Although many topics on Fitni.ge were devoted to the problem of combating problem areas, the characteristics of weight loss according to body types were determined and which types of exercise are recommended to improve the proportion, I still think that this topic is not exhausted, because there are still many questions that come up. Belongs to a decrease in fat around the abdomen or legs.
The problem of getting rid of fat from specific places is very popular in the fitness world. As the American Exercise Council (one of the most authoritative bodies in the United States) points out - unfounded fitness programs and sports equipment that promise to remove fat from specific areas have become a multi-million dollar business industry.
First of all, before we talk about this topic, I want to explain in more detail what is meant by the problem of fat removal from specific places. For example, most girls want thin legs, while men want a straight belly. Can it be done on the legs or abdomen? Of course you can, but only on condition that you lose weight completely. The weight loss process affects the whole body simultaneously. It does not happen that we fall only on the legs and not on the chest; Lose weight not only on the abdomen and buttocks. What physiological mechanism do you think might work to indicate that the body is producing fat only from areas we want? Smiley diets for dilettante customers that promise to lose belly or legs. There is a little cunning that partially works, the weight is completely lost during the diet, so naturally the promised legs or abdomen will definitely decrease in proportion to the decrease, but against the background of the overall decrease and not as the marketing name promises - "diet for the abdomen".
As the problem of localized fat removal has become so urgent, marketing machines have become quite effective and various devices, fitness programs have emerged alongside diets that are widely advertised as solutions to this problem. How realistic and physiologically justified are these methods?
Due to the popularity of this topic, I tried to conduct my own "investigation". I have reviewed numerous sites and publications, I have read the opinions of fitness experts and scientists. It has become clear that scientific research is completely contrary to the advertising campaign launched in this field, which works for financial gain.
What do scientific studies say?
It is known that during aerobic exercise, the process of lipolysis (fat burning) of adipose tissue increases throughout the body. Scientists have wondered if the level of lipolysis is higher near the muscles that are worked out during exercise compared to the muscles that are at rest?
The Danish scientists conducted an experiment on ten men who first trained one leg at 25% of the maximum load, then 55%, and finally 85% in the study mode. They took 30-minute breaks between loads and changed legs - the second leg worked while the first rested. The blood supply and lipolysis process in both (working and resting) subcutaneous adipose tissue of the leg were compared.
As the results showed, at low intensity training levels (25% and 55%), blood flow and lipolysis were higher in the tissues surrounding the working leg muscles than in the resting leg muscles, while no changes were observed at high intensity (85%). Based on these studies, it has been concluded that a specific type of exercise that targets specific muscles can increase fat burning in these areas.
Yet joy is premature. It is then necessary to ask how high the fat burning rate is at the local level and whether it gives us a noticeable result. Lyle McDonald, author of a number of books on bodybuilding, notes in his publication that the results of the above experiment resulted in an additional 0.6-2.1 milligrams of fat burning per 30 minutes of leg exercise per 100 grams of fat. If we assume that 5 kg in this place. Excess fat, it turns out that during a 30-minute workout a maximum of 0.1 grams of excess fat will be burned compared to the rest of the working leg - this is a very insignificant result!
The most convincing study to disprove the myth of local fat burning was conducted at the University of Massachusetts during the 1980s. The study involved 13 men who performed active abdominal exercises (presses) for 27 days. Each participant made 5,000 presses during the research project. At the end of the study period, a biopsy of the fat layers of the abdomen, buttocks and spine was performed. It was found that the fat layer was reduced not only in the abdomen but also in all three parts of the body. Such a result partly explains why it seems as if the fat is reduced in specific areas - when enough calories are expended, fat is reduced throughout the body, including the problem areas that we target during exercise.
The American Training Council draws on the results of a popular study to answer this question: This study compared the circumference of both arms of a professional tennis player and the thickness of the fat layer with each other. Researchers have suggested that if local fat is burning, then the tennis player's arm, which is always working, should be thinner than the inactive arm. This assumption was not justified. Despite the fact that the circumference of the tennis player's arm was occupied by the most developed muscles, the measurement with skinfield (a device for measuring the thickness of the fat layer) did not show any difference between the thicknesses of the fat layer of the two arms.
Features of weight loss
Genetics and type of build
Although the loss of fat from the whole body occurs simultaneously, it has been found that it is ultimately the parts of the fat where it originally accumulates. These are the problem areas where the highest percentage of fat stores are located and they take the most time to spend accordingly. When fat is reduced faster in any part of the body, it's a merit of genetic predisposition and build type rather than the result of specific exercise.
Conclusion: The same diet and exercise routine will give different results for weight loss for different body types. Weight loss may be identical to types A and V, but type A will be more pronounced in the upper body and V in the lower body.
Sex difference
For most men (and some women) the abdomen is the most difficult to remove, while for most women the thighs, buttocks and thighs are considered problem areas in this regard. So if a man and a woman exercise with the same program, a woman in the buttocks area will have a harder time getting rid of fat than a man.
Personal experience
Yes, the author of this article has done a record number of presses and lots of different leg exercises - do not doubt my efforts. Even from practical experience, I can only agree with the results of the above research. During the training period, I constantly focused on these problem areas. The circumference of the leg and abdomen has certainly been reduced, but only against the background of a decrease in fat throughout the body and not in such a way as to reduce the circumference of the thighs and the rest of the body not to touch it (which I would not refuse in the last stage of the decrease). You may ask why so many presses, different leg exercises for the outer thigh, the inner side, etc. are needed. The answer is: these exercises tone the relaxed muscles, give it a beautiful and dense shape, all this is necessary after weight loss, due to a passive sedentary lifestyle, when the skin loses a lot of elasticity and the muscular system is relaxed; These exercises promote complete weight loss in parallel and activate the blood supply to these areas, which is the best way to fight cellulite.
Although focusing on specific areas of the exercise did not result in more fat burning in those areas, I was still satisfied with the results. I was able to achieve the best shape for my body, but the desired change in proportion was not the emphasis on the lower zones, but on the contrary, the addition of exercises for the arms, chest, back or upper body - toned the upper body, stretched the shoulders and became more proportionate.
So, as a resume, I want to answer the most frequently asked questions on the site - will this exercise make my legs swell?
Legs will be thinner if you get rid of excess fat, which will help you with exercise and diet, specifically leg exercises will give this effect more attractive forms, will help you get rid of cellulite, and if genetic predisposition helps you, the result of weight loss will be more.