Love handles is an odd term since there’s probably no woman who loves having them. The term refers to the body fat that accumulates on the hips just above the pelvis (essentially, it’s referencing the area where a man holds a woman during sex). To tackle your love handles you need to eat healthy and focus on exercises that targets the area. Exercises like these:
Snapshot Survey
Snapshot Survey
1. Oblique Press and Reach
One of the most effective for love handles is the oblique press and reach. As the video briefly shows, you want to perform any sort of variation of kneeling on one knee with the opposite foot out in front of you to form a 90-degree angle. Keeping your abdominal muscles nice and tight and your back straight, hold a weight in one arm and while extending it straight out in to the air, bend your body to the side and touch your fingertips to the ground. Repeat in sets of 12 to 15.
2. Side Plank Crunch
Beginning on your right elbow and your foot slightly in front of your left, remember to keep your core nice and tight throughout. Complete the exercise by pulling your right knee up towards your chest and proceed to crunch your left elbow towards it. Finish by bringing it back out to the side plank position and repeat this in sets of three, around 10 to 12 times.
3. Plank up-Downs
Get in to that familiar plank position with your arms out straight and directly underneath your shoulders, squeezing your rear and pulling your abs tight in to your back. Then, beginning with one arm, lower it down in to the mat so that your forearm is taking your weight. Follow this with the other arm and then move back up in to the normal plank position. Repeating this is great for tightening your core.
4. Around-the-World Obliques
Standing with your legs wider than your shoulders, turn out your toes a little and make sure your tailbone is tucked in. Holding a light weight (5 pounds at most), extend your arms up above your head in a stretching motion and then bend from your hips to the side as far as you can and then rotate toward the floor, and finish by twisting your body back up to center.
5. Bicycle Crunches
These are a workout in themselves! Lying flat on the ground with your abs pulled in tight, pick your chest up and, pulling your knees in to your chest, alternating legs each time like you're pedaling a bike.
6. Knee Drop
Lie flat on the ground with, as always, your abs pulled tight in to your spine. Lift your legs off the floor and put them into a table top position, if you want to use a ball, you can place it between your legs and squeeze it. Drop your knees over to one side of your body, then slowly pull to the center and repeat again on the other side.
7. Crouching Tiger Push-up
Starting in a push-up position with your hands wider than your shoulders, do a simple push-up then bend your knees off the floor and press back in to your hips so that your knees are not directly underneath your ribcage. You then need to lift your hips up in to a downward dog yoga pose and from there round out your back and very slowly roll your back forward in a calm wave motion until you are back where you started.
8. Side Bends
This one is great because once you've mastered it without weights, you can add dumbbells or even do it with a barbell for added weight options. Stand with feet hip width apart, slowly bend to one side, hold a second, slowly come back. Do as many reps as you can then switch to the other side.
9. Russian Twist
Another awesome exercise because you have options to add weight. Start in a sit up position, lean back some, pick up your legs and cross them-this contracts the core. Then, simply twist side to side to really work your whole midsection including those stubborn love handles.
10. Side Jackknife
Start in a side plank position. Contract your abs, raise your leg and crunch your torso towards each other. Hold for 2 seconds and then release back to starting position. Start by doing 10 reps on each side. For added resistance, use ankle weights.
Time to get working to banish those love handles.
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