Regional Body Composition: What Your Arms, Legs & Core Reveal About Your Health and Performance

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When people talk about getting healthier or fitter, they often focus on just one number: weight or body fat percentage.

But what if you could go deeper?

Where your body stores fat — and how muscle is distributed — tells a much richer story about your health, performance, and future risk.

That’s the power of regional body composition analysis.

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What Is Regional Body Composition?

Regional body composition breaks your body into zones and measures how much fat and lean mass (muscle) each part contains. These zones include:

• Arms

• Legs

• Trunk (chest, back, abdomen)

• Android (abdominal area)

• Gynoid (hips, buttocks, thighs)

This lets us understand not just how much fat or muscle you have — but where it’s distributed.

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Why Regional Fat Distribution Matters

You could have a “normal” overall body fat percentage but still carry a high amount of fat in risky regions — especially the trunk and abdominal area.

This matters because:

• Trunk and android fat are linked to higher metabolic risks like diabetes and heart disease

• Gynoid fat (hips and thighs) is generally considered less risky

• Fat in the arms or legs may suggest more subcutaneous (surface-level) fat, which behaves differently than visceral fat

Understanding fat distribution helps:

• Flag early health risks

• Shape training and nutrition strategies

• Track progress over time more meaningfully

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🔍 What DEXA Reveals About Each Region

DEXA shows you the fat % in each region, so you can compare it to your overall body fat and spot areas that may need attention.

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🧪 Why Spot-Reducing Fat Doesn’t Work

A common myth is that you can “target” fat loss in certain areas by training them more.

Unfortunately, the body doesn’t work that way.

✅ You can build lean mass in specific regions (e.g. glutes, arms)
❌ But you can’t choose where fat comes off first

Fat is lost based on genetics, hormones, and overall deficit — not which area you train most.

What you can do is:

• Monitor how regional fat % changes over time

• Support lean mass development in key areas

• Use regional trends to shape smarter programming

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🎯 How Regional Analysis Helps You Train Smarter

By seeing which regions have higher fat %, you can:

• Set goals beyond just weight loss — like improving trunk composition or building lower body strength

• Focus training where it matters (e.g. posterior chain, core stability, leg strength)

• Understand why your body looks or performs a certain way, even at the same weight

It’s not about chasing aesthetics — it’s about training with precision.

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🔧 How to Improve Regional Composition

1. Prioritize Compound Training

• Full-body movements like squats, deadlifts, pushups, and lunges build lean mass across large regions

• Add accessory work for arms, glutes, and core

2. Support With Smart Nutrition

• Maintain a moderate calorie deficit (if fat loss is the goal)

• Get enough protein to support muscle retention

• Avoid restrictive crash diets — they can reduce lean mass

3. Focus on Trunk & Core Health

• Even if abs aren’t visible, a strong trunk helps posture and function

• Add anti-rotation, planks, and spine-friendly core work

4. Track Trends Over Time

• Rescan every 2–3 months with DEXA to monitor fat % changes in each region

• Don’t just rely on the mirror or scale — regional shifts happen before you see big physical changes

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Final Takeaway: Location Matters

Your body fat percentage is just one metric.
Where you store fat — and how muscle is distributed — tells the real story.

Regional body composition:

• Uncovers hidden risks

• Supports performance goals

• Helps personalize your training and nutrition

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Want to Know Your Regional Breakdown?

A DEXA scan shows you more than weight or body fat % — it reveals how your body is actually built, zone by zone.

• Arms

• Legs

• Trunk

• Android (belly)

• Gynoid (hips/thighs)

👉 Book your scan today and take control of your health — one region at a time.