Spot Reduction Exercises - Spot Reduce Belly Fat, Arm Fat & Thigh Fat

Sound scientific evidence indicates that, according to the aerodynamic structure of a bumble bee, it shouldn't be able to fly. Apparently bumble bees are unaware of this research. We can learn a lesson from these analogies. Far too often in sport, in bodybuilding, and in many aspects of life itself, we accept defeat before the battle is even fought. Cold hard data may suggest something is scientifically impossible and that we would be foolhardy to attempt it, but maybe we shouldn't be so quick to accept beliefs which, despite specious evidence, may not be entirely accurate. One such belief is the theory of spot reduction.

For the last several years scientists have dismissed as myth the idea that one can lower fat deposits at targeted points in the body. Their findings have indicated bodyfat is lowered proportionately throughout the body; therefore, attempting to lose excess fat on the waist, which is where it's most likely to accumulate, is a waste of time. Tests and research studies - supposedly irrefutable scientific proof- have concurred. Like Hasim Rahman and the irrepressible bumble bee, however, some of the bodybuilders from 30 years ago weren't aware of these facts. They believed they could do it. Pretty dumb, eh? Of course, they didn't have the advantage of all the scientific analysis we now possess. If they had, they could have saved themselves a lot of time. Instead they went about building amazing midsection's, many of which rival and surpass those of today's champions! No clenbuterol. No diuretics. No thyroid stimulants. No growth hormone. No liposuction. Just razor-sharp abs and tiny 30-inch waists on a 220-pound frame. When was the last time you saw that spectacle?

These men from yesteryear employed techniques that produced undeniable positive results. One was to simply train the waist in a rapid high-rep method, all the time visualizing the fat melting off. They were convinced that energy used to work a specific muscle or muscle group would draw energy from that very muscle or muscles. They would alternate situps with leg raises, allowing the upper and lower abs to take turns absorbing the stress in an effort to maintain the fat-burning properties of the exercise. The use of sweat belts aided perspiration and the removal of fluid in the immediate area. The heat they generated would "burn" fat. Sure, these techniques aren't supposed to work, but they certainly can't hurt. Building the muscles of the abdominal wall while removing subcutaneous water, all the while burning a whole lot of calories, can only improve the look and clarity of your abs.

I know a few other spot-reduction tricks as well. Actually, calling them tricks undervalues their effectiveness. They're treasured tactics which come from the ancient yogis who thought of the stomach and the residing organs as the vitality center of the body. They constitute a method of mentally cranking up the voltage in your nervous system so that it arcs from axon to axon into every muscle fiber of the abdomen. Those who have used these once-clandestine practices agree they do indeed work. The Tai Chi masters, who have long known the phenomenon of stimulating the vital organs through massage and exercise, believed that once you remove toxins, the internal muscles will dispel fat and work more efficiently.

The following exercises are a combination of esoteric Far Eastern techniques, golden-age bodybuilding secrets and a few novel twists, all of which are believed to tighten the skin, eliminate adipose tissue, and tone the internal organs. The synergy of these powerful techniques is invaluable for building a mighty midsection and a wasp-like waist.

THE VACUUM

This movement has its roots in ancient Oriental medicine, but old-time bodybuilders practiced it religiously throughout the day. The technique is simple. It's merely a matter of consciously sucking in your stomach at frequent intervals. The traditional yoga technique would include deep inhalation as the stomach distends outward and a total exhalation when the stomach goes in. Early physical culturists would take this procedure one step further by attempting the technique with the hands behind the head and the lats stretched outward. Frank Zane often used this technique in his posing, creating the impression that his navel was pressed up to his spine! How do you get the stomach to retract so far? Practice. Judging by the bloated bellies seen on many competition stages these days, bodybuilders could use a little more practice at holding in their stomachs.

THE RING OF FIRE

Stand up leaning against a wall. Place your weight on your left leg and attempt to raise your right hip without lifting your right leg too high. (Your right foot shouldn't be more than a few inches off the floor.) Contract the entire region of the transverse abdominals including the external oblique muscles and the serratus magnus. Think of the muscles hardening! Maintain that position while breathing deeply. Lower your right leg and repeat on the opposite side.

THE CIRCLE RUB

This one may seem strange but it works remarkably well, although how it works is uncertain. The process may have to do with increasing heat, and therefore fat utilization just below the epidermis covering the abs. This is what you do: With the palm of your hand rub your stomach briskly in clockwise circles for one minute or until you feel heat being generated on the skin. Stop just long enough so that you don't irritate the skin. Recommence the rubbing in counterclockwise circles. Repeat the process during the day, alternating hands.

THE SQUAT CRUNCH

Squat as low as you can with your knees spread wide apart. Your hands will be down between your legs and close to your body. At this point thrust your pelvis forward. You should feel a strong contraction in the abs. Hold for a count of 10. Relax and repeat.

THE AB PULSE

Your head will be facing forward, chin down. Place your feet about one foot apart, bodyweight equally balanced. Without bending forward, crunch down slightly over your abdominals while looking at them. Try to flex them so that they show the most clarity. Now take little, short breaths. (Be careful not to hyperventilate.) On the exhalation you should see the muscles begin to separate. Continue doing this until they start to cramp. Stand up and lean backward to stretch out the abs. Breathe deeply and repeat.

If your bodyfat is over 12 percent, the results won't be as dramatic. But if you're one of those people who always seemed to lack abs, even at a low body-fat level, this program just may be a dream come true. By incorporating these lost secrets into your traditional ab routine, you'll begin to see abdominal definition you never knew you had. You will burn fat where you most need to. You can spot reduce! If anyone tells you spot-reducing is impossible, don't bother to argue. Just show your abs.