love handles, what exercises to target them

[BlahBlahYouToo]

yes, obviously dieting is key, but what exercises are good for them?
i have a pretty lean mid section, not quite a 6 pack, but a good 4 and flat bottom 2.

 

[irishScott]

Any good cardio will help, as for targeting the muscles in the area a punching bag is excellent. (assuming you're using proper form and rotating your core into the punch)

 

[Lamont Burns]

Any core exercise will "target them" but diet is the only thing that will make them shine the way you want.

Most would advocate a deficit with some form of cardio depending on the rest of your body makeup.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

There's no such thing as "targeting fat". Diet will get ride of them.

 

[ZOOYUKA]

There's no such thing as "targeting fat". Diet will get ride of them.

Ding Ding Ding! This is the correct answer. No matter what Oprah tells you, you cannot spot reduce fat!

 

[highland145]

There's no such thing as "targeting fat". Diet will get ride of them.

But the genes may say F off.

 

[douglasb]

OP: Are you trying to lose fat, or build uo muscle in that region? You said you were already pretty lean, so I will assume it is the latter. In that case, hanging leg raises are good for building up the "bottom 2" and you may want to look into the Palloff press for general core strength.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

OP: Are you trying to lose fat, or build uo muscle in that region? You said you were already pretty lean, so I will assume it is the latter. In that case, hanging leg raises are good for building up the "bottom 2" and you may want to look into the Palloff press for general core strength.

i really don't have too much fat around that region except for the stubborn love handles.

last time i check, i was at around 8 or 9% bf.

 

[Whisper]

i really don't have too much fat around that region except for the stubborn love handles.

last time i check, i was at around 8 or 9% bf.

If you're trying to lose fat, a caloric deficit (either via eating less, including more physical activity, or both) is your only option. Your body decides where the fat comes off, so all you can do is keep at it until you reach your desired results.

 

[DJK Frank 16]

Cardio... extra clean diet... and core!

 

[ZOOYUKA]

i really don't have too much fat around that region except for the stubborn love handles.

last time i check, i was at around 8 or 9% bf.

8 or 9% bf and you have love handles? I find that hard to believe. Something doesn't jive here.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

8 or 9% bf and you have love handles? I find that hard to believe. Something doesn't jive here.

Agreed. You either have a very small amount of muscle mass or you're very likely not even close to 8-9% body fat. Probably more like 13-15%. Either add lean mass or keep cutting. No exercise will spot reduce fat so you'd have to go into a calorie deficit and up your resistance training to get rid of them.

 

[Deeko]

8 or 9% bf and you have love handles? I find that hard to believe. Something doesn't jive here.

Nah...that's just how the body works for some people. I'm the same way. Even when i was down to about 8-9% bodyfat, I still had little to no ab definition and slight love handles. I don't store any fat at all in my lower body, it just congregates around my midsection.

i really don't have too much fat around that region except for the stubborn love handles.

last time i check, i was at around 8 or 9% bf.

That's life. Your body likely just stubbornly keeps fat there, which means you'll have to get down to an even lower % to get rid of them. There is no fat targeting. Keep dieting.

 

[darkxshade]

Grab love handles with one hand, grab a scissor with the other... Have a sewing kit ready.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

8 or 9% bf and you have love handles? I find that hard to believe. Something doesn't jive here.

it's not like it's protruding like a muffin top, but it's there if barely.

 

[ZOOYUKA]

it's not like it's protruding like a muffin top, but it's there if barely.

No homo, but I would like to see a pic. I cannot visualize this even being possible.

 

[brikis98]

Although you can get a specific muscle to grow by exercising it, you can't force a specific part of your body to lose fat through the same method. You lose fat when your body burns more energy than you consume; where in the body the fat comes from is completely up to your body (based primarily on genetics) and there isn't much you can do to influence it. Therefore, losing love handles is no different than losing fat anywhere else: get in a caloric deficit and get your body fat percentage low enough and eventually the love handles will go away too. See the fat loss sticky for a great guide.

 

[Safeway]

If you truly are 8 to 9% body fat, chances are, you just need to build muscle in order to provide a sufficient 'scaffolding' for the fat. Seriously.

You might be what many people refer to as 'skinny-fat.' Meaning, you have bones and fat and very little muscle. For you, doing targeted abdominal exercises might drastically improve your physique. Going further, you could probably drop even more fat with the addition of SS and Interval training.