Is it possible to reduce belly fat only?

Hey curious crowd,

do you want to reduce only belly fat?

I often hear this wish in coaching.
Do situps help if you want to reduce your waist size? Or is there a better way to burn fat on your thighs, hips, or stomach?

Targeted fat loss, unruly fat deposits, bad genes - no matter what your topic is: EVERY one of us has "problem areas".

The fact that the approach "the more situps, the less belly fat" is not exactly the most effective way, should have spread. But if you can specifically build muscle on the biceps, then you would not have to be able to specifically reduce belly fat?
Anyone who makes money with fitness soon realizes that there are two "expert" camps:

the practitioner - he only trusts his own experiences and focuses on what works for him.
the researcher - he only teaches what has been scientifically proven and does anything but "broscience".

Who is right?

Here is a nice example: For years, there has been no scientific evidence that incline presses exercise the upper portion of the chest muscles. Therefore, this training method was considered wrong in some circles.

Pure evidence-based fitness trainers thought it did not matter how you train your pectoral muscles because the muscle fiber runs the entire muscle and it's not possible to specifically recruite a specific amount of muscle.

That it is still possible, can you as well as any bodybuilder confirm.

Meanwhile, research has caught up and some fitness trainers have suddenly been able to apologize to some bodybuilders.

What is "true" in terms of nutrition and training today could be obsolete tomorrow.

Admittedly, the idea of being able to exercise thigh fat or abdominal fat purposefully through specific exercises sounds tempting.

But we can accept that the reality is different:

Unlike building muscle, you can NOT focus on individual body regions during fat loss.

In fact, there are studies that refute the myth:

1. Can you lose weight through abdominal muscle training?
To investigate this relationship, Vispute et al. 2001 a dozen healthy men and women. The subjects performed a six-week, seven-part abdominal workout while the control group did not complete any training. Both groups were eating isocalorically, thus covering their calorie needs.
Result: None of the study participants changed the body fat percentage on the stomach.

2. Can you lose weight through abdominal muscle training? Ramirez-Campillo et al. In 2013, nearly a dozen 23-year-old men and women carried out endurance training for four weeks. The subjects exercised three times a week only one leg on the leg press, while the other leg remained outward.
Result: The subjects reduced their body fat percentage by an average of 5%. However, they took off on the upper body, not on the legs.

3. Can you lose weight by arm training on the arms?
In the 70's researchers wanted to know if "spot reduction" is possible on the arm. They examined the arms of male and female tennis players.5
Result: As expected, the biceps on all athletes were thicker on the arm they used to hold the tennis racket. The fat mass, however, was identical on both arms.

This allows the conclusion:

Obviously, your exercise plan does not affect whether you first burn fat on your stomach, thighs or arms.

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