Russian Twists
If you’re looking for an effective way to get rid of love handles, you may want to try Russian twists. This exercise targets the oblique muscles, which, as mentioned before, are the muscles that run along the sides of your abdomen. To do this exercise, sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. Place your hands behind your head and tilt your chin down toward your chest.
From here, twist your torso to the right and then to the left. Be sure to keep your back straight, and your abdominals contracted throughout the movement. You can make this exercise more challenging by holding a weight in your hands or by performing it on an unstable surface like a Swiss ball. For best results, perform three sets of 15-20 repetitions several times per week.
Kettlebell Swings
One of the keys to a slim waistline is having strong oblique muscles. The obliques help to give you a nice, flat tummy. Unfortunately, these muscles can be difficult to target with traditional exercises like sit-ups and crunches. Kettlebell swings are a great way to work your obliques and get rid of love handles.
This exercise is simple to do and only requires a kettlebell or dumbbell. To do a kettlebell swing, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the kettlebell in front of your hips. Then, swing the kettlebell backward between your legs and then up to eye level. The momentum from the swing will help to engage your oblique muscles. Do three sets of 10-15 swings for best results.
Additional Exercises To Get Rid Of Love Handles
While combining some of the above exercises is the best way to get rid of love handles, there are a few additional exercises that you can do to target this area.
Cable Crunches:
This exercise can be done with a cable machine or resistance bands. To do this exercise, attach a rope handle to the low pulley of a cable machine and kneel down on a mat. Grasp the rope with your hands and position your elbows so that they are pointing out to the sides. Contracting your abs, curl your body forward, and Crunch down until your elbows touch the floor in front of you. Return to the starting position and repeat for 12-15 reps.
Hanging Leg Raises:
This exercise can be done with or without weights. To do this exercise, hang from a chin-up bar with your palms facing forward and your feet hanging down below you. Use your abs to raise your legs up until they are parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat for 12-15 reps. If this exercise is too difficult, you can modify it by doing knee raises or by keeping your legs bent at the knees.
Side Planks:
This exercise is great for toning your oblique muscles. To do this exercise, lie on your side with your feet stacked on top of each other and your elbow beneath your shoulder. Use your abs to raise yourself up so that only your forearm and feet are touching the ground. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds, and then repeat on the other side.
Put In The Work To Get Rid Of Love Handles
While having some extra love handles may not be a health concern, many people still want to get rid of them for aesthetic reasons. The good news is that there are a number of exercises that can help you achieve this goal. Try incorporating some of the above exercises into your workout routine to help get rid of those pesky love handles.
Remember, though, that spot reduction is a myth. In other words, you can’t just do a bunch of sit-ups and expect your love handles to disappear. To really get rid of love handles, you need to focus on losing fat all over your body through a combination of diet and exercise.
