Make your love handles a thing of the past!
Tired of having a little extra on the sides for your loved one to hang on to? Having a little body fat on your side is quite natural, but too much can be an annoyance.
Unfortunately, everyone stores body fat differently so it is very possible for one person to be smaller in stature than someone else and still have more love handles to work off.
The good news is that no matter what your size, you can get rid of those love handles and keep them off for good if you’re willing to work at it.
How To Get Rid Of Love Handles With Diet
Love handles are a direct result from your body storing excess body fat. The way to get rid of love handles is to reduce the body fat.
To reduce the body fat you have got to get control of your eating habits first. If you have read some of the other articles on this site, you may be thinking “here we go with this eating habits thing again.” And you would be right!
The absolute fastest way to get rid of those love handles is to 1) eat right and 2) eat less.
Once your eating habits are under control you will begin to lose weight and that weight will mostly be from fat.
See Also: Best Natural Appetite Suppressant Foods
Exercises To Get Rid Of Love Handles
There are several exercises you can do in the meantime, so when you do lose enough body fat and your waistline begins to slim down you will have some lean sexy obliques to show off.
The area we call the love handles are really your obliques. Most of the time people exercise their obliques by doing side bends of some sort.
Holding a weight in one hand and leaning to the side reaching toward the floor and then coming back upright again.
This exercise is probably one of the least effective ones out there if you are trying to get rid of your love handles.
The obliques are responsible for twisting and turning your torso from left to right and are made up of much more than just the part you feel when you do your side bends.
The area just outside your chest along your ribcage, travelling down and along the outer part of where your six pack abs end wrapping around and ending just shy of your lumbar back area is ALL obliques.
This entire group of muscles work together to help you bend reach and twist and working this entire area will help get rid the love handles you hate and get the tight obliques that you love.
Some exercises you should really include in your workout routine should involve turning your torso from one side to the other.
See also: How Much Should I Be Exercising To Lose Weight
Here are examples of exercises that work the area you have in mind:
Bicycle crunches
Lie on your back starting with your knees bent and your hands on the side of your head not behind your head or neck pulling on it.
Slowly bring one knee in and far as possible while reaching the opposite elbow across to touch it while simultaneously extending the opposite leg out straight.
Alternate knees and elbows while rocking slightly from side to side to help make knee to elbow contact.
Alternating toe touches
Lay flat on your back with your legs straight and arms out straight and behind you resting on the floor.
Slowly raise on leg off of the floor up to and just beyond vertical and at the same time reach the opposite hand up and toward the foot you are raising.
Lift your torso slightly and reach up and across to that opposite foot until you touch it. Slowly lower both your arm and leg and repeat with the other side.
Russian twist
Lay flat on the floor with your arms out to your side and palms down. Keep both legs up and try to maintain a 90 degree angle at the hips. You can either keep your knees bent or keep them straight (more difficult).
While maintaining the 90 degree angle at the hips begin to lower your legs to one side until they come in contact with the floor (or get as close as your flexibility will allow).
Then raise both legs up together and return to the starting position. Repeat lowering and lifting your legs from one side to the other.
See Also: Low Impact Vs High Impact Exercises
Medicine ball wood chop
Stand with your feet just a little wider than shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hold a medicine ball out in front of you, keeping your arms slightly bent.
Turn to one side and bend your knees as if you are placing the ball on the floor next to your foot. Be sure to lower your hips as you turn to the side and not simply bend forward at the waist.
From the down position, keep your arms straight with elbows slightly bent and rotate your torso to the other direction and reach the ball up and over your shoulder. Repeat this up and downward motion in a slow and controlled manner.
See Also: Core Stability Exercises For Beginners
Cable wood chop
These are done in the same manner as the medicine ball wood chops. The advantage these have is that there is resistance for your body to work against for the entire range of motion and you can also move the origin of the resistance by moving the pulley up or down on the weight system.
When you do your ab/oblique training, I recommend selecting 2 or 3 exercises and completing 15 to 20 repetitions for just 2 or 3 sets.
Train your abs like you would any other muscle group by exercising them every other day and allowing one day between for rest.
How to get rid of love handles is an eternal question that only consistency and perseverance can solve, quick fixes are not an option.
