Love handles?

arinamargarina
arinamargarina Posts: 34 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello:)

I'd like to start a routine for my love handles - they're not big, I just need them all toned up. I can't seem to find a suitable exercise, can you please give me some bodyweight ideas?

Replies

  • ajnb88
    ajnb88 Posts: 339 Member
    Not sure the 'proper' name for it, but stand up, hold something heavy (dumbell,kettlebell,shopping bag etc) down by your sides, lean as far as you can sideways (letting the weight go down towards the floor), then stand up straight again. Rinse and repeat.

    It may feel very easy, but whenever I do it my muscles remind me it was worth it a few days later. :)

    Edit: didn't see bodyweight only, but you can do this with pretty much anything that gives you a weight to lift - as I said, shopping bags are a good one, but you could use anything that you can hold. Even if it's just filling a bucket with water or something.
  • arinamargarina
    arinamargarina Posts: 34 Member
    Not sure the 'proper' name for it, but stand up, hold something heavy (dumbell,kettlebell,shopping bag etc) down by your sides, lean as far as you can sideways (letting the weight go down towards the floor), then stand up straight again. Rinse and repeat.

    It may feel very easy, but whenever I do it my muscles remind me it was worth it a few days later. :)

    Edit: didn't see bodyweight only, but you can do this with pretty much anything that gives you a weight to lift - as I said, shopping bags are a good one, but you could use anything that you can hold. Even if it's just filling a bucket with water or something.

    That sounds helpful! I'm definitely going to try it when I get home. It's ok, I can find something heavy enough around the house.
    Thanks so much!:)
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    You cannot spot reduce. Once you lower your overall BF% they will go away.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    planks...side planks....they work AWESOMELY on love handles :-D
    I know lots of folk would say you can't spot reduce but with planks and strength training mine are gone..gone gone :)

    of course reducing weight overall also helps :)
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    planks...side planks....they work AWESOMELY on love handles :-D
    I know lots of folk would say you can't spot reduce but with planks and strength training mine are gone..gone gone :)

    of course reducing weight overall also helps :)

    You contradicted yourself. :laugh:
  • arinamargarina
    arinamargarina Posts: 34 Member
    planks...side planks....they work AWESOMELY on love handles :-D
    I know lots of folk would say you can't spot reduce but with planks and strength training mine are gone..gone gone :)

    of course reducing weight overall also helps :)

    You contradicted yourself. :laugh:

    I don't want to spot reduce, I just need to tone my side muscles:)
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    planks...side planks....they work AWESOMELY on love handles :-D
    I know lots of folk would say you can't spot reduce but with planks and strength training mine are gone..gone gone :)

    of course reducing weight overall also helps :)

    You contradicted yourself. :laugh:

    I don't want to spot reduce, I just need to tone my side muscles:)

    You do know what spot reducing means??? You can't pick where the fat leaves your body. :noway:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You cannot spot reduce. Once you lower your overall BF% they will go away.

    this...
  • arinamargarina
    arinamargarina Posts: 34 Member
    planks...side planks....they work AWESOMELY on love handles :-D
    I know lots of folk would say you can't spot reduce but with planks and strength training mine are gone..gone gone :)

    of course reducing weight overall also helps :)

    You contradicted yourself. :laugh:

    I don't want to spot reduce, I just need to tone my side muscles:)

    You do know what spot reducing means??? You can't pick where the fat leaves your body. :noway:

    Honey I need muscle.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member

    Honey I need muscle.

    then you need a calorie surplus and some heavy lifting....
  • LiftAndBalance
    LiftAndBalance Posts: 960 Member
    You cannot spot reduce. Once you lower your overall BF% they will go away.

    This. And
    Honey I need muscle.

    then you need a calorie surplus and some heavy lifting....

    this.

    Also, and please note that I haven't done any additional research on this, according to Bret Contreras at least, excessive ab/oblique training can make your waist look broader, which I'm assuming is not what most women strive for.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    You cannot spot reduce. Once you lower your overall BF% they will go away.

    This. And
    Honey I need muscle.

    then you need a calorie surplus and some heavy lifting....

    this.

    Also, and please note that I haven't done any additional research on this, according to Bret Contreras at least, excessive ab/oblique training can make your waist look broader, which I'm assuming is not what most women strive for.

    The last point would be true if you were in a caloric surplus and lifted heavy enough to increase the size of ab and oblique muscles. That said, the amount of size gain would be very little, unless also adding fat
  • JONZ64
    JONZ64 Posts: 1,280 Member
    You cannot spot reduce. Once you lower your overall BF% they will go away.

    This

    My issue is the name! They should be called "Gettin No Love handles" :sad: I hate mine and I am looking forward to having them gone. They showed up in my mid to late 40's and I have not liked them at all!
  • DWBalboa
    DWBalboa Posts: 37,259 Member
    Just ramp up your core exercise adding exercises that target your oblique's. Good core exercises that target the O's are stability-ball twist (make it harder with a medicine ball), also with the stability-ball do "roll and curls," side planks and side crunches, Russian twist w/med-ball, and side bends w/kettle bells or dumb bells.
    Just Google oblique or core exercises and you'll get a wealth of information. A really great site for information and training videos is :

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/

    You can enter exercises or targeted body areas in a search and it will give you exercises based on your search criteria.

    Just remember to eat correctly, drink plenty of water and exercise hard!

    Have fun and good luck.

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