Exercises to Target Love Handles

Getting a sexy and toned waistline can be a pretty big task. One way to approach it is to break it up into smaller fitness goals. By focusing on specific muscle groups around your waist and core, you can speed up results while also staying motivated.

Today, I’m focusing on your love handles. This is a pretty big problem area for both men and women, but there are a number of exercises that can target your love handles to get them tightened and toned.

The muscles directly under your love handles are called your obliques. Although you may not have focused on your obliques in the past, they’re a pretty important muscle group when it comes to getting a sexy core.

5 Exercises to Target Your Obliques

I’m reviewing 5 hard-hitting exercises to tone and tighten your love handles. In combination with a regular, total body exercise and weight training plan, you’ll be looking great in weeks!

Add these exercises to your current ab workout, or use them for a dedicate oblique workout.

1. Bicycle Crunch (view exercise)

The bicycle crunch is one of the best abdominal and oblique exercises you can do. Start by lying on a mat, face up. Gently rest your hands behind your head, elbows bent and legs straight out in front of you. As you engage your core and lift your shoulders towards your feet, pull your right knee in to your torso and bring your left elbow to meet. Return to starting, and alternate between sides, opposite elbows to knees.

2. Oblique Crunch on Stability Ball (view exercise)

Grab a stability ball and rest your right side (hip and love handle) against it, stabilizing your upper and lower body. Lean against the side of your right foot, with your left foot stacked on top of it. Bring your hands behind your head. Bending at your waist only, slowly lower your upper body to the right, hold, and lift back to starting position. Repeat, and do the same number of reps on the opposite side.

3. Russian Twist (view exercise)

Hang on to your stability for this one. Rest with the ball against your lower back, knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat against the ground. Holding a medicine ball with both hands and arms extended above your chest, slowly lower the ball to one side, engaging your core muscles throughout. Hold here for a moment, return to starting, and lower to the opposite side. Repeat.

4. Ab Twist Pulley (view exercise)

Stand with your body perpendicular to a cable machine. Attach a single handle bar at about chest height. Stabilize yourself with your feet at shoulder width. Hold the handle bar with both hands straight in front of you, and slowly twist your torso away from the cable machine, pulling the cable. You really want to focus on twisting with your core muscles here, and try to keep your hips from moving. Return to starting position in a controlled motion, repeat, and do the same number of sets on the opposite side.

5. Roman Chair Twist (view exercise)

This is a slightly different version of a back extension that allows you to target your love handles. Get into position for a normal back extension, resting your hands behind your head with elbows bent. Slowly lower your upper body, and as you come back up, twist to one side, lifting your elbow toward the ceiling. Hold for a moment, feeling your obliques engaged. Lower, and repeat on opposite side.

==> http://weightlossandtraining.com/exercises-to-target-love-handles