Site Reduction Principals

SITE REDUCTION PRINCIPALS

by Grendel

The appearance conscious have always been looking for a way to target fat loss to a specific problematic region of the body, usually the stomach in men and the hips, thighs and buttocks in women. These areas are usually the last to respond to weight loss and some people find that they can get very lean and still have problems with love handles or their lower abs. This article explores the options available to people who wish to trim down a specific area. A quick caveat is in order, this article is intended for people with already low-body fat, close to single digits for me and around fifteen for women. If you are carrying around too much weight in general, site reduction will be at best a temporary cure. With that in mind, lets get the show underway.

Plastic Surgery

Yep, this is the number one most effective method of removing adipose tissue (fat, people, fat!) from a specific area. Liposuction is a popular procedure and there are many variations on the procedure and technologies used, but the basic point is that fat is suctioned out of the body. I am not going to go into great depth on liposuction, because there is a whole textbook worth of information on the various procedures, but suffice it to say that liposuction permanently removes the fat cells from that area. The body has a limited number of fat cells, fat cells “swell” and “shrink” as you gain or lose weight, but the amount of adipose tissue in your body is normally set. Liposuction permanently reduced the number of fat cells in your body and in that region.

I have sensed something of an air of disdain among bodybuilders for liposuction, people say “oh clean up your diet” or “do cardio”. I agree. However, there are times when liposuction may be a very practical and cost effective solution to shedding that bit of fat. How can I say that a surgical procedure might be cost effective? Well, consider the cost of a steroid cycle concurrent with growth hormone therapy. Growth hormone is a very effective fat burner and many people try to use it to break through to a new level of leanness. Growth hormone is ridiculously expensive, and steroids are not exactly cheap either. Considering the permanent nature of liposuction compared to numerous cycles there may be some truth to my statement.

I am not going to spend any more time on liposuction because I think that its not something that many people will realistically consider, even if it has incredible merit in their particular situation. Still, people should keep in mind that they might be a good candidate for liposuction if they are generally lean with one or two problem areas that resist many of the other less expensive and invasive methods outlined in the rest of this article.

PGF-2A

Prostaglandin Factor 2A (PGF-2A) has been lauded as having the potential to permanently destroy fat cells. Prostaglandin is delivered either transdermally or with a syringe, injection being the most common method of application. PGF-2A has many side effects, almost all of which are immensely unpleasant. PGF causes contractions in the stomach and bowels that leads to some rather nasty experiences. People who use PGF for site injection (to cause swelling and possibly growth in the injected muscle) try to inject as far away from their stomach or heart as humanly possible and most people still feel miserable.

Considering that most people’s trouble regions are right around the stomach and bowels, PGF injections are sure to be problematic if you are using them for site reduction. I have never used PGF-2A (because I can’t find it for a reasonable price) but I know many people who have used it for both site injection and site reduction. The general consensus is that it does work well, however, the experience is so abhorrent that many people end up stopping early. I do not know for sure whether or not adipose tissue can survive contact with PGF-2A, but it does seem that PGF does cause fat lose (many people result systemic fat loss when using PGF for site injection purposes).

Given the drawbacks to this method, I think it’s unlikely that anyone but the most hardcore will succeed in using PGF for site reduction. Still, it is a tool available to those who are extremely serious about getting rid of those pesky love handles. Just don’t stray to far from your bathroom because within a short while following your injection you won’t be moving far from the porcelain.

Yohimbine HCL in a topical solution

You didn’t think I would go through all this effort to ultimately conclude that there was no cost-effective, non-invasive, legal and not extremely painful method of targeting a region of your body for fat loss? Do I think there is a holy grail that will solve all your site related problems, no!

Recently there has been an emergence of several topical creams designed to reduce fat when applied over the trouble areas. I think this idea evolved from earlier creams aimed at women who wanted to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Basically, these creams are, almost without exception, an extremely expensive product containing aspirin or some other mild diuretic. Of course, the literature that comes with the package (or your helpful GNC clerk) will tell you that you must drastically reduce your caloric intake or increase your physical activity because the cream will be breaking down crazy amounts of fat and if you don’t burn those freed calories they will go right back to being stored as fat. Well, obviously even if you just put water on your lower abs and drastically increased your exercise level or cut calories to a minimum you would lose fat. Add a modest diuretic to that mix and yes, you will lose weight and drop inches quickly. Is this “real” fat loss? The weight lost from caloric reduction or increased caloric expenditures is as real as any, however, the so-called site reduction is only a property of an overall lose of weight and the use of the topical diuretic.

As far back as BodyOpus, bodybuilders were exposed to the notion that yohimbine HCL might be useful in reducing body fat if used as an adjunct to ephedrine or clenbuterol. For the science behind yohimbine, I would refer you to an article written by Par Deus of BMF magazine at http://www.avantlabs.com/avant_labs/lipoderm_y.htm. Pretty much he says it all…and in much better terms than poor old Grendel could manage.

Par Deus was kind enough to mail me out a sample of his product and I used it for 2 weeks and noticed good results about 7 days after the last application when the water retention had left (as mentioned in Par Deus’ article, yohimbine HCL is an anti-diuretic and does cause you to hold water). I also noticed an increase in abdominal vascularity after using the product. The only real draw back is that you have to apply it twice daily and follow a low carb diet (or at least keep insulin levels under tight control). The spray needs to be applied to shaved skin that is clean and dry, I would apply an application each morning right after my shower and then again about 10 hours later either after my workout shower or before bed. I was a bit self-conscious about the menthol smell, but hell, if it works it works, I just added an extra squirt of Cool Water.

I think that Par Deus’ product is worth a try, you get a lot of mileage out of a bottle…just be careful when you apply it to your stomach…sometimes the lotion drips down and you don’t want yohimbine and menthol on your dick!!! Don’t ask me how I know, just trust old Grendel!

Conclusion

The most effective way of permanently reducing fat in a given body area is just to have it surgically removed. I cannot get around that; it’s a binding reality. Chemicals and drugs can help you burn fat stores, but all the growth hormone and testosterone in the world will not help you destroy those pesky fat cells. In the end, it comes down to good diet, regular cardiovascular training, and judicious use of supplements and ancillary drugs. However, the good news is that I think most people will respond to proper diet and training. Problem areas are just the last areas to go, it doesn’t mean they are somehow bullet proof. Trust me, if you were starving on a desert island you would lose those love handles and cellulite (along with almost all your muscle mass). Frankly, I think many people abandon dieting way to earlier. I know, I do it all the time. I feel my strength go, my muscles get flaccid and I say, **** this! However, as soon as I worked out a really good diet with Jason Meuller and made eating my second job I found that I was able to lose fat and minimize all those unpleasant psychological feelings that stops people from dropping those last few pounds…hell, if you don’t believe me, check out Brent LeBlanc’s amazing progress…it took him over 150 days but he lost almost every ounce of fat on his body…So, alas, there is no secret or magical bullet short of a surgeons blade but for most people, hard work and willpower will pay off where all the drugs in the world wont. Until next issue, Grendel out.