Spot reducing... tell me it can be done

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  Jun 22, 2008 12:11 PM GMT

  So I've already lost a fair amount of weight (77 pounds or so) and starting to tone up nicely in some areas (chest, shoulders, arms all coming along well).
  
  But my upper legs are distressing me some... my inner thighs just don't seem to be shifting as fast as anything else. It looks to me that they are way out of proportion to the rest of my body
  
  Any suggestions on ways to tone the upper legs? Already doing leg press/extension/curl, weighted squats, weighted lunges?

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  Jun 26, 2008 7:40 PM GMT

  you could try some plyometrics. jump squats work really well. they are super good for you. you could also try one leg squats with no weights. good luck!

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  Jun 26, 2008 7:41 PM GMT

  nope. spot reduction does not work, but you could start working them out more so the muscle is there and in shape.

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  Jul 05, 2008 6:16 AM GMT

  Thanks for the suggestions... I think I'm just being over-sensitive about it. THe legs are getting more toned... I just need patience.

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  Jul 05, 2008 6:27 AM GMT

  Fat leaves your body in roughly the same "geographic order" as it arrives. While most guys share the common first/last location around their waists (and women around the hips), everyone has their unique pattern.
  
  As you get to lower and lower body fat percentages, it's those "last spots" that are going to be the biggest, and longest challenges.
  
  So you're absolutely right -- ironically, patience becomes more and more important the more you accomplish. Same is true for building muscle.
  
  As for "spot reducing", except for surgical procedures (e.g. lipo), the concept exists purely as a marketing technique. As such, it's been repeated enough that it somehow settles in our collective consciousness as a sort of "truthiness."
  
  Oh, by the way, Obama is certainly not a Muslim terrorist bent on the destruction of America...
  
  ... as far I know.
  
  ;)

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• Timbales
  
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  Jul 05, 2008 3:00 PM GMT

  Ignorance77 saidSo I've already lost a fair amount of weight (77 pounds or so) and starting to tone up nicely in some areas (chest, shoulders, arms all coming along well).
  
  But my upper legs are distressing me some... my inner thighs just don't seem to be shifting as fast as anything else. It looks to me that they are way out of proportion to the rest of my body
  
  Any suggestions on ways to tone the upper legs? Already doing leg press/extension/curl, weighted squats, weighted lunges?

  
  
  Are you judging this by looking in a mirror? You may want to set up your camera on a timer and take some full body shots - front, back and side - and see if you can tell a difference.

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  Jul 08, 2008 1:46 AM GMT

  Timberoo said[quote][cite]
  
  Are you judging this by looking in a mirror? You may want to set up your camera on a timer and take some full body shots - front, back and side - and see if you can tell a difference.

  
  
  The most obvious thing to me is that I have to buy bigger sized pants to get them in! Size 34's (and still a lot of 36) are tight around my legs, but swimming around my waist.
  
  

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  Jul 08, 2008 1:49 AM GMT

  iguanaSF said
  
  Oh, by the way, Obama is certainly not a Muslim terrorist bent on the destruction of America...
  
  ... as far I know.
  
  ;)

  
  
  I had been misinformed - damn using fox as my news source

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• Timbales
  
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  Jul 08, 2008 1:51 AM GMT

  Ignorance77 said[quote][cite]Timberoo said[/cite][quote][cite]
  
  Are you judging this by looking in a mirror? You may want to set up your camera on a timer and take some full body shots - front, back and side - and see if you can tell a difference.

  
  
  The most obvious thing to me is that I have to buy bigger sized pants to get them in! Size 34's (and still a lot of 36) are tight around my legs, but swimming around my waist.
  
  [/quote]
  
  It could be you should look for different fits of pants. A lot of athletic men have an issue with their waist being slimmer and pants not fitting well.
  

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  Jul 08, 2008 5:38 AM GMT

  In general the previous posters are correct in saying the spot reduction does not work. However, I will say this, there is beginning to be some evidence that there are two exceptions to the rule. One is that High Intensity Interval Training may reduce lower ab fat at a slightly faster rate then elsewhere in the body. The second exception is that in some runners, fat has been preferentially removed from the legs. Keep in mind though that this is some newer evidence in and that the amounts of extra fat removed from those areas is a pretty small amount of additional fat.
  
  The best overall method at reducing body fat in my view is to alternate your training styles often, definitely use High Intensity Interval Training, definitely do some slower endurance running, and even give some power walking a try. Everyone's physiology has unique aspects to it, and you may get better results from one of these methods then the others. Also more importantly, it helps to keep the body guessing so it doesn't adapt to that one thing you do all the time. This is why it's important to keep a food and activity log. When you change something you can't tell if its working better or worst if you don't know if your eating and other variables changed at the same time. If it's all planned and logged it becomes very easy to tell what's working best for you and what isn't.

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  Jul 08, 2008 3:59 PM GMT

  
  mmmmmm, I love your thunder thighs.

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  Jul 08, 2008 4:07 PM GMT

  If you push your self on a treadmill or stairmaster preferably with HIIT your body will adapt slowly to alter it's composition to allow for the increased exercise by reducing the effort you have to exert to complete the same distance.
  
  Mainly by shifting the fat around your legs that's slowing you down physically and surrounding the muscle slowing the dispersion of heat from contracting muscle tissue.

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