'Spot reduction' is not a myth!

For years, the fitness industry has been selling workouts that 'blast arm fat' or 'burn bum fat' or 'targets belly fat' and science has turned round and said that it's impossible. For the most part, that is truth. You will never do 30 star jumps and magically just lose fat around your tummy leaving you with fat in all the right places. But have you ever wondered why you gain fat in certain areas more than others?

The first place you gain fat and the first place you lose fat is 50% genetics and 50% hormones. Of course you can't change your genetics but you can manipulate your hormones in order to 'target' fat that won't shift or keep fat you may want.

One of the most common areas of concern for men and women is belly fat. This is controlled predominantly by cortisol, the stress hormone.

Quit your job, break up with your trash boyfriend, kill your parents for the inheritance money and piss off to Thailand to find yourself and watch the pounds drop off as you guzzle cake on an elephant trekking through the beach.

I guess that's one method for the more riské. But in all seriousness, reducing cortisol levels by getting more sleep, meditating, taking time off, force yourself to relax. Dietary changes such as cutting out simple carbohydrates and starchy foods prevent 'sugar rushes' which tend to make your body crash and burn, cutting out caffeine that can encourage stress and focusing on small meals regularly to keep your blood sugar levels stable, preventing physiological stress.

Many girls I talk to want more mass in their lower body but many really struggle and this is largely down to genetics again. But the single thing that predisposes women to hold more fat and muscle in their lower bodies in comparison to men is female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone in order to store the female body in preparation for pregnancy. By filling your diet with healthy fats such as salmon, eggs, nuts, seeds, avocados, and beans, you are able to naturally increase and stabilise your hormone levels which encourages any excess energy consumed by your body to be stored predominantly in your lower body.

The same works in reverse; if you have excess fat you want to lose in your lower body that is stubborn to a calorie deficit, working to stabilise your hormones can assist with this.

For blokes wanting to build muscle, they are very reliant upon testosterone for mass size. Aphrodisiacs such as chocolate and oysters are natural testosterone boosting foods. Any food with high levels of vitamin D such as tuna or banana containing bromelain can also naturally increase testosterone levels. Other healthy lifestyle habits such as adequate sleep, lifting weight, getting sunlight all help!

At the end of the day, if you want to lose fat, be in a calorie deficit for an extended period of time. Don't start killing off family members in the name of fitness. Just be aware of the impact hormones have on body composition and the little lifestyle tweaks that can be made to give you an upper hand in the battle of the dreaded genetics. But also note that they are a small part of a huge tapestry of everything that it takes to achieve your goals.