When you want to lose weight in your love handle area, you have to lose weight throughout your entire body because spot reduction is not possible. That being said, you can still build up muscles in another location, such as the butt, by doing heavy weight training. This, in turn, can increase your metabolism and help burn the fat responsible for your love handles. Add in some oblique exercises to tighten the muscles on your sides, and you have a solid game plan.
Step 1
Perform cardio that involves a lot of butt muscle recruitment. Stair climbing, hill running, versa climbing, rowing and indoor cycling are examples. Do 45 minutes of cardio three times a week on alternating days. This can also help burn the fat on your sides.
Step 2
Sit on the seat of a leg press machine with your feet placed shoulder-width apart on the platform to do leg presses. Push the platform up and flip the safety latches over to the sides. Lower the platform down toward your body and stop when your knees form a 90-degree angle. Push the platform back up until your knees are just short of locking out and repeat.
Step 3
Stand behind a bench to do step-ups with high knees. Hold dumbbells at your sides and place your right foot on top of the bench. Press your weight into your foot and lift your body up in the air. Bring your left knee into your chest and hold for a second. Lower your weight down on your left foot and repeat. Do a set and switch legs.
Step 4
Grasp a barbell to do stiff leg deadlifts. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the bar in front of your thighs with a shoulder-width grip. Bend forward and let the bar descend toward the ground. Stop when you feel a strong contraction in your butt and stand back up. Repeat for a set of reps.
Step 5
Execute a set of leaping lunges. Stand with your feet in a staggered stance. Lower your body down toward the ground until your front knee is bent 90 degrees and your back knee is 1 inch above the ground. Jump up in the air, switch your leg position and land back on the ground. Go into another lunge and repeat. Keep jumping and alternating your leg position for a set of reps.
Step 6
Reach up and grab a pull-up bar to do hanging oblique knee raises. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the bar and let your legs hang straight down. Pull your knees up and to the right toward your shoulder. Squeeze for a second, lower your legs back down and bring your knees up toward your left shoulder. Go back and forth for a set of reps.
Step 7
Perform Russian twists from a seated position on the floor. Start out lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms in front of your chest and clasp your hands together. Lift your body up until your back is at a 45-degree angle to the floor. Rotate your body to the right until your arms parallel the floor. Rotate back to your left until your arms are parallel to the floor. Keep going back and forth in a smooth motion.
Step 8
Lie face-up on the ground to do windshield wipers. Place your arms flat on the floor out to your sides so your body forms a "T" shape. Lift your legs up so the soles of your feet are parallel to the ceiling. Lower your legs down to your right as far as possible. Lift them back up and down to your left as far as possible. Keep going back and forth in a smooth motion.
Tips and Warnings
- Perform three to four sets of each exercise. For your butt exercises, do 10 to 12 reps with the heaviest weights you can lift. For your oblique exercises, do 15 to 20 reps.
Things You'll Need
- Leg press machine
- Bench
- Dumbbells
- Barbell
- Pull-up bar
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