Stubborn body fat areas. We all have them and love to obsess about them, but is it possible to specifically target these annoying areas to visibly reduce body fat? Unfortunately it’s not possible for you to pick and choose the areas of the body where you lose fat. Your body is genetically made up to lose fat in whichever way it needs to.
This means that one person could begin to lose fat on their face and then their bum whilst another could lose it on their back and then their arms. This can be frustrating, especially when you’re aiming to achieve targeted fat loss, but we are all different. Our bodies remove fat however it thinks is best. So, targeting body fat isn’t possible, but you can target a muscle area.
Targeting Muscle vs Targeting Body Fat
You target a muscle to make it stronger. If you target a muscle correctly, your muscles get bigger. Building muscle can have an incredible impact on your body – it can allow you to burn fat even when you’re resting.
For example, if you want to focus on a firmer, larger booty then you’ll need to strengthen your glutes to make them stronger and bigger. The only way to do this is to build muscle in that area rather than targeting body fat.
What about getting a six pack?
Everyone is looking to target the abdominal area to get that impressive six pack. However, if you believe that’s achievable only by targeting body fat through thousands of sit ups and crunches, you’ve been misled. Everyone has a core, but some people have a weaker set of abdominal muscles than others. Without your core, you’d be unable to stand up straight – that’s how important your core muscles are.
The iconic six pack usually rests below a layer of body fat. So instead of targeting the body fat specifically, you need to work the surrounding muscles to shed that body fat. It’s not necessarily about how often you train in this area, but how targeted your training is. If you understand and implement this, you’re one step closer to achieving fantastic results.
How can I reduce my body fat
No matter where you’re looking to reduce your body fat, there are three things you should do:
- Eat a SMALL calorie deficit. This probably means that you will need to track your calories. Expend more energy than you are consuming and you will drop body fat.
- Lift weights. Lean legs, toned arms and a rippling six pack are all built by lifting weights to target and challenge the correct muscle groups.
- Increase your daily energy expenditure. Whether that’s increasing your daily steps to 10k or adding a couple of cardio sessions to your training plan, ensure you are dropping body fat by getting up and being active.
Are you struggling to lose body fat or wanting to find out more about targeted fat loss? Get in touch with our Manchester Personal Training team via the website to book a free consultation and discover exactly how we can help you reach your goals.
Please feel free to contact the team at FORM with your questions or on info@formmcr.com and remember to check out our Instagram page for further fitness inspiration!
