Spot Reduction Revisited--Six Pack Quest

Is spot reduction possible? Intriguing research. 

As I mentioned, I'm currently implementing some of the techniques in Vince Delmonte's Your Six Pack Quest program.*  It has a training protocol called "Razor-Sharp Abdominal Cardio Workouts."  Vince said something in one of these videos that surprised me:  he mentioned the possibility of spot reduction.

Now, let me rewind a bit in my study of bodybuilding.  Arnold Schwarzenegger used to say he believed spot reduction happens (or "something like" spot reduction)--he noted a difference in the appearance of his midsection when he spent more time training abs.  Despite Arnold's claim, I've always been skeptical.

Back to the present.  Vince said there is some research to support the possibility of spot reduction.  I found it, so here it is:

Aerobic exercise increases whole body adipose tissue lipolysis, but is lipolysis higher in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) adjacent to contracting muscles than in SCAT adjacent to resting muscles? Ten healthy, overnight-fasted males performed one-legged knee extension exercise at 25% of maximal workload (W(max)) for 30 min followed by exercise at 55% W(max) for 120 min with the other leg and finally exercised at 85% W(max) for 30 min with the first leg. Subjects rested for 30 min between exercise periods. Femoral SCAT blood flow was estimated from washout of (133)Xe, and lipolysis was calculated from femoral SCAT interstitial and arterial glycerol concentrations and blood flow. In general, blood flow and lipolysis were higher in femoral SCAT adjacent to contracting than adjacent to resting muscle (time 15-30 min; blood flow: 25% W(max) 6.6 +/- 1.0 vs. 3.9 +/- 0.8 ml x 100 g(-1) x min(-1), P < 0.05; 55% W(max) 7.3 +/- 0.6 vs. 5.0 +/- 0.6 ml x 100 g(-1) x min(-1), P < 0.05; 85% W(max) 6.6 +/- 1.3 vs. 5.9 +/- 0.7 ml x 100 g(-1) x min(-1), P > 0.05; lipolysis: 25% W(max) 102 +/- 19 vs. 55 +/- 14 nmol x 100 g(-1) x min(-1), P = 0.06; 55% W(max) 86 +/- 11 vs. 50 +/- 20 nmol x 100 g(-1) x min(-1), P > 0.05; 85% W(max) 88 +/- 31 vs. -9 +/- 25 nmol x 100 g(-1) x min(-1), P < 0.05). In conclusion, blood flow and lipolysis are generally higher in SCAT adjacent to contracting than adjacent to resting muscle irrespective of exercise intensity. Thus specific exercises can induce "spot lipolysis" in adipose tissue.

Quoted from:
Are blood flow and lipolysis in subcutaneous adipose tissue influenced by contractions in adjacent muscles in humans?
(emphasis mine)

Now before you go out and buy a worthless ab machine, let's keep some things in mind.  Even if spot reduction is possible, it still does not change some fundamental truths about achieving the "six pack" look:

1.  You cannot lose body fat without a negative calorie balance--this requires a good diet and exercise plan. 

2. Abdominal training is still a fairly inefficient way to burn calories--the abs are relatively small muscles (compared to the legs, for example).

3.  I believe you'd have to already be fairly lean to see the benefits of spot reduction. 

I like Vince's comprehensive approach:

1. Lower your body fat through diet, resistance training, and cardiovascular training.
2. Integrate abdominal training in a way that may help facilitate spot reduction.


*You can read my review his program here: Your Six Pack Quest Review