Why training abs won’t give you a flat stomach…

Targeted fat loss, or “spot reduction”, is a widely misbelieved theory that a person can reduce fat from one specific area of their body through training. Dropping belly fat tends to be the most common ambition, with many people believing that they can lose fat from the stomach simply by doing more ab exercises.

Unfortunately, whilst there have been numerous studies conducted to test this theory, none have found any compelling evidence to support the claim that training a particular body part will result in fat loss directly to that area.

Regardless of what part of your body you train, if you have trained to enough of an intensity to put your body in a calorie deficit, you will burn body fat; but this will simply be from where your body is genetically wired to lose it from first.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t incorporate ab exercises into your workouts if you dream of a visible 6-pack, or Bicep Curls and Tricep Extensions if more defined arms are you goal. Training the muscles in the area you want to look good is important since it is impossible to look ‘toned’ without well-built muscle. However, to reveal that muscle you need to reduce overall body fat.

To make that happen, your key focus should always be on training the whole body, intensely and consistently, to maximise your calorie expenditure; whilst also following a well-balanced diet to ensure that your body remains in a calorie deficit but is also receiving the nutrients it needs to support muscle recovery and growth.