Spot reduction

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Spot reduction, or spot reduction myth is the false belief ^[1] that exercising a specific muscle will result in a decrease in the amount of fat in the area surrounding that muscle. A common example of this is focusing on abdominal exercises in an effort to lose weight in or around one's stomach.

Spot reduction is a myth and has no scientific basis. Fat is burned from body areas in genetically pre-determined patterns and has no relationship to the nearby muscles being exercised. For men, abdominal fat is generally the last to go. Women store more fat in their thighs and buttocks.

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