Abs is a problem area for many women, however building a strong core is the best solution. Love handles comprise of both your internal and external obliques which create a force that builds strength to allow muscle to take over the fatty areas. Sculpting your oblique muscles will give you a more defined midsection, besides helping in stabilizing your core and support your back. Your external obliques help your trunk rotate, while your internal obliques help with rotation but on a deeper level.
Perform each move for 30 seconds and then take a 30-second break for as many rounds as possible. Do these exercises three to five days a week. Work smart, and push the muscles to exhaution.
Side Planks with Reach Through
- Lie on your right side and place your right hand firmly on the ground.
- Engaging your core, prop yourself up into a side plank.
- Stack your left foot over your right, so your body is in a straight line.
- Extend your left arm towards the ceiling and then lower your arm in front of you and bring it under your right hip.
- Bring your left arm back above your head. Repeat 15 times & change sides.
The Saw
- Sit up on a mat with your legs extended in front of you.
- Spread them as wide as the mat. Form a “T” with your arms out to the sides and twist toward your right side,stretching your left hand towards your right foot. Pulse three times.
- Untwist yourself and return to center.
- Repeat on the left side.
Mountain Climbers With a Twist
- Place a plyo box in front of you and get into high plank position with both palms firmly on top of the box.
- With a flat back and abs engaged, lift your right foot and bring your right knee to your left elbow. Return to the starting position.
- Then, lift your left foot and bring your left knee to your right elbow.
- Return to the starting position, and continue alternating sides. Count upto 25, pause for 30 sec. and repeat
Side Plank with Knee Drive
- Lie on your right side and prop yourself up onto your right forearm.
- Stack your left foot over your right, so your body is in a straight line. Keep your left hand on your left hip.
- Engaging your core, drive your right knee up to your chest and repeat before switching to the other side.
Bicycles Crunches
- Lie on your back with both knees bent at a 90-degree angle and place your hands behind your head.
- Fully extend one leg out about 6 inches above the ground, bringing your opposite elbow to the opposite knee. With control, bring the extended leg in and extend the other leg out, simultaneously bringing the other elbow to the opposite knee.
- Make sure to twist from your stomach and not your neck. Control is key on this exercise; speed is not your friend. Aim at switching every two seconds.
- Aim for three sets of 60 (30 per leg).
Note: Avoid side bends with heavy weights. This type of exercise can actually exacerbate the appearance of love handles by increasing the size of the underlying external oblique muscles. Instead, work all of the abdominal muscles, not just the obliques, in multiple planes of motion.
To optimize results focus on clean eating, adequate sleep, stress management, plenty of hydration, and sprint work mixed with steady-state cardio on alternate days to optimize fat burning.