Removing love handles or protruding fat like waistbands is not easy. However, this desire can be realized if you exercise by training the body as a whole to lose weight. Love handles can't be lost if you only train certain body parts. However, you can speed up weight loss and tone the muscles in the waist area so they don't stick out by working your abs and obliques. This exercise is more beneficial if you adopt a healthy diet.
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Method 1 of 3: Making an Exercise Schedule
Step 1. Don't be swayed by fitness trainers or diet programs that offer methods to lose fat in certain areas of the body
While quite interesting, scientific studies show that this never works. In addition, various exercises that focus on only one part of the body are not able to burn enough calories to lose weight so that the physical condition does not change at all. The only way to reduce or compress certain body parts is to lose weight as a whole.
Exercising the core muscles does not eliminate fat at the waist, but it is beneficial to tighten the abdominal muscles so that the fat in the waist does not stand out
Step 2. Set aside time to warm up before exercising and cool down after
Make sure you always warm up your muscles before exercising, for example by walking fast for 5-10 minutes, doing star jumps, or practicing lunges for 1 minute. Warming up is useful to speed up the rhythm of the heartbeat and increase blood flow to the muscles used during exercise. To cool down, take a 5-10 minute walk or continue with a lighter intensity cardio workout.
Get in the habit of stretching your muscles after warming up before exercising and before cooling down after exercising
Step 3. Do cardio exercise 5 times a week
Set aside time for cardio training at least 30 minutes/session or 1 hour if you want to speed up weight loss. You can do cardio in various ways, such as boot camp, running, biking, swimming, rowing, practicing flow yoga, or using an elliptical machine.
Step 4. Perform muscle strengthening exercises 2-3 times a week
Take the time to practice strengthening muscles for about 30 minutes / session, for example by practicing Pilates, lifting weights, or other movements that use body weight as a burden.
In addition to burning fat more efficiently, muscle strengthening exercises are beneficial in speeding up the metabolic process
Step 5. Do high intensity interval training (HIIT}) as part of your cardio workout
To reduce fat evenly throughout the body, do moderate-intensity and high-intensity exercise of 1-4 minutes each alternately for 30 minutes.
After practicing HIIT, recover by drinking water and eating healthy snacks. You don't get the desired results if you eat a nutrient-dense diet after a workout
Step 6. Stop the exercise if your chest hurts
Do not exercise if you have joint pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Instead of forcing yourself to practice, seek medical help for the complaint, especially if you experience shortness of breath or chest pain.
Method 2 of 3: Strengthening the Oblique Muscles
Step 1. Perform plank posture for about 1 minute
Prepare for a plank by kneeling with your knees hip-width apart and placing your palms on the floor directly under your shoulders while relaxing your neck and activating your core muscles. Lift both knees off the floor while straightening your back so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. You can do planks while resting on your palms or elbows. Both postures are equally beneficial.
- If you haven't been able to hold on for 1 minute, do planks as much as you can and then gradually increase the duration. Alternatively, you can lower your knees to the floor to reduce the weight of the weight while defending.
- For a more challenging workout, hold on for up to 3 minutes.
Step 2. Tilt your body to do a side plank for 1 minute
First, do a plank while lowering your knees to the floor. Transfer your weight to one of your palms (such as your right hand) and tilt your body so that you are resting on your right arm and leg. Try to straighten your body while activating your core muscles.
Perform the same posture while resting on the other hand (left hand) to train the other side of the body
Step 3. Do plank dips by rotating your hips
Start this exercise by doing a low plank while resting on your elbows and then move your hips up and down until the sides of your hips touch the floor. Do 20 hip rotations or as much as you can.
Make sure your buttocks are no higher than your shoulders so you can activate your abs
Step 4. Touch your shoulders for a more challenging exercise
Do a high plank posture while resting on both palms. Touch your right palm to your left shoulder, lower your right hand to the floor, then touch your left palm to your right shoulder. Do this movement 20 times.
Move as fast as you can so that your heart beats faster than usual. This movement can replace light cardio
Step 5. Do planks while moving up and down by resting on your palms and elbows alternately
Begin this exercise by resting on your palms and straightening your elbows. Slowly lower your elbows to the floor one at a time and then straighten them one by one to return to the starting position. Do this movement 20 times or according to ability.
Prioritize the quality of the workout, not the speed
Step 6. Bring your knees to your chest as if you were climbing a mountain
Start this exercise by doing a high plank. Bring your right knee close to your chest and then return your right leg to the starting position. Do the same movement by bringing the left knee to the chest. Move the legs rapidly alternately for 1 minute.
This movement is useful as a light cardio exercise
Step 7. Perform waist twisting movements to strengthen the abdominal and oblique muscles
Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Lean back while extending your arms in front of you so that you need to engage your abs to stay seated. Turn your body to the right starting from your waist until your palms almost touch the floor near your right hip. Return to the starting position and turn your body to the left. Do this movement 20 times.
To increase strength and tone your muscles, practice holding dumbbells
Step 8. Do the pedaling motion to strengthen the core muscles
Lie on your back while straightening your legs up perpendicular to the floor. Place your palms behind your head and lift your head off the floor so you can activate your abdominal muscles. After bringing your elbow to the side, lift your right elbow and bring it close to your left knee. Then, lift your left elbow and bring it closer to your right knee. Do this movement 20 times.
Step 9. Do the bridge posture to strengthen your lower back and buttocks
Lie on your back on the floor bending your knees and straightening your arms at your sides. Place your feet on the floor and lift your hips and lower back off the floor so that your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders. Contract your abs and glutes for about 30 seconds and then slowly lower your hips to the floor. Do this movement 10 times.
Movement that activates the back and buttocks muscles is useful to strengthen the core muscles so that the fat bulge in the waist is no longer visible
Step 10. Perform all the above moves in order to complete 1 set
The series of exercises consists of a plank posture, twisting the body, pedaling a bicycle, and a bridge posture for approximately 10-15 minutes to strengthen the core, abdominal, and oblique muscles. Set aside time to do this exercise 2-3 times a week to strengthen muscles.
Repeat 1 more set of movements to complete the training session. Take a break before doing the second set to rehydrate and recover
Method 3 of 3: Adopting a Healthy Diet
Step 1. Replace refined flour and sugar with complex carbohydrates
Avoid carbohydrates found in white bread or sugary snacks, such as pastries. Eat complex carbohydrates found in brown rice, chickpeas, oatmeal, quinoa, or whole-grain breads and pastas.
Instead of eliminating carbohydrate foods from the diet, try to reduce carbohydrate consumption
Step 2. Get in the habit of eating half a portion of fruits and vegetables
In addition to reducing malnutrition, increase the consumption of nutritious foods. Eat fresh or cooked vegetables 400 grams / day, for example dark green vegetables (spinach, kale, broccoli). In addition, eat fresh fruit, which has been dried, or as a blend of smoothies 300 grams / day.
- Eating this much fruit and vegetables may be a bit difficult at first. Do not push yourself. Eat more gradually. Even if it's only a small amount, each addition has a positive impact on health.
- Fruit and vegetable juices are great sources of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for the body, but can raise blood sugar levels. So, fruits and vegetables should be consumed as a menu without additional sweeteners.
Step 3. Consume 50-60 grams of protein daily
Many people, including athletes, consume more protein than their daily requirement. While protein is an important aspect of your exercise and diet routine, it's likely that your protein needs are being met. Make sure you eat fat-free protein by eating skinless chicken or turkey, lean pork or beef, soybeans, nuts, seeds, fish, egg whites, and low-fat dairy products.
As a guide, eat a piece of meat the size of a card box 2 times a day and a cup of low-fat milk with each meal. If you can't eat certain foods, talk to your doctor to make sure your daily protein needs are met
Step 4. Replace trans fats and saturated fats with healthy fats
Consume 3 tablespoons/day of monounsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil, nuts, avocados, and olives. Meet the needs of omega 3 fatty acids by eating fatty fish 2-3 times a week, such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel. These foods are beneficial for heart health and controlling blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Avoid saturated fats (found in red meat and fatty milk) and trans fats (found in processed foods).
Eat healthy fats in moderation, but not more than 340 grams/week (for pregnant women)
Step 5. Drink 2-3 liters of water every day
Take care of your body and drink water when you feel thirsty, especially after exercising. If you need caffeine intake, drink tea or plain coffee. Avoid sugar or high-calorie foods/drinks.
Don't drink soda or sugary fruit juices. You can drink energy drinks if you want to exercise at a high intensity for at least 1 hour
Tips
- Make sure you do a variety of physical exercises throughout the week. A variety of exercises prevents burnout and is beneficial for working different muscle groups.
- Weight gain can be triggered by stress or lack of sleep. Do meditation and make sure you get 6-8 hours of sleep every night to maintain good health.
- Wear clothes that fit your body size, but don't be too tight to disguise the love handles.
