Diane Thompson wrote to ask, "How can I get rid of the pocket of fat between my underarm and breast?" You've probably heard that you can't "spot reduce"—however, you can spot tone. The trick for attacking tank-top bulge or any problem area is to combine targeted firming moves with fat-burning cardio. Here's my 2-part approach:
1. Firm with focus. Every other day, do 2 or 3 moves that zero in on your trouble spot, 3 sets of 15 reps of each. For the area around the chest, try these:
Shoulder T: Stand holding dumbbells down at your sides, palms forward. Lift arms in front of you to shoulder height, then open out to sides, like a T. From that position, reverse to start.
Chest Fly: Lie on your back (knees bent, feet flat) holding dumbbells out to sides, elbows bent slightly, palms up. Squeezing your chest muscles, lift weights up and toward each other, as though wrapping arms around a big tree. Lower to start.
Pushup: It's one of the most effective exercises for toning the front of your upper body. Modify it by resting knees on floor (put a pillow down for more comfort). Bend elbows out to sides and lower entire body toward floor. Press back up.
2. Burn fat all over. You could do hours of body-sculpting workouts a day, but unless you add in cardio, like walking or cycling, you won't get the results you're looking for. That's because cardio blasts fat all over, showing off those shapely muscles. Aim for at least 30 minutes of heart-pumping, calorie-burning aerobic exercise 5 times a week.
Chris Freytag is a board member of the American Council on Exercise, the star of many Prevention Fitness Systems DVDs, and the author of Prevention's 2-Week Total Body Turnaround.
