Love handles :( and other issues

Options
HealthyAmyStartsNow
HealthyAmyStartsNow Posts: 15
in Fitness and Exercise
So I went and tried on bikinis the other day... There are a few problem spots I have, but I don't have a lot of exercises to get rid of them. Love handles are one issue I have and I already have big hips so they need to go. Also, my butt needs to get more firm. Any ideas for exercises I could do to help my body issues? Also, will just doing cardio help get rid of these problem areas?

Replies

  • QueenofCups
    QueenofCups Posts: 365 Member
    Options
    There are 2 exercises I do to help with butt issues:
    1- butt lifts. Lay on the floor with your knees bent and raise your hips/butt into the hair while your arms stay at your sides. Do as many as you can.
    2- get on all fours and then keep your leg at a 90 degree angle, lift it up into the air while flexing your foot. do as many reps as you can and then do the other leg.

    Lunges help with butt too.

    As far as the love handles, I am still having issues with that myself. I do side crunches and stuff like that, but they won't go anywhere. Yes, they are getting smaller, but not firmer. Frustrating!

    Hope more people can help you.
  • fhmagee
    fhmagee Posts: 1
    Options
    My trainer says there are no such things as spot reducing. He said when you lose weight you lose it all around.
  • merrillfoster
    merrillfoster Posts: 855 Member
    Options
    Cardio will help get rid of any extra fat. For love handles, supermans: lie face down on the floor with your arms and legs extended. Lift them up and down (at the same time). Squats, butt lifts, and lunges help with the butt.
  • RZO42488
    RZO42488 Posts: 64
    Options
    Cardio helps the overall body but if your looking for a quick fix and summer is fast approaching, I would do exercises solely working on those areas. Obliques aka Love Handles can be exercised in a variety of ways.

    Look up exercises on the internet. As far as toning your butt butt (lol) I would bust out some squats. Squats dont have to be weighted, so if you bend your knees to make a 90 degree angle between your calf and hamstring/quad then hold it for 30 seconds.

    Start there then work your way up to a minute. You'll feel it. Make sure to keep your chest poked out, head up, and tighten your stomach to get the full effect.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Options
    No, just doing cardio won't help. Cardio will help you burn the fat off (running and the elliptical are great for your midsection) but you also should consider doing strength training to build muscle that also burns fat. Do some oblique work to build muscle for once the fat is gone. Then you'll look nice and toned!
  • mcdlinz
    mcdlinz Posts: 3
    Options
    Hey I have exactly the same problem.... wide hips and lovehandles that wont go away. I have heard that power plates are really good for helping get rid of them. thinking of trying it with a fried of mine. your most likely to find them at a gym or somewhere like a tanning salon or similar, and a lot of the time you dont need to be a gym member to use them, just pay a small amount each time. heard may good reviews and found hardly any bad ones.
    hope this helps.
    LJ
  • LurayneMarie
    LurayneMarie Posts: 342 Member
    Options
    Lunges and squats are good for the bum (make sure you squeeze bum while doing them). Also a good floor exercise is to get on all four (hands & knees) and lift one leg up behind you into the air (squeeze bum) and bring it down again and tuck in under chest as much as possible then lift back up. Repeat a number of times and swap to other leg.
    For love handles you can get some weights (the heavier the better but dont hurt yourself!) hold on down by your side (slightly out from your leg) and reach down sideways (like you're about to do a cartwheel) squeezing your side and back up again. Repeat and swap to other side.
    Im sure if you type 'bum' or 'oblique' (love handle) exercises into youtube you will find LOTS of different videos and exercises :) Thats how I found most of mine. Have fun!!
  • BethG39
    BethG39 Posts: 17
    Options
    Ooh! Trying on bathing suits sucks!! I've always been told the best way to get rid of love handles is to be really good with diet and do cardio. You can do ab exercises all day but you won't see your abs if there is too much fat covering them. That's been my strategy with abs ~ I've been working out for about nine months consistently (doing P90X) but I didn't really see alot of progress with my abs until I started eating really clean and then I added in the ab exercises three days/week. Now I really feel like I'm making progress!

    Good luck!
    Beth
  • bacanbit
    bacanbit Posts: 58 Member
    Options
    Ohh, I'm bored at work and think I will go try these in the back room in a bit. Thanks!
  • BecksgotBack
    BecksgotBack Posts: 385 Member
    Options
    try stuff that works your entire core...planks and side planks. try googling them to see proper form. i also have a move that works the obliques...lay on your side with head resting on your hand-elbow on floor. extend both your legs straight out but slightly forward-in front of you. put your other hand on the floor in front of your chest for support. raise your legs (both of them together, toes pointed out) up and hold for count of 2, lower slowly and repeat. do maybe 5 sets and on the last one hold legs up for count of 8. they are really hard but work. I also do the move that was explained in a previous post...on all fours push leg up and tighten butt-you can put a small 3-4lb weight at the crook of your knee (behind knee) for resistence. sorry if this was confusing, very hard to explain in words :)
  • Rubie81
    Rubie81 Posts: 720 Member
    Options
    Bumping this for later.
  • HealthyAmyStartsNow
    HealthyAmyStartsNow Posts: 15
    Options
    Wow these are great! Thanks MFP community! :)
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    Options
    Obliques aka Love Handles can be exercised in a variety of ways.

    Pardon??! :huh:

    Love handles are abdominal fat. Your obliques are two of many abdominal muscles. By using "aka" you're suggesting the two are the same. They are not.

    You can exercise your obliques until you're green in the face but that alone will do nothing to reduce abdominal fat, just as much as sit-ups alone will not give you a 6-pack.

Categories