Spot reduction is the term used to describe the process of reducing fat in specific parts of the body. There’s even specific workouts designed around spot reduction. I’m sure you’ve heard of workouts claiming to just blitz belly fat or arm fat.

The truth is, spot reduction is impossible.

Our bodies reduce their fat percentage as a whole. It may come off certain places faster than others, but we cannot influence this process through exercise.

There are some well known fitness “gurus” that have their own theory on spot reduction. I often hear that high oestrogen levels in women cause fat storage around the waist and hips. And high cortisol drives fat storage in the upper thighs.

Even if this were true, which it isn’t, there’s no way for us to reliably test it. Maybe in a decade Captain Kirk.

Energy balance controls our body fat percentage. And energy balance is calories consumed versus calories burned. If we burn more calories than we eat, we’ll lose weight.

So can we blitz belly fat through crunches?

Without the right diet and exercise program, crunches alone won’t do much. Plus there’s far better exercise choices than repeatedly curling our spine.

We need to pick a form of exercise that’s enjoyable and do it over and over again. We can swim, climb, walk, workout from home, or dance our asses off. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we stick to it.

It’s plausible to argue which one would get the best results. But ultimately, what we enjoy more, we do more. And what we do more brings us better results.

Remember, if you have any questions reach out to us on the Community Forum!