Weight Loss Articles

Do your attempts at losing those love handles qualify as major flops?

If so, take heart 'cause you've just stumbled upon a bundle of unique love handle exercises and workout tips;

These waist-trimming goodies will put you on track to slash the flab and vanish that spare tire for good...

Getting rid of love handles is actually a dual process:

1- You have to develop your oblique muscles.
2- You have to follow a sound and highly effective fat burning strategy to complement your training efforts.

Let us first tackle the oblique developing techniques by detailing the most effective exercises and workout strategies:

It's a fact: Toned obliques give you trimmer love handles.

The obliques are those muscles located at both sides of your trunk; they are mainly responsible for rotating it and flexing it to the side.

Therefore, the movements that are going to tone your obliques mimic those same functions; i.e. lateral flexion and rotation.

Now to effectively stimulate your side muscles, you have to forsake the high-rep approaches and train with weights. That's right! And oh, don't worry about overdeveloping your loves handles; this won't happen if you follow the instructions I'm going to give you?

So here we go with the first exercise:

1- Side Deadlifts:
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Not exactly a side-bending movement, this rarely used drill is hands-down the BEST oblique-developing exercise.

Its effectiveness is a result of the continuous workload applied during the motion.

The effort should be focused on staying tight and controlling the weight instead of side-bending.

Here's how to execute it:

- Stand upright with a barbell on your side (loaded according to your strength).
- The starting position should be the same as of a regular deadlift, except you're grabbing the bar from the side with one arm.

So you: 1- Go down

2- Grab the bar

3- Stand up, keeping your body tight throughout the movement

The key here is NOT to side-bend, but to stay Straight and maintain balance during the movement; you might want to extend your opposite arm to preserve this balance.

Go for 6 reps on each side.

Note: Here are some variations of the exercise:

- To make the exercise Easier: If you find the side deadlifts too hard, you can do them in a power rack, starting at your knee level instead of lifting the bar from the floor.

- To make the exercise Harder: Do Not touch the ground when you lower the bar. This will keep continuous tension on your obliques throughout the movement.

2- Cable Twists:
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A twisting exercise by excellence. If you've been doing useless twists with a broomstick on your shoulders, then it's time to try the real deal:

Cable twists can be done either on the ground, or on an exercising ball.

Starting Position:

- Lie flat on the ground or on the ball, next to a cable pulley.
- Plant your feet firmly on the floor or have someone hold them TIGHTLY.
- Twist your torso to the right, stretching as much as you can.
- Grab the handle on the Lower Cable Pulley with Both hands, crossing your fingers together.

The Movement:

- Keeping you arms slightly bent, twist your torso to the left, until your hands are above your eyes (or slightly past that point).

Go for 6-8 reps.

Repeat for the Left side as well.

3- Side Bends:
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This one is to be done Without weights.

Stand upright and start bending right and left while keeping your torso facing forward.

Go at a moderate pace and keep repping out for about 2-3 minutes.

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Those three exercises are all you need to trim your waistline. Let us now see how to combine them altogether in a productive workout:

Your best bet would be to perform three cycles of a no-rest circuit routine.

In other words, you perform all three exercises in a row without resting, then take a 2-minute break. Afterwards, you repeat the same cycle, rest for an additional two minutes, and then go for a final round.

Consider performing this routine after 30 minutes of cardio, as this would give your fat burning efforts a boost.

And there you have it! A highly effective training approach that will help you tone and trim your love handles.

Remember that you still have to improve on your eating habits; slight and random changes are not enough... Adopting a sound fat-burning strategy is the key.