Are You Doing The Real Exercises for Love Handles

When most people are contemplating exercises for love handles, they think about exercises for oblique muscles including crunches, side bends, planks, and so on. However, I am putting it to you that these are not the most effective exercises to lose love handles. They are great for toning your oblique muscles, however it doesn’t do much good if you have a layer of excess fat over your oblique muscles. So what would be the top exercises for love handles?

Being a personal trainer, I suggest compound workouts which work multiple groups of muscles to get rid of love handles. These are typically exercises like the bench press, leg squats, dips, push-ups, and jumping rope. The reason why I really like these exercises is that they burn a significant amount of calories within a small amount of time. So, not only will you be burning more calories, and therefore more abdominal fat, but you can get out of the gym in the shortest amount of time.

I actually carry this a step further. I will actually work several exercises collectively in a circuit using little rest between exercises. This will make training session a cardiovascular work out also, making these exercises even more effective at eliminating your love handles. For example, use the exercises here and do them one after the other, only taking as much rest as you need in between. Your workout will burn twice the calories in half the time.

And so, I will offer you a few of my best exercises for love handles. The first is bench press. The bench press can be done with a barbell or two dumbbells while you are lying on a bench. For basic reference, just about anything that can be performed using a barbell can also be done with two dumbbells. The bench press primary focus is on the chest muscles, it also works the tricep muscles and shoulder muscles. You should hold the barbell in a wide grip position or 1 dumbbell in each hand and drive up and down until you feel your pectorals stretched. Try to get 8-12 repetitions. If you can do 15 repetitions, the weights are too light and if you’re able to do only six, they are too heavy. 2-3 sets are the ideal start for newbies. The push up is a great substitute in case you are exercising at home.
 
Next up is the squat. The squat is an incredible calorie burner as it works larger muscles like the thighs and butt, and even lower back. This exercise is usually performed with a barbell on the upper back and shoulders supported with your arms, lower your body by simply bending your knees no less than 90 degrees, then raise it up to the starting posture and do it again. Ensure that you do squats in a slow and controlled movement. Additionally, it’s important to keep your back straight continually, which can usually be accomplished by keeping your head upward. About 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions and you’ll be sweating like you are performing cardio.
 
For a great exercise that tones your whole torso, check out dips. You just need two parallel bars to execute dips, although you may want to start with the assisted dip machine you have seen at many gyms. This machine may have a pad that you will kneel on while doing dips which will help push your legs up. To carry out the dip, just lower your entire body and bend your elbows no less than 90 degrees, then lift up your body to your starting position. About 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions should be perfect if you’re just starting out. Use the assisted dip machine if needed.

A huge calorie burner, and thus an excellent exercise for love handles is the jump rope. It is something that is now commonplace in my workouts and allows me to stay toned all year long. It takes a little practice so you can get good, but it will quickly become a favorite. I opt for about 1 to 2 minutes on the jump rope as part of my circuit. Try it out and you’ll see why it is a love handle exercise.
 

 
All content is provided for information purposes only. This isn’t designed to treat or manage disease. Make sure you check with your doctor prior to engaging in any dietary or fitness modifications and/or routines.

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