We're watching our diet, joining the gym and trying to exercise regularly - with summer just around the corner, we're doing our best to get in top shape and tone our bodies. Do you do hundreds of sit-ups every day, sweat for an hour on the treadmill and still can't get rid of those annoying fat deposits on your hips? We understand you! The fat deposits on the hips are usually quite stubborn and difficult to get rid of. But don’t worry because we are here for you. We have done some research for you and will tell you below the best exercises to combat love handles. So, are you ready to work up a sweat? Then declare war on your love handles and try our training plan as quickly as possible!
What is love handles?
Before we take a closer look at the exercises to combat love handles and belly fat, we would first like to briefly explain to you what love handles are. These are excess fat deposits on the hips and stomach. Love handles are also known as “love handles” or “muffin tops” and are a typical problem area for men. However, women can also be affected by it. The hips tend to store more fat than other parts of the body, and even in slim and well-toned people, love handles can become a major problem.
There are actually many factors that increase the likelihood of having love handles on the hips. These include our age, increased cortisol levels (too much stress), lack of exercise and sleep, and poor nutrition. If you consume more calories than you burn or need, you will undoubtedly gain weight - and not just in the hip area.
First we would like to make one thing clear and unfortunately we have to disappoint you a little - it is impossible to lose fat specifically and only lose weight in one part of the body. There are people who lose weight relatively evenly, while others, for example, always lose weight in the same places. To lose fat and body parts, exercises that only target the stomach may not be enough. So it's best to sit upa training plan, which trains all major muscle groups. Our love handles exercises are suitable for men and women alike and would be an excellent addition to any workout routine.
Side planks with leg raises
Side planks target the oblique and side abdominal muscles and are therefore one of the best exercises for belly fat and love handles. The execution is actually quite simple and with the many variations it never gets boring.
- Fall onto your right forearm with your legs together and extended.
- Make sure your elbow is under your shoulder and your body is in a straight line.
- Raise your upper leg straight up and hold the position for 2-3 seconds.
- Do a total of 10-12 reps and switch sides.
- Do 3 sets.
Russian twist version
The classic Russian Twist is also an effective abdominal exercise to get rid of love handles.
- Sit on an exercise mat leaning slightly backwards with your legs slightly bent and your feet on your heels.
- Keep your back straight, turn your upper body to the left side and briefly touch the floor with your fingertips.
- Return to starting position and repeat on the other side.
- During execution, make sure that the lower body remains motionless.
- To increase the difficulty, you can raise your legs slightly off the floor and perform Russian twists with a dumbbell.
Bicycle-Crunches
And what would the exercises against love handles be without at least one crunch variant? Bicycle crunches work all of your abdominal muscles at the same time and are the perfect complement to yoursFlat stomach workout plan.
- Lie on an exercise mat with your legs bent.
- Fold your arms behind your head and form a slight hollow back.
- Make sure your buttocks and lower back touch the floor.
- Lift one leg and stretch it out, then lift and bend the other leg and at the same time pull your knee towards your chest.
- Touch the knee with the opposite elbow, making sure that the core muscles are activated the entire time.
- Do a total of 3 sets of 12-15 reps per side.
Hanging leg raises
Hanging leg raises are a very effective oneExercise against love handlesin men and women and primarily affects the lower abdominal muscles. However, the exercise is quite demanding and not suitable for fitness beginners.
- Hang from a bar with your arms slightly bent and your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Tense your stomach and tilt your legs slightly forward and lift them off the floor.
- Bend your hips and lift your legs up in a controlled manner until they form an approximately 90 degree angle.
- If you have enough strength, hold the position for 2-3 seconds.
- Slowly return to the starting position and do 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions.
- The execution becomes easier if you bend your legs and bring your knees up.
Side bends
So simple and yet super effective – for us, side bends are one of the best exercises for getting rid of love handles and belly fat. This not only trains your stomach, but also strengthens your spine and core muscles.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and upright with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Tense your stomach and pull your belly button towards your spine.
- Tilt your upper body alternately to the left and right sides, making sure not to move forward or backward.
Der Spiderman-Crunch
The Spiderman crunch is a great abdominal exercise to strengthen the core muscles and the side abdominal muscles and get rid of fat deposits on the hips.
- Start in the classic push-up position and keep your back straight.
- Place your hands below your shoulder joints and place your legs on your tiptoes, hip-width apart.
- Then pull your left knee laterally forward towards your shoulder and return to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement with the other leg, doing a total of 3 sets of 10-12 reps per side.
