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I’ve had quite a few fitness questions come through my inbox over the last few weeks. Sorry I haven’t been able to answer them as I have a real job to do becasue you arent paying me. But, one appears regularly so I thought I would cover it off in this months fitness tip.

How can I remove stubborn fat in problem areas (e.g. lower abs, triceps, thighs)?

Unfortunately, scientifically the only way you can do what is known in the business as “spot reduction of fat” is by using a sharp knife and a vacuum cleaner…umm…don’t try this at home.

There is simply no such thing as localized fat loss, no matter what type of exercise gadget is used and no matter what type of exercise is prescribed.

SO DO NOT BUY THE LATEST AB MACHINE PROMOTED AT 2AM IN THE MORNING!!!

You can build muscle (or tone) in local areas but fat loss doesn’t work the same way.

The truth is that fat is deposited in areas around your body according to your genetic makeup (you can blame your parents)…and what really stinks is that the first place you put on fat is most often the last place you will lose it. Oh, and while I am at it…fat cannot turn into muscle and vice versa.

I can tell what you are thinking now…“this guy thinks he is a fitness guru?… he cant even tell me how to get rid of my love handles”. Well I hear you!!

The fact that you cannot spot reduce is scientifically proven. But really, what has science done for us lately? Try yelling out “Beam me up Scotty”…and the only place you end up is in a padded room or a Star Trek convention (not sure which one I would prefer to be honest).

So here are two tips I found to work with my personal training clients in somewhat “targeting” stubborn fat.

1. Do your weight training workout before your aerobic workout

Weight training is anaerobic exercise (the opposite of aerobics), meaning that fuel is burnt without the presence of oxygen. Carbohydrate is the only fuel that can be burnt in weight training.

During aerobic exercise (such as running), carbohydrate then fat is burnt as a fuel source in that order, due to the presence of oxygen. Like fire, fat cannot be burnt without oxygen available.

So by doing your weight training before your aerobic workout you will burn up your carbohydrate stores so you can get to burning fat faster in your aerobic exercise.

2. Focus on your problem areas by doing them first in the workout (or in the week)

Ok…I stole this second tip from the greatest body builder ever, Arnold Schwarzenegger

By performing exercises targeting your problem areas first in the workout (or in the week), you are prioritizing these areas when you have the most energy to train the hardest.

I often see people leave abdominal training to the end of their workouts…well if this is your problem area, train it first and you will have better results.

Til next month,

Chris

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