Rice Fitness Center Archive

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Targeting Your Trouble Areas

Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no way to selectively reduce your trouble areas. Spot reducing has become a multi-million dollar industry in a country where the health and aesthetic disadvantages of obesity are well recognized. Numerous scientific studies, however, cast doubt on the validity of spot reduction -- the process of selectively taking inches off the waist, thighs or buttocks.

Several years ago, researchers compared the circumferences and fat deposits in the right and left arms of accomplished tennis players. The investigators proposed that if spot reduction worked, the playing arm of an athlete should have considerably less fat than the inactive arm. Although circumference measures in the playing arm were greater due to more muscular development, skinfold thickness measures revealed no difference in fat deposits between the two arms.

Perhaps the most convincing evidence against the theory of spot reduction comes from a more recent study conducted at the University of Massachusetts. Thirteen male subjects underwent a vigorous abdominal exercise program for 27 days. Each subject performed a total of 5,000 sit-ups. Fat biopsies were taken before and after the exercise program from their abdomen, buttocks and upper back. Results showed that fat decreased similarly at all three sites -- not just in the stomach region. These findings may explain one reason why spot reducing sometimes seems to work. If the caloric expenditure is sufficient enough, it will cause fat from the entire body to be reduced, including a particular target area.