7 Best Exercises for Love Handles: Effective Oblique Workouts for Women

By Tara • Nov 22, 2014 MD

Want to know the best exercises to lose those love handles? Love handles, also known as the oblique muscles are a problematic area for most women. Love handles are the excess fat that may be lurking on your waist and driving you crazy on a daily basis. This is especially the case if you are a new mom or if you have parents with this same problem area. This doesn’t mean you can chalk this all up to genetics. You can change this and get rid of this excess fat! And there is no reason to live this way so why not do something about it! Clean up your diet and try these exercises to lose those love handles so that you can live the fabulous life you deserve! If you are tired of pulling up your pants higher, wearing a one piece bathing suit or just feeling plain uncomfortable with your waistline, you should read on.

If you are looking for effective love handle workouts for women to slim down your waist, these core-focused movements will help you strengthen the muscles beneath the fat layer. Pair them with a balanced diet and regular physical activity, as recommended by health organizations like ACE Fitness, for the best overall results. Explore the routine below to get started on your fitness journey.

| Exercise | Target Area | Recommended Sets & Reps | | --- | --- | --- | | Side Bends | External Obliques | 3 sets of 12-15 reps | | Russian Twists | Transverse Abdominis & Obliques | 3 sets of 20 reps | | Side Plank | Deep Core & Stabilization | 3 sets of 30-sec holds |

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1 Side Bends

Pretty simple, just go to the side, come back up and attack those love handles. Tighten those abs and activate your core to results you'll be proud of. For an extra challenge, you can alternate this move with Russian twists or side planks to keep your workout dynamic. It is time to lose those love handles so you can feel super sexy in your skinny jeans!

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2 Side to Side Twists

Try this quick love handles attack workout to help you slim down your waistline. This workout is awesome because it has high energy and all the exercises really do work. Just make sure you eat healthy and eliminate refined sugar for the best results! Following clean nutrition guidelines from trusted organizations like Mayo Clinic will help accelerate your waist-slimming progress.

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3 Russian Twists

This seated abdominal exercise is a great way to tone and tighten your abs and banish your love handles. To increase the intensity, lift your legs and move side to side at a quicker pace. You can also pair this with side bends for a balanced lateral core workout. Work your way to skinnier, sexier abs!

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4 Side Oblique Crunch

Tired of the excess skin on your sides? Then try this great exercise. Get on the floor, on your side and bend your body up to work those love handles. Crunch away the fat to see fabulous results that you want and so deserve! Perform 3 sets of 10!

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5 Side Plank

This exercise is a great way to challenge your abs and work your sides. Banish your love handles and attack your abdominal muscles with this exercise. As noted in core training research by Harvard Health, isometric holds like side planks build stabilizer endurance while protecting your posture. And try to keep up with this video, it is definitely challenging!

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6 Triangular Obliques

Follow this video and try to perform all of these exercises to strengthen and tone your abs. Engage your abs so you can get the most out of these exercises and see optimal results. Inhale as you go down and exhale as you go up.

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7 Oblique Exercises

The fastest way to get rid of the muffin top is to get out and do cardio, as the video states but to shape the muscles underneath the fat, perform these 5 exercises in the video. These are all challenging exercises that work. Just make sure to tighten those abs and stay focused!

Keep these essential workout principles in mind for maximum effectiveness:

  • Focus on quality repetitions and proper form over speed.
  • Maintain steady breathing to keep your abdominal wall engaged throughout each set.
  • Pair your oblique routine with regular cardio and consistent hydration.

I hope you have enjoyed all of these oblique exercises and they will motivate you to get moving and get rid of your excess fat. Ditch that spare tire so you will never have to hide that waistline again. And remember, clean eating and cardio are a core component to getting leaner so get moving out the door and get ready to revel a slimmer, sexier body!

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Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

  • Bilkisu

    2015-04-14T17:05:59.884Z

    Very good.
  • Lexy

    2014-11-23T01:18:02.730Z

    Looovvee
  • Crazybelle

    2014-11-23T18:57:24.381Z

    Amazing super helpful
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