If spot reduction is so impossible....explain chicken legs...?

[kaija]

I think this is a valid question....

If spot reduction is impossible...how is it that some guys who build their chests up, and workout their upper bodies, have these undeveloped chicken legs?

Are ppl just unanimously saying working out only one part of your body is a bad thing overall, *OR* is this theory a little off?

I have been weight training, doing cardio, and focusing a lot on my legs. I want to slim them down..but I just wonder...if I were to not focus on my upper body at all (which I have been)...couldn't I effectively spot reduce for my lower body if I decreased my body fat?

[kungfu74]

well, i think there is some confusion, when the term 'spot reduction' is used generally people are refering to reducing the amount of fat in a certain area, not how muscalur a body part is, but if you want to have 'chickent legs' sure just don't do leg exersizes, but you will eventually hit a wall in your upper body muscular development if you don't

[kaija]

Didn't know that...! I love asking questions here..

Just wanted to add... so in terms of spot reduction we are ALWAYS talking about fat loss, no?

If said person above had a high fat percentage...I'm assuming the fat would collect over the muscle however he's genetically predisposed?

[Cort]

Yes, always about fat reduction, because a muscle can be worked to the point whre hypertrophy is caused in it hopefully inducing growth in it, whereas fat usually will be removed from wherever your body finds it most convenient to do so, regardless of what bodypart you are working.

[jukka]

Yeah, and even with a woman with big beer belly and chicken legs,
that's still not spot reduction, it's just genetics determining where she packs her excess weight.

For guys it goes mostly on the waist and gut,
for women it goes mostly on hips and thighs,
but there are individual differences and genetic factors involved,
so that you can see a woman with skinny legs and a beer belly,
or a guy fit a big, wide ass.

ooohhhh...

[Herrmann22]

True, and if you are not burning the necessary calories and allowing it to turn to fat it will collect in those types of places, usually were there is less lean muscle mass. That's why you can spot a person who never works their abs for instance. They may have huge arms and chest, decent legs, etc.. but the gut is an eye sore. Why?, because for one there is less lean muscle mass there and second, the calories they are not burning are camping out there. So that's kinda proof that there is in a sense a possibility of spot reduction, simply because of the lean muscle mass created in certain areas. But to be more effective, do both! Work your abs AND eat properly so you have less chance of developing fat cells in the first place. :

[pbody]

Originally Posted by Herrmann22

True, and if you are not burning the necessary calories and allowing it to turn to fat it will collect in those types of places, usually were there is less lean muscle mass.

Sorry, but I think this is bollocks. I've seen plenty of guys with skinny-assed legs and a well developed molson muscle. Most men store fat in their gut. It doesn't matter if they work their upper bodies like mad (including abs) and have twig legs- if they pig out, it's going to cover those rock hard ab muscles not the chicken legs.

[cursor]

If you work your lower body in proportion to your upper body, it'll all come out in the wash. "Chicken legs" are invariably the result of neglecting your lower body when working out.

[Axion]

I think chicken legs, the claves at least can be very much genetic. In the last 6 months of so since i started doign legs seriously, and riding my quads and thigs have gotten noticeable bigger (my GF commented on it last night ) but my claves seem the same size to me.