How many of you have found yourself spending countless repetitions on the ab/adductor machines (aka inner and outer thigh machines) in hopes of losing fat around your hips and upper thighs? Or maybe this sounds familiar: you want to get rid of your “jiggly back arm fat” (this has literally been said to me) so you do tons and tons of triceps work? This form of “training” is known as “spot reduction” training, and unfortunately, it doesn’t work.

Spot reduction refers to the localized loss of adipose tissue (specifically, subcutaneous fat) as a result of exercising that particular part of the body. There is plenty of literature discussing spot reduction training. Below are some of the highlights:

Spot reduction training does NOT work…

1. Regardless of your sex or racial differences
2. On any part of the body (yes, this includes the abdominals)
3. Even when diet is controlled for, and, lastly,
4. In any age group

Now, this doesn’t mean you should stop lifting weights. In fact….keep it up (and add more weight!). Some of you may be thinking, “But I don’t want to get bulky”. My response to you (#allmyfemalefriends) is that, unless you are taking steroids or testosterone of some sort, you will NOT get bulky. Here is what could happen: you spend hours at the gym, lifting weights and doing cardio, BUT your diet doesn’t change much. At this point, you are gaining muscle but not losing much fat.  So how can you prevent this from happening?  In order for someone to lose fat in a particular area, they need to include aerobic exercise along with reducing their energy intake and lifting weights. So what should you do now?

Train hard. Eat clean. Be consistent.

If you master these three things, you’ll be sure to see some aesthetic changes and feel your clothes fitting differently (in a good way).

Lastly, I’d like to remind the beautiful full bodied women out there that there comes a point in life where you need to accept your body for the beautiful specimen that it is….curves and all. Women are more likely to have greater muscle lipid infiltration, higher subcutaneous fat, and lower limb muscle mass than men.  In other words, women tend to carry much of their fat and muscle around their hips and thighs. It’s science.

To all my female friends, colleagues, and loved ones:  I encourage you to take a moment and think about all the wonderful things your body does for you. Love your body. Change those negative comments to positive comments. Would you ever let someone else talk to you so negatively? Of course not! Tell yourself, “I am beautiful, and I deserve it”, because you are.