Can You Lose Fat in a Specific Area? Let’s Talk “Spot Reduction.”

“Can I lose fat in a specific area?”

“Is isolating fat loss even possibility?”

These are some questions I get all the time…and for years, my answer was simple and confident: no, it’s not possible. But recently, some new research as challenged that long-standing belief, and my answer has evolved into one I find myself using often: It depends. 

In this blog, I’ll share what new information reveals, the study it came from, and what my updated advice is moving forward.

The Research Study

Today’s topic come from a monthly research review called Body by Science by Dr. Bill Campbell, a professor at the University of South Florida. If you have never heard of Dr. Campbell, I would definitely recommend checking him out. I have been following him work for several of years now and I appreciate how science-based his information is and how clearly, he presents this complex information. Dr. Campbell also conducts a significant amount of research focused on women’s health and fitness in his laboratory at the university, which adds another valuable layer to his findings.

The research he reviewed is titled: “Abdominal aerobic endurance exercise reveals spot reduction exist: A randomized controlled trial”.

In this review, Dr. Campbell breaks down the study, highlights both the strengths and weakness, and compares the results to previous research, some of which supported the possibility of spot reduction, and some that completely refuted it.

For those who want to dive deeper into his work, you can check out more about his research and monthly reviews here. 

The Study

The study included 16 men, ages 40+ and who BMI’s greater than 25, yet generally considered healthy. These participants were divided into two groups:  a Control Group and a Spot Reduction group.

The control group followed a traditional aerobic routine: running on a treadmill for 45 minutes, four times a week, at an intensity of 70% of their maximum heart rate. They did no strength training during the 10-week period.

The Spot Reduction group, on the other hand, had a slightly different approach. They performed 27 minutes of treadmill running at their 70% max heart rate and then followed it up with abdominal exercises. Over all, this group spent more time exercising, but both groups were designed to have equal total calorie expenditure.

For both groups, no specific nutrition guidelines were given to the participants and measurements in body composition changes were done with the DEXA scan. Utilizing the scan, the researchers looked at fat mass in three areas: the upper extremities, the trunk and the lower extremities.

The Results

Overall, the Spot Reduction group lost 3% more body fat in the trunk region compared to the Control group. Interestingly, the Control group lost 2% more from their lower extremities than the Spot Reduction group. This makes sense when you consider their training: the Control group spent more time running, which meant their legs received a longer and more consistent stimulus.

So, what does this really mean? It suggests that spot reduction might be possible…at least to some degree. This study adds to the growing conversation that targeted fat loss may not be the myth we once believed.

I also want to highlight one more important point, because it reinforces something I…along with many trainers… say often: strength training matters when your goal is fat loss. Both groups lost a respectable amount of fat overall, but the group that pared cardio with strength training still saw slightly greater overall fat loss.

Now, while these numbers didn’t reach high statistical significance, keep in mind this was only a 10-week study. With more time, the difference between cardio alone and cardio with strength training will drastically increase.

The Strengths and Limitations of the Study

Strengths:

• One major strength of this study is that researchers matched total calorie expenditure between the two groups. This helps ensure that differences in fat loss were more likely due to the training protocols rather than overall energy burned.

• They also utilized the DEXA for to assess body segment fat loss, which is considered a reliable tool for measuring changes in body composition.

Limitations:

• The biggest limitation is that no nutritional guidelines were provided. As we all know, nutrition plays a significant role in weight and fat loss, so this could have influenced the results.

• The study included only men, which leaves a gap. In previous studies involving women, no significant differences were found for spot reduction, suggesting potential sex-based differences that still need to be explored.

• Finally, Dr. Campbell noted that the use of DEXA was also a limitation. While useful, there is an even more accurate tool for measuring localized fat loss—the MRI. Using MRI could have provided more precise insight into changes in specific regions.

What do we do with this information?

Here is my advice: since we still don’t have absolute data fully supporting or dismissing the idea of isolating fat loss, my answer is…why not give it a try?

Now with that say, DO NOT ignore other areas of your body. Balanced training matters. Your body functions as a system, and keeping that system in alignment requires you to work all major muscle groups.

For example, it is incredibly easy to throw your core out of alignment if you hammer your abs but ignore your back muscles. The same goes for every opposing muscle groups: if you train your biceps, train your triceps. If you hit your quads, hit your hamstrings. The more balanced your approach, the stronger and more functional you will feel overall.

Next, let’s talk about the most common goal I hear…losing fat from the abdomen. Because this area is such a common “trouble spot,” people often default to doing endless ab workouts. But keep this in mind: larger muscles burn more calories than smaller ones, and your abs are on the smaller side. If your goal is to lose body fat overall, make sure your plan includes big muscle groups and compound-exercises like squats and deadlifts. They give you far more metabolic impact than crunches ever will.

Finally, don’t obsess over isolating fat loss. Obsessing leads to unhealthy patterns and unnecessary strain on your mental health. If you are consistently implementing healthy habits and solid training routines, those troublesome areas will change over time. Focus on building a stronger, healthier body as a whole.

Your body is a temple, treat it like one. If you are ready to take the next step toward a balanced and effective health and wellness plan, reach out and let’s build a strategy that works for you.

Stay curious. Stay active.

If you found this information useful, please check out my podcast or follow me on Facebook. Any topics you would like to cover? Email me at Renee@bodyandmindstrong.com .(I will NOT use your email for any type of mailer list or spam!!)