Best Love Handle Workouts
Best Love Handle Workouts include a variety of rotational exercises. Rotational exercises are great for targeting love handles / muffin tops no matter what type of equipment being used, although I recommend using a Medicine ball or a Total Gym.
If you are unfamiliar with the term “love handles”; love handles are what most of us refer to when describing that unwanted excess of fat in the lower back and hip area. It’s pinchable fat on both sides of your stomach that leads to a muffin top appearance. This area does not respond quickly to diets and exercise and requires special efforts to lose it.
Why is it called a “Medicine Ball”?
A medicine ball is a large weighted ball often included in strengthening exercises. Some of the Best Love Handle Workouts require the use of a Medicine Ball. They can be used to help improve fitness, strength, coordination and help tone the body.
The medicine ball has a history dated back nearly 3000 years ago, used by Persian wrestlers looking to become stronger. This ball was also considered an essential tool in Ancient Greece, for helping injured people recover quicker.
Today it is used in various forms of physical therapy and known for being able to tone almost every part of the body. Using the medicine ball can aid in the healing process from injuries, but using it regularly can prevent injuries from happening.
Best Love Handle Workouts | Using a Medicine Ball
Exercises that reach those areas using the medicine ball include wood chops, medicine ball rotations, and medicine ball slams. Among those, the banded overhead extensions from side to side and back to front are also great to include. Below I will briefly explain each exercise and then show a video demonstrating them.
Standing Wood Chop Exercise
This wood chop exercise is normally done in the standing position and works the Abdominal muscles.
- Stand in a split-stance position with your left food forward.
- Hold your medicine ball with both hands, keeping it close to your body.
- While keeping your abdominal muscles tight, slowly rotate your arms with the medicine ball from the left high position to across your body to your right hip while squatting (performing a wood chop movement).
- Do this exercise without rotating your head, chest, or torso keeping them facing forward.
- You’ll switch sides and repeat the same motion.
- For a more advanced exercise repeat the same movement, but extend your arms at the elbow and maintain this arm position throughout the wood chop movements.
Medicine Ball Diagonal Wood Chop Video
Medicine Ball Rotations
This medicine ball rotation exercise is done in the seated position and works the Abs using a medicine ball.
- Sit on a yoga/exercise mat with your knees bent, feet together, heels on the floor while holding a medicine ball in your lap close to your body. (Beginners should start with a ball weight around 2 pounds)
- Without leaning backwards, exhale and slowly rotate your torso and the ball to one side, keeping the ball close to your body and aligned with the middle of your torso.
- Repeat this action from side to side, not letting the ball touch the floor.
- As you become more advanced, increase the weight of the ball and pause briefly at each ending point position.
Seated Medicine Ball Trunk Rotation: Core Exercise Video
Medicine Ball Slams
This medicine ball slam exercise is done in the standing position and will work your back, butt/hips, legs, thighs, and shoulders.
- Standing with your feet hip-width apart and holding a medicine ball in both hands directly in front of your chest.
- Begin your downward motion shifting your hips backwards then slowly bending downwards into the floor while dropping your weight back into your hips as you throw the ball.
Medicine Ball Slam Video
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Best Love Handle Workouts | Using a Total Gym
Exercises that target those love handles using the Total Gym include the Crossover Rotation, Seated Torso Rotation, and Kneeling Torso Rotation. I will give you a brief description of the exercise along with a video demonstrating it below.
Crossover Rotation
The Crossover Rotation exercise is done while lying down on a slightly raised total gym glide table. This is a side to side exercise that will work the abdominal unwanted love handle area.
- Slightly raise your Total Gym bench.
- Lie down on your back with your knees bent.
- With your right hand, hold one of the pulleys and pull over your shoulder and across your body to the left lower hip while keeping your back flat.
- Repeat several reps and then switch sides and do the same amount of reps.
Crossover Rotations Video
Seated Torso Rotation
This Seated Torso Rotation exercise is done while sitting on the side of the total gym glide bar in an angle. This exercise will work the oblique abdominal muscles while the arm pull motion targets the upper part of the arm and on top of the shoulder, (the deltoids).
- Get in a seated position on the edge of the total gym slightly angled glide bar.
- Take both hands and grab both pulleys.
- Bring the pulleys across your body by twisting at the waist, while keeping the lower body below the waist still.
- Switch to the other side and repeat the same number of reps.
- As you become more advanced, increase your repetitions.
Seated Lateral – Torso Rotation Video
Kneeling Torso Rotation
This Kneeling Torso Rotation exercise is done much the same way as the Seated Torso Rotation exercise except you will be on your knees similar to the image above, using the Total Gym glide bar. This exercise will also work the oblique abdominal muscles and the arm pull motion targets the upper part of the arm and on top of the shoulder, (the deltoids).
- Get in a kneeling position on the Total Gyms angled glide bar.
- Take both hands and grab both pulleys.
- Bring the pulleys across your body by twisting at the waist and keeping the lower body below the waist still.
- Switch to the other side and repeat the same number of reps.
- As you become more advanced, increase your repetitions.
Kneeling Torso Rotations Video
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Authors Note
I hope you found my post for the best love handle workouts helpful. You should now have a better idea about how to target those love handle problem areas. By doing these exercises on regular basis, your love handles/muffin tops will stop being as noticeable.
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Hello Everyone,
I hope you will join me here for feedback and conversation. I would love to hear from you and about your experience if any, using the Medicine Ball or Total Gym.
Thanks and I’ll be back soon,
Devara
Well, unfortunately, I can certainly use some help with my love handles. I love the idea of these exercises, but I will need to check with my back doctor to see if I can handle these. I am recovering from spinal stenosis and I have to be careful with the movements I do when I am working out. Twisting is sometimes not great for me.
I do however love the Total Gym idea and that is one piece of fitness equipment I would love to try. The idea of a complete full body workout at home really appeals to me. Due to my stenosis issue, I am looking for ways to build core strength and the Total Gym looks like a way for me to do just that.
Thanks for sharing this, I appreciate it.
Hi Steve,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. I understand back pain very well and you are right, sometimes exercises that involve twisting can set it off. I’m sure there are plenty more beneficial exercises that you can do with the Total Gym other than the ones I discussed in my post. I wish you the best of luck in getting better. Please stop back by soon.
Devara
This is a great workout routine. However, dieting and cardio is also important to burn calories. Right now I’m strictly on a meat, fish, and vegetable diet my personal trainer recommended. Thank you for sharing these. 🙂
Hi Nathan,
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. You are absolutely correct, eating the right foods is important. It sounds like you are on the right path to achieve your weight loss goals. I wish you the best of luck! Try checking out my post about Super Foods when you get time. There are lots of vegetables that are considered super foods and would be great to include in your diet. https://mymuffintopbellyfix.com/super-foods-that-burn-fat-its-all-in-what-you-eat
Best of health,
Devara
Thanks for sharing a few exercises to help get rid of this type of fat! It’s nice to have a few ideas on how to do this successfully! Is there one exercise that you listed that’s best to include? Is the medicine ball the best approach? Just sort of curious if you have an idea on what’s the most important to include. Again, I appreciate you sharing!
Hello Jeremy,
So glad to hear from you again. The exercises that I’ve discussed in this post are all great to include in your daily exercise routines. If you don’t have a Total Gym already and need something less expensive then I highly recommend the medicine ball. The average cost is usually between $20-$50 depending on the size, weight, and brand you decide to start with.
Of course, the Total Gym is much more than that, but could give you a full body workout and takes up very little space.
Both of these exercise equipment are great to add to your home fitness routines.
I hope this answers you question, if not I’ll try again.
Please let me know what you think if you give it a try. I’d love to hear back from you.
Thanks and best of luck,
Devara
Hi Devara, I have actually used a medicine ball in my work outs before and they are a great way to help gently target areas. I love that they are so versatile and can be used for so many different exercises. Even if its just adding weight for squats or regular sit-ups but my favourite exercise is the medicine ball rotation because you can really feel where it is targeting. I have never tried the wood chop exercises so I will definitely be adding that to my next work out! Thanks for the great info!
Hello Alix,
Thanks for visiting my site. I like the medicine ball rotation exercises too. They really do help work out my belly and reduce my hated love handles.
Stay fit and be healthy,
Devara