Jim Stoppani talks about the myth of spot reducing stubborn body fat… and the one promising study that might turn the myth into a reality
Everyone from bodybuilders to the average Joe wishes that stubborn body fat can be reduced. But science has proved time and time again that this is impossible. No, doing crunches will not burn belly fat (though it will strengthen your core and abs). This is disappointing for those who have a muffin top they are trying to lose. But it’s also a real challenge for bodybuilders who need to keep their physique in perfect proportion despite lagging body parts. That’s why we turned to Jim Stoppani for some enlightenment in regards to burning stubborn body fat. In our latest GI Exclusive in collaboration wtih Barbend, Jim Stoppani reveals a study that just might prove spot reducing fat is finally possible.
Not everyone gains weight evenly. While some my gain wait uniformly, others have fat that parks in random and frustrating places. Whether it’s a pot belly, love handles, or fatty thighs. Disproportionate weight gain is annoying at best and self-hating at worst. It can make off the rack clothing hard to fit and shopping challenging. It can make you feel bad about your self image. To be frank, it sucks. So it’s no surprise that so many individuals turn towards spot reduce tactics, plans, and products. None of them work, mind you, but people want so desperately to find an answer they buy in.
Jim Stoppani also points out that this poses an additional challenge for competitive bodybuilders during contest prep. The main goal after bulking is to cut down and perfect an aesthetic symmetrical physique. But if you have genes that hang fat in some places longer than others – cutting weight becomes more challenging. How do you cut fat in your quads without reducing size in your chest or arms? It’s part of the meticulous challenge of being a bodybuilder.
While Jim Stoppani agrees that, in general, spot reducing fat is not possible. He did come across one study that might change the game if it can be corroborated and repeated with the same success.
Can extremely high weightlifting volume spot reduce fat?
Jim Stoppani dives into a study that had subjects do extremely high reps of leg extensions. And by extremely high, he’s talking about 100+ reps. What the study showed is that the high rep exercise pulled from the body’s fat for energy. This is typical especially when carb or glucose stores are low before an exercise. But what was interesting of note – is that the study was able to track where the fat stores were coming from. The study showed that the fat was being burned specifically from the quads.
Jim Stoppani explains that this method was essentially cardio with leg extensions. And that one can assume based on this study – that the same kind of high rep exercise on any body part can produce the same results. Now this would need to be studied further – but it showed promise that spot reducing fat may be possible.
Is this something that can translate into competitive bodybuilding? That remains to be seen. It’s also not clear how effective that targeted fat loss is. How much fat is being burned from the area? Would other areas of the body still reduce in size? That would still be a problem for mass monster bodybuilders during contest prep.
Likely, there is no silver bullet to magically spot reduce fat. And while this might not be helpful for a pro bodybuilder – the high rep weightlifting tactic might be good for the average joe looking to trim down a pot belly and not worried about a perfect symmetrical physiue.
Wrap Up
The truth behind most exercise principles is that there is no easy way to stay fit. And there is no easy way to build muscle. However, these kind of tips and techniques can perhaps make a difference in the long run. It’s still challenging. It still requires consistency and focus. But perhaps this new study provided by Jim Stoppani can change the game for those who have long struggled to remove stubborn body fat.
You can watch Jim Stoppani go into full detail in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above! And make sure to check in every Monday for new explainer videos with Jim Stoppani each week!
