Fight the Muffin Top!

anmei2411
anmei2411 Posts: 45
edited November 11 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone,

Like many women, I am suffering from the so called muffin-top. Even when I was a lot skinnier, I still had too much fat on my hips.
Can anyone recommend a workout to get rid - or at least reduce - that effect?
I am currently working on my legs, abs and arms ... but could not find anything for the hips!

Cheers :)
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Replies

  • i have the same problem :ohwell: so if u get any tips can u pass them on please?
  • Tips ... anyone?
  • *bump*
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
    There is no workout to reduce the muffin top. Sorry.

    You can follow mfp to lose weight. Your body will lose fat from wherever your genetics says it will.

    You can lift weights to maintain muscle mass. Your body will maintain/build muscle wherever your genetics says it will.

    That's it.
  • Thanks for the answer!

    Shame though ... I gave a pretty female figure so no matter how skinny I get, I'll always have boobs (good!), butt (good) and some fat on the hips (not so good) :angry:
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
    You are who you are and you are lovely. I have never had a muffin top, nor have I had any boobs. One husband, three children, five countries, life is good. Never let anyone else's ideas about what you should look like influence your opinion about yourself.
  • motherbetty
    motherbetty Posts: 170 Member
    You are who you are and you are lovely. I have never had a muffin top, nor have I had any boobs. One husband, three children, five countries, life is good. Never let anyone else's ideas about what you should look like influence your opinion about yourself.

    Awesome!
  • zipperhead76
    zipperhead76 Posts: 60 Member
    I don't have any specific exercises, but as you lose weight, work or obliques(the muscles on the side of your stomach). That should help get rid of the excess on the sides. :) Hope this helps.
  • ...bigger pants size? If your pants aren't so tight you won't spill over as much, right? And just all over weight loss to trim down the fat. Mine went away when I lost 35lbs:)
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
    As much as people hate me when I say this, WELL fitting pants will not give you a muffin top (at ANY size). Most low-rise pants are NOT well fitting because they need the pressure against your hips to keep them from sliding down.
  • loombeav
    loombeav Posts: 391 Member
    Unfortunately you can not "spot reduce" Doing cardio and burning calories will help you lose weight from all over. Once you get your weight down to your ideal BF % you can concentrate on toning specific areas, but unless you lose the fat 1st it's not going to make much of a difference.
  • You are who you are and you are lovely. I have never had a muffin top, nor have I had any boobs. One husband, three children, five countries, life is good. Never let anyone else's ideas about what you should look like influence your opinion about yourself.

    Awesome!

    Awwww ... thank you :)

    And thank you zipperhead - maybe I can reduce it a bit!
  • MrDude_1
    MrDude_1 Posts: 2,510 Member
    You just need to follow the basic bodybuilding formula that is so simple no one wants to believe it.

    Build muscle.
    Lose fat.

    Alternate between the two until you're happy.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    There's no way to spot reduce, but strength training with heavy weights makes amazing changes happen. http://www.isthisbliss.com/why-you-yes-you-should-strength-train/
  • amayarnell
    amayarnell Posts: 60 Member
    I have always had the same problem. Recently, I started Jillian Michaels 6 week 6 pack abs and i can tell a HUGE difference in my 'muffin top'. I had these lounge pants where it used to hang over, and now, its almost non existent. I highly recommend this workout dvd! i have not only noticed my sides, but my abs as well. Jillian likes to incorporate cardio in her workouts as well as full body moves. Hope this helps! Best of luck
  • sharonfincher1
    sharonfincher1 Posts: 311 Member
    You can't spot reduce but u can spot tone... I have rid myself of the muffin top...exercises that work the entire stomach area... alot of oblique (?) work.....
  • daniellek10
    daniellek10 Posts: 45 Member
    Have you tried Zumba? I have heard alot of ppl say they lost in that area doing that?!!
  • Felidae_1981
    Felidae_1981 Posts: 200 Member
    ...bigger pants size? If your pants aren't so tight you won't spill over as much, right? And just all over weight loss to trim down the fat. Mine went away when I lost 35lbs:)

    See, that won't exactly work for everyone. I wear a 2/4 pants. If I wear any bigger they would fall off and I'd be "pants on the ground"... LOL. I have lots of belly fat, but no hips or rather anything where my pants sit. A lot of my size 4s are actually starting to be really baggy around the butt and legs - because this is where I lose first, belly is where I lose last
  • Srdking
    Srdking Posts: 84 Member
    If you want the fat gone work your obliques. There is some ab workouts on DVD that do work the obliques. Laying down Side crunches, side squat twist are some of my favorites. I also do a ton of obliques planks, and all these are working for me. Unless I get off my butt and do cardio I won't see results in my obliques. I have to finish burning off the rest of the fat. So with my cardio I do a number of obliques exercises, so when the fat is finally off I will be toned. If I just did diet alone I would still have some fat there, even at my goal weight. So the key in my opinion is plenty of cardio and plenty of obliques exercises.
  • carido exercises are best and situps but where you reach to the sides like the bike sit ups where you bring your knees to your chest as if cycling and you put your opposite elbow to your knee on each one.

    hope that makes sense im sure you know what i mean its a pretty common ab exercise.
    x
  • TTHdred
    TTHdred Posts: 380 Member
    You mentioned you were focused on your abs. I would try focusing on your entire core to reduce the muffin top look, rather than just your abs. Specifically, core exercises that work the oblique muscles. Incorporate them into your routine:

    -Dumbbell side dips are an easy one (with the right weights)
    -torso twists seems very easy, but enough of them with a legs slightly off the ground will do the trick
    -Side plank hip raises (you can also go up on your hands from here and twist inward with the opposite arm for more advanced workout)
    - regular plank with a knew in twist. So from plank, bring the knees in to the opposite side chest.

    Lower ab workouts also help, and are tad more difficult for women to tone.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Also, make sure you're eating ENOUGH. When I was eating too little, I reached my goal weight, but all I got was a smaller version of my old body. I still had a muffin top, back fat rolls, double chin, etc. THIS time around, eating right and exercising right, I'm 2-3 sizes smaller at that same weight.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/494091-i-just-don-t-care-anymore
  • nnapieralski
    nnapieralski Posts: 132 Member
    As much as people hate me when I say this, WELL fitting pants will not give you a muffin top (at ANY size). Most low-rise pants are NOT well fitting because they need the pressure against your hips to keep them from sliding down.

    YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for saying so! =)
  • As much as people hate me when I say this, WELL fitting pants will not give you a muffin top (at ANY size). Most low-rise pants are NOT well fitting because they need the pressure against your hips to keep them from sliding down.

    agree. wear them up higher on waist:) until you lose weight and tone up. idk, I have same body type that Felidae_1981 described (pants on the ground, lol) If they are too low they will sit at hips which are narrower than waist so no matter size of pants you'll have muffin top. If you get a higher rise jeans they will sit up on bigger part of stomach and not be so bad. A lot of young people don't like higher rise jeans (mom jeans...well maybe not that high!) but I still say it looks better than having a muffin top or like you are squeezing into your pants! lol
  • As I'm sure you have heard frequently, you can't spot reduce... but a great workout video is 6 week 6 pack by Jillian Michaels.
  • Try Jillian Michael's No More Trouble Zones DVD. She includes exercises to help with the Muffin Top and several other trouble areas. It's working for me.
  • hahandel
    hahandel Posts: 134 Member
    Try wearing a shaper. It works wonders for me and takes care of the muffin top. I've lost 90 pounds and have loose skin above my belly button that acts this a muffin top when I'm wearing pants. The one is wear is very comfy.
  • ive been doing a lot of standing trunk twists and they are helping with my muffin top :)
  • garbanzalo
    garbanzalo Posts: 61 Member
    Start lifting heavy weights.

    Check out this book - http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Lifting-Women-Goddess/dp/1583333398

    New Rules of Lifting for Women.
  • You are who you are and you are lovely. I have never had a muffin top, nor have I had any boobs. One husband, three children, five countries, life is good. Never let anyone else's ideas about what you should look like influence your opinion about yourself.

    I agree! :)
This discussion has been closed.