The overhang of fat on the sides of the body known as "love handles" takes place when you eat more calories than your body needs. Before you entertain the idea of exercising to lose your handles, take a look at your diet first. In order for any exercise to be beneficial, you have to restrict your caloric intake and choose healthier foods when you eat. Although love handles cover your oblique muscles, you still need to involve other parts of your body to reduce them.
Step 1
Partake in any form of cardio as long as it increases your heart rate and causes you to breathe heavily. Fast-paced walking, jogging, biking, swimming, step aerobics, inline skating, kickboxing and racquetball are all examples. To lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Accumulate this amount of activity throughout the day with smaller sessions if you are pressed for time.
Step 2
Lift weights to build as much muscle as possible. Building muscle will increase your resting metabolism and promote faster weight loss throughout your body, including your love handle area. Do exercises like bench presses, shoulder presses, back rows, dips, curls and lunges. For each exercise, aim for three to four sets consisting of 10 to 12 repetitions each set.
Step 3
Execute abdominal exercises that target your entire abdominal area, but emphasize your obliques. Bicycle crunches, windshield wipers, alternating twist crunches and Russian twists are examples. For each exercise, do three to four sets of 15 to 20 reps in each set. By doing these exercises, you will create better definition around your whole waistline as you melt away the pounds.
Step 4
Utilize proper form with your oblique exercises. Perform every oblique exercise in a steady and controlled fashion. Take the Russian twist, for example.
Sit on the floor with your back 45 degrees to the floor, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Rotate to your right, place your hands on the floor, then rotate to your left and place your hands on the floor.
Hold each position for a full second and squeeze your obliques forcefully. Keep your back perfectly straight throughout, exhale as you squeeze your abs and inhale as you are moving. Apply these same techniques to all of your oblique exercises.
Step 5
Work out often enough to see results. Do your cardio and weight training routines three days a week on alternating days. Work your obliques after your weight training sessions. Repeat this sequence consistently every week for the best results.
Step 6
Perform side planks when you are watching T.V. at night. Side planks are yoga poses that tone your obliques and abdomen.
Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders and feet together. Push yourself off the floor until your arms are fully extended and rotate your body to the right as your lift your left arm straight in the air. Stack your legs and lift your hips to form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
Hold this position during a commercial break, then switch sides for the next commercial break. Alternate back and forth. If you cannot make it all the way through the commercials, hold as long as possible.
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