In an ideal world, we could control exactly where we want to “burn” fat. According to an article published on the Men's Fitness website, for most men this area is the abdomen, obliques and lower back, meaning the entire core region. The idea of burning fat in a specific area is called “spot reduction”, and a new study reveals that this dream may be possible.
Fat loss is a systemic process in which fatty acids are released from fat tissue, move through the bloodstream and are oxidized, meaning they are “burned”. This is different from the way the body burns carbohydrates, which is indeed “specific” to a particular area. Carbohydrates are stored in muscles in the form of glycogen. When performing biceps curls, you mainly burn glycogen located in the arm muscles. When performing a leg exercise, you mainly burn glycogen from the muscles in the legs.
Since fat is not burned locally like carbohydrates, many believe that spot fat reduction is not possible. In practice, the body reduces fat according to its own patterns, and stubborn areas, unsurprisingly, tend to be the last to shrink.
A new study presents a slightly more complex picture
In a study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, men were divided into two groups: One group performed abdominal exercises together with aerobic training, while the second performed only aerobic training. Using a DEXA scan, it was found that the group that combined abdominal exercises lost more fat in the trunk area. One might think that this group simply burned more calories, but the study was designed so that energy expenditure was identical between the groups. In addition, DEXA scans are considered one of the most accurate methods for measuring body fat.
Another study from the University of Padova strengthened these findings. One group in the study performed abdominal and arm exercises as part of a circuit aerobic workout, meaning they alternated targeted exercises with aerobic activity. The second group in the study performed the same exercises, at the same volume and intensity, but in a standard structure of aerobic training followed by strength training. The result – the group that combined the two lost more fat in the abdominal area.
The findings indicate that training structure also matters. A combination of work on specific muscles and aerobic activity may increase blood flow to the active area, and this is likely one of the mechanisms that helps local fat breakdown. Studies suggest that fat breakdown is linked to increased blood flow in adipose tissue; therefore, it can be inferred that when working a specific muscle, blood flow and the release of fatty acids increase in the nearby area.
How can you “burn” more belly fat?
Based on this, if the goal is to reduce abdominal fat, it is recommended to perform abdominal exercises before aerobic training, and at high intensity. They should be treated like any other muscle group and not limited to a few repetitions at the end of a workout. It is recommended to perform 10–20 sets that work the abdominal muscles from different angles, and then move on to aerobic training or integrate the exercises into a circuit aerobic workout.
It is important to emphasize that this is not a substitute for a caloric deficit and not a magic solution. However, it is a small adjustment in training structure that may affect how the body uses fat stores.
So can you influence the area from which fat is lost? Possibly, to some extent. It also makes physiological sense. The abdominal area usually contains more fat and relatively less blood flow, and it is also typically trained less and at lower intensity compared to other muscle groups. Therefore, increasing activity in this area may influence the fat loss process there.