20 Exercises to Lose Love Handles

exerciseLove handles refer to fat deposits that tend to accumulate just around your abdominal region. It is really belly fat and is perhaps the toughest to get rid of. Besides following a proper diet to lose the extra fat around the stomach area you can perform these exercises to get rid of it:

1. Woodchoppers: To do this, you must stand with feet hip-width apart keeping the weight on the left leg. You need to first hold the weight with both hands next to the left shoulder and then twist as if you were chopping wood to go down to the right hip. The knees and feet twist likewise.

2. Russian Twists: You start by sitting down with feet flat and knees bent. The torso is at a 45-degree angle and with a dumbbell held by both hands; you need to raise the feet off the ground and cross them at the ankles. You have to then twist the torso to the right side to touch the dumbbell to the floor to your left.

3. Bicycle Crunches: To perform these crunches, you need to lie down with knees bent and hands behind the head; you have to raise the shoulders and upper torso off the floor engaging the abs. You must also move the right elbow to the left knee and repeat the same action on the other side.

4. Side Plank Hip Lifts: To do this, you have to start in a plank side plankposture. Engaging the abdominal muscles and keeping the elbow on the floor, you must hold the body straight raising your lower body off the ground into a straight plank.

5. Oblique Press and Release: For this exercise, you must kneel the left foot keeping the right foot ahead of you flat on the floor. You must hold any weight in the right hand with your arm stretched out and bent at right angles with the fist held up. You have to stretch the arm straight as you bend the body downwards to the left and touch the fingertips to the floor. You will then have to use the oblique muscles to pull the torso back to the starting position. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6NMG5wyuk4

6. Side Plank Crunch: To do this, you need to start with right elbow and right foot slightly ahead of the left. Keeping the core engaged you must draw the right knee to the chest and crunch the left elbow towards it.

7. Plank Up-Downs: You should start with holding a plank position and then lower down any forearm while following it with the other forearm. You have to move back the arms one at a time to a fully-extended plank.

8. Crouching Tiger Push-Up: To perform this, you must first perform a push-up. Bending knees off the ground, you need to press back the hips so that the knees come directly under the ribs. The arms must be kept straight pressing through your shoulders. You have to then raise the hips into the downward dog posture. From this position, you need to round out the back and roll the spine in front like a wave motion till you return to the starting plank position.

9. Around the World Obliques:  For this, you have to stand with feet slightly wider than shoulders and toes turned out slightly. Using a light weight in the hands, you must extend the arms straight above your head for the perfect stretch. You must then bend from your hips to extend the body as much as you can towards the right, and then rotate to come back to the original position.

10. Passing the Ball: This is a form of bicycle crunch with a ball. You must lie on the floor with abs pulled tight, as you raise the chest; you have to pull the right knee towards the chest while holding the ball in the left hand. You have to pass this ball below the right knee to the right hand and then crunch upwards.

11. Knee Drop: This exercise requires you lie on the floor with abs contracted. You must raise the legs off the ground to come to a tabletop posture. The ball has to be held tight between the legs to engage the muscles of the inner thigh. You have to keep the abs lowered throughout as you drop the knees to the right slowly and repeat the action on the other side.

12. Standing Oblique Crunches: This will target many muscle groups, activating these to keep your body stable when you balance one foot to lift your leg to a crunch position.

13. Burpees: This will target your shoulders, triceps, abs, legs and upper back. You have to start in a standing position and drop into the squat position with hands to the floor. You have to then kick the feet backwards to come to a plank and keep arms stretched. Following this, you must return your feet to the squat position and jump upwards from this squat position.

14. Scissors: You start by raising both legs to the ceiling and holding them straight; you must lower the left till it is nearly 6 inches off the ground. You must then grasp the right leg to pull it gently towards your body.

bridge15. Bridge: This exercise is fantastic for strengthening the lower back, core and glutes and will help you to get rid of those unsightly love handles. You must squeeze and contract the muscles as you lift the hips off the ground.

16. Oblique V-Up: Here, you have to lie on the side with the body held straight and arms folded on the chest. You must keep the legs together and raise them off the ground and raise the top elbow towards the hip.

17. Saxon Side Bend: You have to stand holding a dumbbell and twist 90 degrees to your right and then 180 degrees to the left side as you hold your abs.

18. Medicine Ball Torso Rotation: To do his workout, you have to use a basketball or medicine ball in front. Sitting with knees bent and feet firm on the ground, you must twist quickly to the left and place this ball behind the back. You must then twist to your right and lift up the ball to bring to the other side.

19. Standing Trunk Twists: You have to stand with feet hip-width apart, twist to your right and extend the left arm as if you were punching someone to your right.

20. Lying Leg Twist: You must lie down with arms extended on both sides and must lift the legs and bent knees to make calves parallel to the ground. You have to then lower the legs together to one side to make the outer right thigh reach the ground to the right while maintaining the 90 degree angle with the torso. This is brought back to the middle to repeat the action on the other side.