TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Last updated on - Apr 29, 2020, 07:00 IST Show Explore more StoriesPage 2“Love handles” are excess fatty areas that sit on either side of the waist above the hips. While body fat spot reduction is not possible, people wanting to minimize the appearance of love handles may consider trying a few exercises to help tone their abs and hips. Love handles occur due to fat retention around the hips and abdominal area. People can try to take measures to minimize love handles, including regular exercise and maintaining a moderate weight. People may also consider avoiding tight clothing to further reduce the appearance of love handles. Love handles are not dangerous in themselves, or anything to be ashamed of. People do not have to try to remove them if they do not wish to. That said, love handles can signal obesity, which may lead to a higher risk of certain conditions. This article looks at love handles and their causes. It also explores exercises and lifestyle changes that may help people to minimize the appearance of love handles.
The term “love handles” first appeared in the late 1960s. It refers to any weight that may have accumulated around the sides of an individual’s waist. This weight may also be visible extending over the edge of their pants or skirt. “Muffin top” is another term people may use to describe body fat that extends above the edge of their waistline. The term references the shape of a muffin in a muffin case. While specifically targeting body fat reduction around the waistline is not possible, a combination of cardiovascular exercises and weightlifting may aid weight loss. Additionally, people may incorporate exercises that target specific areas of the body, such as the hips and abdomen. These exercises will not remove fat directly from these areas, but they can improve an individual’s muscle tone and contribute toward weight loss. Bicycle crunchesBicycle crunches involve an individual lying flat on their back with their legs lifted and knees bent. The individual then contracts their abdominal muscles and twists their right elbow toward their left knee while fully extending their right leg. They then repeat this on the opposite side, 15–30 times. Side planksSide planks involve an individual initially lying on one side, using one arm to prop themselves up. They place one leg on top of the other, forming a straight line. They then raise their hips off the ground and hold this position for 30 seconds. They then repeat this on the other side. Mountain climbersMountain climbers begin in a plank position. A person then brings their right knee up toward their chest while keeping their left leg extended. They hold this position briefly before switching legs in a swift movement, so that their left knee is now up by their chest. It is important that people evenly distribute weight on both feet and do not shift all their weight to one foot. People can repeat this exercise for 30 sets, with bringing both knees to the chest counting as one set. Russian twistsRussian twists begin with the individual in a seated position with their knees bent. The person then twists their torso toward the left side and holds the position. They then turn their torso toward the right and hold. They can repeat this exercise for 30 repetitions. To increase difficulty, people can perform the exercise with a weight. The underlying cause of love handles is fat retention around specific areas of the body. Fat cells accumulate when a person consumes more calories than they burn. Over time, this excessive consumption can lead to fat accumulation, especially in areas surrounding an individual’s hips and waist. While fat can accumulate in any part of the body, fat storage is more common in certain areas of the body such as the abdominal area, hips, and lower back. Many factors may influence body fat distribution and can contribute to the development of love handles, such as: HormonesHormones are chemical messengers that regulate bodily processes. Certain hormones such as leptin, insulin, sex hormones, and growth hormones can influence appetite, metabolism, and body fat distribution. People with obesity may have fluctuations in their hormone levels, which may encourage the accumulation of body fat. Sleep deprivation and stressBoth sleep deprivation and stress can affect cortisol levels. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid that affects metabolism, boosts appetite, and causes an individual’s body to store more fat. AgeAge may increase an individual’s likelihood of developing love handles, as body composition changes as people age. Typically, muscle mass will begin to decrease, while body fat accumulation increases. This can result in body fat accumulating around the hips and waist. Physical inactivityA lack of physical activity or regular exercise can contribute to love handle development. If an individual does not burn more calories than they consume, they may begin to accumulate body fat. In addition to a lack of physical activity, a diet high in fats, sugars, and high-calorie foods may also contribute to fat accumulation. Medical conditionsUntreated medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism, can also increase the likelihood of weight gain and love handle development. The thyroid gland produces hormones that help to manage bodily processes. If a person’s thyroid is not working correctly, they may gain weight and develop love handles. As hypothyroidism develops slowly, people may not notice symptoms for months or years. Losing excess weight can help an individual to eliminate their love handles. In addition to regular exercise, the following tips may help:
People can try to manage love handles through a combination of healthy eating and a variety of exercises. Love handles are not dangerous, but excess weight around the waist may contribute toward potential health complications.
For some guys, there's no greater goal than achieving an aesthetic ideal and building a body that wouldn't be out of place on the pedestal of a Grecian statue (or at least on the cover of a cheap romance novel). There are plenty of challenges to accomplishing this goal, and love handles are one of the peskiest hurdles on the path to achieving that type of physique. The stubborn region of fat just above the belt can be obstinate, and it takes more than just a few crunches and leg lifts to get rid of it. Love handles are composed of subcutaneous fat, which sits just beneath the skin. In one sense, that's good news. That type of fat isn't an immediate problem, outside of your cosmetic concerns and general health. You don’t have as much to be worried about subcutaneous fat as the insidious visceral fat in your belly, which can cause all kinds of health issues. But if you're determined to lose those nagging love handles, you do have options. There are a few shortcuts you can take to get rid of love handles, 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 your training in and of itself. 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. 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 ExerciseStudies 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 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 DownWhile 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 fcafotodigitalGetty Images If you want advanced results, you have to do advanced things,” said Ballantyne. “Such as cutting all the processed carbohydrates from your diet. One cheat reward meal per week—that's cheat MEAL, not cheat DAY." Replace breakfast cereals and grain carbs with fruits, vegetables, and nuts. "Losing your love handles isn't going to happen if you insist on treating yourself to a Frappuccino, Pepsi, and a slice of pizza every day," he said. "It means eating meals of lean protein, fiber-rich vegetables, and snacking on apples and nuts between meals." "It's diet. It's just too easy for most guys to cheat, Ballantyne said. "They have to realize that they have to have more discipline if they want results." This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io |
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