Love handles are the biggest enemy of your waistline. They ruin the coveted hourglass shape. To make things worse, they’re not the easiest fat to get rid of. However, all hope is not lost. Here are some effective exercises to get rid of love handles.
To lose side fat is tough because it sits on the obliques. So, to torch that fat you need love handle workouts specific to that muscle group. Fortunately, some of the exercises you do to get rid of belly fat are also exercises for side fat.
When you ingest more calories than you burn, the excess is bound to go somewhere.
That somewhere is your body in the form of weight gain.
Though deposits all over the body, some parts are more receptive than others. The abdomen, including your love handles, and your back are such places.
These exercises for belly fat and love handles will help you shed the fat as well as tone and build your muscles.
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11 Best Exercises to Get Rid of Love Handles and Back Fat in 1 Week at Home
Here’s your chance to lose muffin tops and boost your confidence when you wear jeans. These exercises to get rid of love handles will also burn fat in other parts of your body. Now, let’s get on with them.
1. Burpees Exercise
This is a high-intensity workout, great cardio for love handles. It will be challenging for beginners but it is the exercise to get rid of love handles. If you continue with it, you will burn back fat and work other muscles as well.
If you want to burn belly fat, you need to work as many muscles as possible.
The burpee exercise increases metabolism, and your body will continue to burn calories even after you’re done.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet firmly on the floor.
- In a swift move, crouch and throw your legs backward to fall into a push-up Do one push-up.
- In another swift move, return to the crouch.
- Lunge upward into a jump.
- On landing on your feet, you have completed one rep.
Do at least 10 reps of this exercise to lose upper belly fat.
You are to do 3 sets in total. If you do 20 burpees in 60 seconds, your metabolism will increase by 50% for 24 hours.
2. Reverse Lunge and A Twist
Aside from that this exercise is for stomach fat and love handles, you will also be working your thigh muscles.
The lunge and twist will activate the muscles in your abs and stretch your obliques.
Here is how to do it:
- Stand with your spine stretched and your legs hip-width apart and your hands firmly on your waist.
- Step backward with your right foot and lower your knee into a lunge.
- In that position, twist your torso to the left as far as you can without moving your legs.
- Rise to the starting position and switch legs; then do the same set of movements. This completes one rep.
- You will do 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps per set.
3. Russian Twists
This is one of the best exercises for love handles as it stretches the abs and oblique muscles.
It is effective for getting rid of love handles because you will soon start to feel the heat a few reps into it.
How to do it:
- Start in a seated position.
- Bend your knees such that your calf is at a 45 degrees angle with your thighs. Your feet should not be touching the floor.
- Lean your torso (using your abs) backward till your back is also about 45 degrees with the floor.
- Clasp your palms together.
- Now, slowly turn your torso towards your right and then turn to your left. This completes one rep.
- If you need it to be more challenging, hold a dumbbell in your hands.
- You will do 15 to 20 reps of this workout depending on how fit you are.
4. Side Plank Exercise
If you want to feel the heat of melting fat, this is the exercise to get rid of love handles.
Plank works on your core, obliques (where your love handle sits), and 6 packs.
Here is how to do it:
- You need to lie on your right side with your feet stacked.
- Prop yourself up on your right elbow using your forearm for balance.
- Now raise your hips off the floor such that only your forearm and the side of your right foot is touching the floor.
- You will maintain this position for 45 seconds or longer depending on your fitness.
- Switch sides and do the same.
- You will do 4 sets of this fat-burning exercise.
5. Side Bends for Love Handles
Stretching your muscles is a good way to tone them and keep them flexible.
It also strengthens them and prevents injuries making this a suitable exercise to get rid of love handles.
That’s not all, this exercise can also bring relief if you have back or shoulder pains.
How to do it:
- Stand tall with your back straight and keep your legs shoulder-width apart.
- Raise both hands, bend your wrists, and interlock your fingers above your head.
- Now, lean to your right as far as you can without arching your back.
- Hold for a second or two and go back to the starting position.
- Do the same process for the other side.
One good thing about this exercise is that as you lean to one side, the obliques of the side you lean towards get a squeeze while the other side gets a stretch. So, both sides are getting worked simultaneously.
6. Knee to Elbow
This is an exercise to get rid of love handles is essentially the same as the bicycle crunch only without the risk of hurting your neck.
This is because you will be doing it while standing.
The most important part is that you have to squeeze your abs while doing it.
The little twisting involved will stretch your obliques and tone them out.
How to do it:
- Stand tall with your back straight, legs hip-width apart, and your hand behind your head.
- Bend slightly and squeeze your abdominal muscles.
- Lift one of your knees towards your abs and meet it with the alternate elbow.
- You will be leaning downward too so this will cause you to twist a bit and this is where your oblique muscles get their share of the workout.
- Get back to the starting position and do the same for the left and right elbow.
7. Heel Touches
This exercise will help you get rid of love handles and it also works the entire abs muscles.
So, it certainly is a great exercise for belly fat and love handles.
How to do it:
- Lie flat on the floor keeping your back straight.
- Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
- Raise your torso such that your shoulders are off the floor and hold it.
- Bend to the side so your hand can touch your heel.
- Go back to the starting position and do the same bend for the other hand and heel.
- Do this routine 10 to 15 times to make one set and you will aim for 3 sets in total.
8. Plank Crunches
This is a variant of the popular plank that has proven so effective as an exercise to get rid of love handles.
This is so because it works the obliques along with your core and abs muscles.
It doesn’t take much to do but will certainly light up the fat on your sides.
Here is how to do it:
- Get in the elbow plank position. This is where you rest on your forearms instead of your palms as you will in a full plank.
- Now, in one motion, lift your right knee outward and upward.
- Get back to the starting position and do the same for the left leg.
- This completes a rep and you will do 10 reps of this.
- Repeat 3 sets to complete the routine.
9. Kettlebell Swing
The more muscles you put to work, the more fat you can burn.
That’s an underlying rule for weight loss.
This exercise to get rid of love handles and back fat engages almost every muscle in your body.
How to do it:
- Place a kettlebell in front of you and plant your feet into the ground.
- Lower your torso towards the floor while keeping your back straight.
- Firmly grab the kettlebell with both hands.
- Swing the kettlebell backward between your legs and with a quick thrust, stand up straight while swinging the kettlebell in front of you.
- Be sure that your knees are locked and your arms are fully outstretched.
- Do 15 reps and 3 sets of this routine.
10. Woodchopper Exercise
This exercise is simple, yet it is effective to get rid of love handles.
It targets your abs and obliques making them work overtime.
It will also strengthen your core and help you maintain a good posture which makes it a good lower back and love handle exercise.
How to do it:
- Stand tall and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a dumbbell in both hands or step on the middles of a resistant band and hold one end with both hands.
- If you’re using a dumbbell, raise it with both hands above one shoulder and make a downward motion like you’re swinging a bat towards the alternate hip.
- If you’re using a resistant band, you’ll be motioning in the opposite direction.
- Pull the band, from the hip of the leg you’re standing on it with, across your body to the alternate shoulder.
- Do 15 of this for each side.
11. Crab Kicks
This is essentially a core exercise but doesn’t worry, getting rid of love handles is one of its benefits.
It will also work with your hips and hamstrings.
How to do it:
- Sit on the floor with your legs close together.
- Lean back and use your hands as support behind you.
- Now, raise your hip and kick one of your legs upward.
- Drop back to the starting position and repeat, this time kick the other leg.
- That completes a rep and you’ll do 20.
It’s important to note that you can’t just lose weight in one part of your body.
Your body won’t pick fat from where you want to up as energy when you’re working out. Sorry, that’s not how it works.
Exercise alone is not enough to get rid of love handles.
You need to start eating a healthy diet, make those lifestyle changes that make you add weight too.
These exercises to reduce love handles can serve as cardio and resistant training as you need those too to increase strength and burn fat.
Conclusion
You have all the information and exercises to reduce love handles. Just have to stick to it and be steadfast.
You must eat healthy too and give up smoking and binging on alcohol if you want any significant improvement.
