Don’t Wait, Shred Belly Fat Now

Many people start their fitness journey with a simple Google search: How do I lose belly fat? This question is one of the most searched queries of all time. In fact, just last September, 138,000 people kicked off (or attempted to kick off) their journey toward a healthier lifestyle with this search. Yet, despite countless sit-ups and planks, that stubborn belly fat often refuses to budge. Why does this happen?

Here’s the truth: losing belly fat doesn’t come from doing 200 sit-ups a day—or even 400 (just kidding!). In reality, you can shed 10, 20, or even 100 pounds without doing a single sit-up. Weight loss fundamentally comes down to a calorie deficit. When your body needs more energy than you consume, it breaks down stored fat to make up the difference. But can we ensure that fat is burned from a specific area, like the belly?

Unfortunately, not to any significant degree. Despite what money-hungry fitness “gurus” may claim, those flashy “belly fat cardio routines” loaded with ab exercises won’t make much of a difference. Sure, these routines might make you sweat and feel like you’re working hard, but the real transformation comes from maintaining a calorie deficit. Knowledgeable coaches often dismiss the idea of spot reduction entirely, insisting it’s impossible to target fat loss in specific areas of the body. However, the truth may be somewhere in the middle.

The belief that spot reduction is a myth largely stems from two studies. The first, conducted in 1983, investigated whether sit-ups alone could reduce belly fat. They didn’t. A 2011 study found similar results: participants in an abdominal exercise program didn’t lose more belly fat than those in a non-exercising control group. These findings, along with other similar studies, led the fitness community to conclude that spot reduction isn’t real.

But here’s the catch: none of these studies involved participants losing a significant amount of weight overall. When we lose weight, fat is pulled from various parts of the body—face, neck, arms, legs, and so on. It’s possible that no one can lose fat in only one area. However, what if ab exercises could increase the proportion of fat lost from the belly compared to other areas when total weight loss occurs? Since participants in these studies didn’t lose much weight, it’s possible this effect wasn’t detected.

In fact, newer research suggests spot reduction might be possible after all. A recent study found that lower-body strength training resulted in proportionally greater fat loss from the lower body, while upper-body strength training led to more fat loss in the upper body. Both groups lost significant amounts of total body fat, with nearly identical overall results, yet the areas targeted by exercise seemed to lose slightly more fat.

In summary, spot reduction remains impossible without sufficient total fat loss. No amount of crunches or planks will give you visible abs unless you reduce your overall body fat percentage. However, if total fat loss occurs, it might be possible to accelerate fat reduction in targeted areas through specific exercises.

Moshe Orbach was born and bred in Kew Gardens Hills. Moshe is a product of our yeshivah system and yearns to give back to his community. Fitness and health are Moshe's longtime passions. Moshe wants everyone to lead their daily life energized, and aware of their body's potential, no matter their age. Moshe can be reached for personal training, diet plans, and more at (917) 217-9271.

By Moshe Orbach