WHEN YOU THINK about a lover’s touch, your brain might jump to a pair of hands lingering around the hips—which explains the origin of the term “love handles.” It’s a cute nickname, but you’d probably describe the love handles themselves as anything but “cute.”
The term has become associated with the unwanted fat that sits on top of your hip bones. Some people don’t mind the extra poundage—more to grab onto, as the saying goes. For others, housing extra fat in this area might make you a bit uneasy—not to mention uncomfortable if you often wear dress pants or jeans.
If you’re looking to nix those pesky bundles of fat that lie atop of your hips, that’s okay. If losing your love handles is what will help boost your confidence and make you a healthier, happier version of yourself, you do you. Know, too, that you’re not alone in feeling this way. While fat distribution is inherently genetic, it’s common for men to gain weight along their midriff. “Many men are concerned about how to lose weight in their midsection. I let them know that their body has an android distribution, or male-like, weight distribution,” says Fatima Cody Stanford, M.D., M.P.H., obesity medicine physician and Men’s Health advisor.
While there’s no way to lose fat only from your midsection without medical intervention, there are several ways to bring down your overall body fat which will pull from all areas. It’s going to take a bit more than just adding in an ab routine to your workout plan, though. Here’s how.
What Are Love Handles?
Love handles are what most people commonly call the bundle of subcutaneous fat that lies just above your pant line, sitting directly under the skin. That’s actually good news, because it means it’s not the dangerous kind of fat, called visceral fat, that can sit on your organs and put unnecessary (and life-threatening) pressure on them. Adipose fat, such as the love handles, can act as energy deposits. When our bodies lose other energy intake (food), we can use these deposits to power our bodily functions.
Even though our bodies have good intentions when collecting these love handles, it doesn’t mean they’re impossible to lose. But it will involve a solid calorie deficit and some effort in the gym.
There are a few shortcuts you can take, but they’re extreme, and not something that we’d generally recommend. Liposuction is one of these options. More recently, men have turned to non-invasive treatments, the most popular of which feature either freezing or heating the stubborn fatty areas off the body. These treatments are expensive and might be a bridge too far, unless you’re really desperate.
Besides, by cutting corners, you’ll miss out on the fitness gains you’d make along the way using other methods, which will hopefully become a reason you’re training, regardless of the aesthetic payoff. If getting rid of love handles without special treatments is your goal, you’ll have to work hard—but you’ll have to work smart, too.
One method that is not smart and won’t work is spot reduction. The theory is that if you focus all of your attention on one specific area in your training (for instance, doing hundreds of crunches for you midsection), you’ll be able to burn off the fat in just that area. But that’s not how your body works. What you can do is lose fat more generally, then build up muscle where you might not have had it before—but for that to work, you’ll have to do that smart, hard work.
Top Tips to Get Rid of Your Love Handles
Here’s a plan to ditch your stubborn love handles from former Men’s Health fitness advisor Craig Ballantyne, C.S.C.S.
Find the Right Intervals for Exercise
Studies have shown that interval-based exercise programs, most specifically high intensity interval training (HIIT), are more effective for burning off your love handles than steady state cardio. Instead of running for miles on end without any clear goal, fine tune your work and rest periods to strip away the fat.
So what type of interval program should you use? You can use a jump rope, or apply the principles to running or weight room work. Ballantyne recommends this setup to banish that pesky midsection fat:
After a thorough warmup, alternate between 20 seconds of hard exercise and 40 seconds recovery. Repeat that pattern 6 to 8 times. Afterwards, finish with 5 to 10 minutes of cooldown exercise.
If you have extra time, do 10 minutes of regular cardio pace.
Don’t Overload on Cardio
Westend61//Getty ImagesJogging can only do so much.
Even though Ballantyne recommended cardio for a cool down, he’s wary of its effectiveness when performed alone. Extended periods of steady state cardio, like jogging, won’t do much to cut down your spare tire. “It’s not going to work as well as interval training,” Ballantyne said.
This is related to another issue, according to Ballantyne: Many guys don’t have enough muscle in the first place. Losing love handles, like bodybuilding, is a game of illusion. Muscle on your chest and back can essentially “hide” excess fat in your love handle area.
“So most guys are “skinny-fat,” and then try to lose love handles with cardio only, and basically become even smaller versions of themselves—but still skinny-fat,” Ballantyne said. “It’s better to use intervals and weight training to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time—which IS possible—and change your body’s overall appearance.”
Rethink Your Core Training Routine
“Ab exercises like crunches are generally a waste of time,” Ballantyne said. The problem is, you’re only working the muscles around your lower spine with crunches and situps.
Instead, you should build up your core with moves that focus on spinal stability, like planks and hollow body holds. Check out this quick video about the way your core muscles function for an idea of what you should be aiming for:
Want a smarter core workout in general? Check out Epic Abs, the program from MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. that inspired this video.
Build Yourself Up While Slimming Down
While you’re cutting down your midsection, do yourself a solid and work on some other areas of your body that can take attention away from your ample hips. Build up your pecs, lats, deltoids, and traps to create the illusion of smaller love handles.
“Most guys don’t have enough muscle to focus on just losing weight,” Ballantyne said, “so every guy must build some muscle in these areas.”
How can you build the muscle and lose fat at the same time? You’re hoping to “culk,” so you should start by training hard, eating properly, and sticking to a consistent program.
Ballantyne also recommended a plan based around two to three total body workouts per week. Use five exercises per workout (one lower body, one upper push, one lower body single leg, one upper pulling, one total body ab exercise). Do that as a circuit three times through, with eight to 12 reps per exercise. Finish with interval training.
Get Out What You Put In
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You can’t neglect nutrition if you’re looking to lose fat. Luckily, there are easy eating hacks you can incorporate into your daily routine to cut calories while still enjoying yourself and staying satisfied. Eliminating foods you love is an unsustainable way to live. “Negotiate with yourself on what you are willing to do without or do with less of,” says Leslie Bonci, R.D., sports dietitian for Kansas City Chiefs.
Prioritize and optimize protein, fiber, healthy fats, and produce to fill up. Protein and fiber help you stay fuller, longer—which may reduce snacking in between meals. When choosing grains, pick the higher fiber choices like quinoa, oatmeal, and whole wheat pastas. Incorporate more beans into your salads, soups, and even blend and add to sauces. Include a fruit or a veggie at every occasion.
When it comes to snacking, focus on foods that will make you chew longer and eat slower, like jerky or apples. Bean dips with veggies are also a quick and easy snack that will load up the fiber and protein with little calories.
To really find a custom nutrition plan that will work best with your body, talk to a registered dietitian.
Work With Professionals
We don’t need to tell you that losing weight is no walk in the park. Accomplishing your goals will take a balance of overhauled nutrition, exercise, and recovery practices to complete the equation and finally shed some of those pounds. You might find it tough to do any of those things on your own.
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Working with a professional can help provide some much needed accountability and guidance. Doctors who specialize in weight loss, nutritionists, dietitians, and personal trainers can all help you get to where you want to be. They can tailor your workouts and meal plans to better match your genetic makeup and goals. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if the task feels daunting.
6 Exercises to Target Your Love Handles
Sorry to break it to you—doing loads of side bends and Russian twists won’t melt away your love handles. It’s impossible to lose fat on one portion of your body by exercising the muscles in that area. The concept is called spot training, or spot reduction—and it doesn’t work.
What does work is incorporating high-velocity compound movements into your workouts. Compound movements are exercises that require multiple muscle groups working together. These kinds of moves will burn a lot of calories, aiding in creating the calorie deficit you need to burn fat all over. Here are 6 of our favorites.
Med Ball Slams
This move lights up your body head to toe, and ramps up your heart rate in the process. Not only will med ball slams aid in the fat loss process, but they’ll help you take a little aggression out on your worst days.
How to Do It:
- Keep your med ball in between your legs. Hinge the hips down and back, keeping the chest lifted.
- As you pick up the ball, explode upwards, coming onto your tiptoes. Keep the arms straight over your head, and keep your hips underneath your shoulders.
- Drive down into your heels, and sit back into your squat before swinging your arms through.
Sets and Reps: Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 30 second sets, either as a warm up or programmed into your next conditioning circuit.
Dumbbell Snatches
The dumbbell snatch is one of the best movements for building full body power and strength. Almost your entire body has to work to power the weight up and overhead.
How to Do It:
- Place your feet a little wider than hip width apart. Sink the hips down and back, but keep the chest up high.
- Grab the dumbbell and turn your elbow pit out to tighten up.
- Drive through the legs as powerfully as you can. Pull the dumbbell upwards as if you’re zipping up a coat.
- Once your elbow hits your shoulder height—think about pulling backward and turn the elbow to punch the dumbbell towards the ceiling. Dip under the dumbbell with the elbow extended.
- Slow lower to the shoulder and then hips before squatting to place the weight back on the floor.
Sets and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps with a heavy weight, or build it into a conditioning set by doing 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest with a medium weight.
Kettlebell Swing
The kettlebell swing is a fundamental core exercise that works practically every muscle in your body. Be careful about ramping up the weight too quickly though—this move has a ton of subtleties that are vital to the safety of the movement.
How to Do It:
- Start with the kettlebell a little bit in front of your stance. Hinge the hips back, and tighten up your core and shoulder blades as you grab onto the weight.
- Hike the bell backwards as if you were hiking a football. Aggressively stand up by straightening out your knees and hips to thrust the bell up to shoulder height.
- Let the bell fall back into your body before swinging the hips back and tilting the torso forward to repeat.
Sets and Reps: Do 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps with a heavy weight, or build it into a conditioning set by doing 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest with a medium weight.
Burpees
Burpees are infamous for a reason. It looks simple, but do it the right way and you’ll feel way more of a challenge than you’d expect.
How to Do It:
- Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Squat down, placing your hands flat on the floor inside your feet.
- Leap your feet back into a pushup position, squeezing your shoulder blades, abs, and glutes. Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the elbows to lower your chest down to the floor. Control this movement rather than throwing yourself straight down.
- Press back up into the pushup.
- Leap your feet forward back to the initial squatting position.
- Explode straight up into the air powerfully, with triple extension through the ankle, knee, and hip.
- Land back on the floor under control.
Sets and Reps: Aim 3 to 4 rounds of 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off, or build it into a conditioning circuit.
Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a staple core exercise that will challenge your upper body too as you maintain that high plank position.
How to Do It:
- Set up in a high plank (pushup) position, with your hands stacked directly below your shoulders, elbows turned out, and feet just wider than hip-width apart. Your shoulders should be higher than your hips. Think of this as an athletic position.
- Squeeze your shoulders, core, and glutes to create full-body tension. Look down at the floor, keeping your head in a neutral position.
- Drive one knee up high to your chest, as if you were running. Return your leg to a straight position. Repeat with the other leg.
- Continue alternating reps, working to keep your torso in position with your shoulders higher than your hips. Brace your core to stay level.
Sets and Reps: Set a timer for 6 minutes and aim for 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest for a good core burn, build it into a conditioning circuit.
Dumbbell Thruster
This multi-joint movement combines a front squat and a push press to incorporate the whole body to build power and strength.
How to Do It:
- Grab a hold of two dumbbells, and set your feet up about shoulder width apart. Hold the dumbbells up to the shoulders, pointing the elbows up and forward a little bit.
- Squeeze the shoulder blades down and back to control the dumbbells.
- Hinge down and back to where your thighs are a little below parallel to the ground, while the back stays straight.
- Push back up to standing powerfully, and extend the shoulders and elbows to push the weights up towards the ceiling.
Sets and Reps: Aim for 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps, build it into a conditioning circuit for 30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest.
Cori Ritchey, NASM-CPT is an Associate Health & Fitness Editor at Men’s Health and a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. You can find more of her work in HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.
Leslie is a sports dietitian based in Pittsburgh, PA. Her clients include the Kansas City Chiefs. She also works with the XFL and USFL. Her company Active Eating Advice—be fit, fed and fearless—provides performance nutrition consulting.
