I am not going to use my magic wand or sprinkle fairy dust on you and tell you that exercise alone will get rid of your love handles. The old saying “Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym,” is ABSOLUTELY TRUE! With that being said, you can use exercise to burn up extra unwanted calories and firm areas of your body that are squishy and undefined. Here are 5 exercises for your love handles, muffin top, over flow (whatever you want to call it ) that can help you firm and define your sides!
5 Exercises For Your Love Handles
Side Crunch – Lie on your side, aligning your body in a straight line. Cross your arms over your chest. Keeping your legs together, lift your legs while lifting your upper body slightly. This will create a mini crunch. It’s a small motion that packs a lot of punch! Perform 12 -15 crunches on each side (3-4 times).
Side Plank With Rotation: Lay on your side and position your elbow under your shoulder joint, feet stacked together. Lift your body off the ground while maintain a straight line between your shoulders, hips, and feet. Once in side plank position, use the top arm and rotate it under your body then to an open position. Repeat this motion 12 – 15 times on each side, 3 -4 sets.
Side Bends – Place light weights above your head. Maintain a straight spine and do a slight bend to the side. Do 12 -15 bends on each side. 3 – 4 sets.
Wood Chop – Grab a medicine ball and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the ball with both hands on the outside of your right hip, then perform a squat (A). Keeping your chest up and arms straight, press your feet into the ground as you “chop” the ball up and across your body until your legs are straight and the ball is above your left shoulder (B). Pause, then lower the ball back to your right knee. Complete all reps before repeating on the other side (source).
The Clamp
Targets back, abs, obliques, inner thighs, and outer thighs
- Lie faceup on floor with arms and legs extended upward; lift head, neck, and shoulders off floor.
- Simultaneously lower arms out to sides and open legs 45 degrees, keeping shoulders and chest lifted throughout.
- Return to start, squeezing palms together and legs together.
- Do 10 to 12 reps.
Try these exercises in a circuit fashion. That means do one set of each exercises back to back without any rest. Once you’ve done one of each exercise then you can rest 60 seconds and repeat. Try to do this 3 times. If you’re really ambitious then do it 4 times. These love handle exercises can help you tone firm and burn up some unwanted fat, but make sure you follow the golden rule and change your eating as well!
Adria
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