Home Exercises for Stomach, Love Handles and Legs

emilykate4

I want to start working out at home but I really don't know where to start. My problem areas are my stomach, love handles and legs. Can anyone suggest some exercises that require minimal equipment (I have barbells and that's about it) that focus on these areas? Or point me in the direction of some kind of workout plan that is easy to follow?

IsaackGMOON

Well you can do all the exercises on those areas that you like... it's not going to make them any thinner. You cannot spot reduce fat. Your genetics dictate where you lose it from.

emilykate4

I'm confused, you're saying that there are not workouts to flatten my stomach, reduce love handles and tone legs? I disagree...

IsaackGMOON

Toning and losing are different things.

emilykate4 wrote: »

I'm confused, you're saying that there are not workouts to flatten my stomach, reduce love handles and tone legs? I disagree...

No. Exercise is for physical fitness. A caloric deficit is for losing weight.

As I said, you can do all the exercises in those areas that you want, they will not reduce them.

RoxieDawn

emilykate4 wrote: »

I'm confused, you're saying that there are not workouts to flatten my stomach, reduce love handles and tone legs? I disagree...

What he is trying to say or should have said is, you can exercise your stomach, abs and obliques but until you loose additional body fat, the muscles will not show through... Yes you can exercise all you want to... the muscles will only show through or the definition in your body will be prominent with additonal fat loss...

But the one thing is, you cannot spot reduce... this is a fact.

whatatime2befit

You can't spot reduce. If you could, my legs and stomach would be rockin' right now. But unfortunately there's still quite a layer of fat over them, that has to come with deficit and fat loss.

Fesanso

You can exercise to tone the muscles there, but it wont make your body lose the fat there. Your body decides were it will lose the weight (if you eat in deficit) wherever your genetics dictate, as was said above. ie if you are the classic apple shape (as I am) around your middle is the last place you will lose the fat on your fitness/fat loss journey. So you can have really toned muscles there from all your stomach workouts... but you'll still have a layer of fat over them. If you're more of a pear shape (hold your weight around hips/thighs) you might have more luck getting rid of stomach fat but that's due to your genes. Getting rid of the excess fat will be to do with general fat loss, not spot toning getting rid of fat in a specific area. Spot toning just tones those muscles... doesn't do anything to the fat located there specifically. If you only try and tone just there I'd doubt you'll see any results (tho you'd feel your muscles getting stronger)... all over toning may get a better result.

Getting lean and flattening your stomach etc is more likely to happen if you tone all over as well as your diet. Depends on your genetics and what body shape you as to where it carries it's excess - it sucks (I know), but you can't change your genes.

strong_curves

emilykate4 wrote: »

I'm confused, you're saying that there are not workouts to flatten my stomach, reduce love handles and tone legs? I disagree...

She's right. You can lower your overall body weight but you can not spot reduce.

emilykate4

Thanks guys, I misunderstood what he said. Thanks Fesanso for the indepth explaination.

SueInAz

What everyone else has been saying is true. The diet and fitness industry, however, will tell us whatever it thinks we want to hear to sell their products and get our money. Fat and muscle are two completely different things. You can't do one thing to simultaneously shrink one and increase the other.

There are no specific foods or exercises which will "shrink belly fat." It doesn't work like that. Your genetics determine where you store the majority of your fat. All we can do is keep lowering our overall body fat percentage to reduce it and your main storage areas will be the last to shrink.

All of that said, strength training is a great tool to use while you are losing weight because you'll maintain more muscle while you lose fat. However, it's not enough to just do a bunch of crunches to get a smaller stomach. You need to lose the fat through a calorie deficit.

Holly_Roman_Empire

So you have a barbell and plates? Do some strength training compound lifts.

yusaku02

hollydubs85 wrote: »

So you have a barbell and plates? Do some strength training compound lifts.

I think she's mistaking dumbbells for barbells

IsaackGMOON

yusaku02 wrote: »

hollydubs85 wrote: »

So you have a barbell and plates? Do some strength training compound lifts.

I think she's mistaking dumbbells for barbells

But we wouldn't know that.

rileyes

RKC planks, side planks, push-ups and captain's chairs or hanging leg lifts can help you get there.

c1aireee

u could try blogilates to do at home I do it all the time! she has loads of videos!

yusaku02

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

yusaku02 wrote: »

hollydubs85 wrote: »

So you have a barbell and plates? Do some strength training compound lifts.

I think she's mistaking dumbbells for barbells

But we wouldn't know that.

Correct, but there's a pretty good chance...

discretekim

I think working your problem areas is important. I've only lost a few pounds but I can already see a difference in more defined muscles

ndj1979

OP - do you have access to barbells at home? if not, is joining a gym possible?