If you're not in love with your love handles, resistance band exercises for the obliques may be the answer. The internal and external oblique muscles wrap around the front and sides of your stomach under the area playfully nicknamed the love handles. Depending on your diet, some cardio exercises like brisk walking or running, on top of resistance band exercises, may be in order to make significant love handles disappear.
Single-Leg Standing Cable Rotation
Resistance bands are sometimes called resistance cables. Cables usually have handles and bands don't, but the exercises are done with the same exercise form. Single-leg standing cable rotations are performed standing on one leg. Standing on one leg challenges your balance so that the waist muscles work harder to keep you from falling. You may do this exercise standing on two legs if you need to. The exercise is done with a band looped around a stationary object at waist height. You will stand sideways to the object with your arms extended straight toward it. Start with your right shoulder closest to the object and hold the ends of the band between both hands. Stand on your right leg with your left leg in the air. Then, rotate your shoulders and arms across your body to the left. The lower body should not move. You will bring your arms back across your body to finish the exercise. Repeat on the left.
Standing Cable Side Bend
The standing cable side bend also addresses one side of your body at a time. However, it works your obliques through lateral flexion of the spine instead of spinal rotation. The obliques are involved in both leaning your upper body to the side and twisting it, so it is beneficial for the obliques to do both kinds of movements. To do standing cable side bends, attach your resistance band to a sturdy object at or above head height. Then, grab the ends of the band with your right hand and stand sideways next to it with your right shoulder closest to the band. Your right elbow is bent with your palm facing inward. Lean to the right and pull your arm down until your elbow touches the side of your body. The exercise will work best if your lower body and hips do not move. Return to the starting position to complete one rep. Repeat on the left.
Wood Chop
The wood chop exercise, like the standing side bend, requires a resistance band to be attached to an object higher than your head with your body positioned sideways to it. Stand up tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. If you start on your right side, your right shoulder will be next to the band and object it is attached to. Reach your arms diagonally upward to your right side so that your left arm crosses your chest. Hold both ends of the band with your hands clasped together. Then, lower your arms diagonally across your body toward your left hip to work the obliques. As with the other exercises, keep your hips stationary and your arms straight. Repeat on the opposite side.
Member Comments