How can I get rid of my love handles?

Answered by Danya Reich on Monday, November 16, 2009 at 12:39 PM filed under fitness postings
Those stubborn rolls of flesh around your middle, affectionately known as love handles, are more of a nuisance for men than women since that's one of the first places men store fat. But no matter who owns them, the only way to erase love handles is to lose weight, says Leigh Crews, a Reebok master trainer and certified personal trainer. "Spot reduction is a myth," she explains, "You lose weight all over your body, not just in one area. But with overall weight loss, you'll eventually see [the reduction] in your love handles." The fastest and most effective way to reduce love handles is to double team them. First, lose excess fat by getting plenty of aerobic exercise and eating a healthy low-fat diet; you need to burn off 3,500 more calories than you take in to lose a pound, that's about an extra hour of exercise or one less chocolate muffin per day for 10 days. Second, "you can spot build" says Crews, by focusing on the underlying abdominal muscles—rectus abdominus, external and internal obliques—and your back muscles: Do traditional and oblique crunches (lying down on your back with knees bent and tilted to a 45 degree angle to one side of your body) plus back extensions (lying face down and then raising your left leg and your right hand, then your right leg and left hand). "You should work the muscles until fatigue," recommends Crews, "for someone who's starting out, this might be 10 to 25 repetitions for each exercise." Once the fat disappears, you'll have solid muscles in its place. If you tone without losing weight, you'll end up with muscle covered by a layer of fat. And then what would they be called—"handles with care"?
 Unrated

Follow Us

Explore FitClick
Browse this section for quick links to our calorie counter and other popular diet and fitness features. From diet plans to weight loss programs, FitClick has the content you need to lead a healthy life. Find workout routines, a calorie calculator and more at your source for diet and fitness information.
We have updated our Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018. We have done this in preparation for the EU's new data privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Please take the time to review our updated documentation by clicking on the Privacy Policy link at the bottom of this page. By continuing to use this service on or after May 25, 2018, you agree to our updated Privacy Policy.