Spot reduction is the idea that working one specific area will result in subsequent fat loss in that same area. Unfortunately, spot reduction is a myth. Many people will endure hundreds of repetitions of abdominal exercises daily, yet never see the type of results they are looking for. Losing belly fat ultimately requires a combination of the right nutritional intake as well as cardio and resistance training.
Spot Reduction Myth
A study done in the mid-1980s at the University of Massachusetts took 13 male participants and took fat biopsies at the abdomen, buttocks and upper back. The subjects participated in a vigorous abdominal training program in which a total of 5,000 situps were completed over 27 days. The result of the study was that fat was lost equally at each spot.
Weight Training
Weight training is often the afterthought when it comes to losing belly fat. Though recent research has shown that performing resistance training may be the best thing you can do to lose belly fat. A study published in the "International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" found that alternating days of resistance training burned twice as much fat -- 20.6 percent compared to 10.1 percent -- as a group that only did cardio training.
Interval Training
Much of the problem with cardio is that most people only perform low-intensity, long duration bouts, that really don't elevate the metabolism all that much during the session and hardly elevate it at all afterwards. One of the benefits of resistance training is that it can elevate metabolism for up to 39 hours following the workout. This same type of metabolism increase can be seen in cardio if done in the form of interval training. Interval training means doing short high-intensity bouts of exercise alternating with longer lower-intensity bouts. You might sprint for 30 to 60 seconds at 80 to 90 percent of maximum intensity, and alternate with jogging for three to five minutes at 60 to 75 percent intensity. Interval training has been shown to increase fat burn by 36 percent.
Nutrition
Ultimately, fat loss is determined by the number of calories consumed vs. the number of calories burned. The best exercise program in the world cannot overcome a poor diet. A safe and effective nutrition program will create a daily deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories. This will yield a loss of 1 to 2 lbs. per week.
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