficult areas
Tips for a "toned," firm you:
- Perform a well rounded resistance program at least 2 days a week to add lean body
mass (muscle) to your frame, sculpt and shape your body. This will increase your ability
to burn fat and food calories as well as your ability to sculpt your body just as you
would like it. (each pound of muscle burns approximately 40 calories metabolically, each
pound of fat, about 3)
- Perform a minimum of 3 30-minute sessions of cardiovascular training each week to
stimulate fat loss
- Watch your serving sizes and portions, eat a balanced diet of
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (The American Heart Association recommends a general
guideline of 60% of your calories from carbohydrates, 20% from fats, and 20% from
protein). Calories DO count. If you eat more than you burn, you will add fat regardless of
the source
- Use common sense and keep refined sugars, sodas, and processed foods to a minimum
- Drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water each day
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