Exercises for Love Handles (+ Awesome Workout Video) 👈

Yay! You found the perfect exercises for love handles!

You’ve been struggling to get rid of those stubborn love handles.

You’ve tried countless workouts, but they either require awkward floor exercises or simply don’t target the right muscles.

It feels like no matter what you do, you’re stuck with these love handles that make you feel less than your best.

It can be frustrating when you don’t see results from your workouts, especially when your love handles are the focus area.

And let’s face it, love handles can make you feel self-conscious and unconfident.

But what if there was a solution that could help you finally get rid of them?

What if I told you there’s a different way?

And you’ve found it right here with this Koboko Fitness Love Handles Workout!

A routine so powerful, you’ll wonder why you didn’t find it sooner.

This workout is designed specifically to target and strengthen your oblique muscles while melting away stubborn fat sitting in the love handles.

A powerful combo that is the key to finally saying goodbye to those stubborn love handles.

And the best part?

All exercises are standing only, which means no more floor exercises!

When coupled with my belly fat workouts, you’re not just dreaming of that strong and confident body, you’re creating it.

Exercises for Love Handles: Who this Workout is For

This love handles workout is perfect for the woman that is looking to tone and sculpt the waistline.

If the goal is to target excess fat around the waist / oblique muscles, you’ve got the right workout right here.

Although anyone can benefit from incorporating love handles workouts into their fitness routine, this workout is specifically designed for addressing love handles.

This workout also works particularly well when combined with a belly fat workout.

Exercises for Love Handles: How this Workout Works

This love handles workout works by burning calories in the quickest and easiest way possible.

This is achieved through a combination of exercises specially selected by a Certified Personal Trainer, intense focus on standing only exercises (you never need to get on the floor), and strengthening the deep core and oblique muscles that pull in, tighten and tone the waist.

When combined with a responsible approach to eating, this love handles workout is highly effective for burning fat to reveal a smoother, more toned waistline.

Exercises in this Workout for Love Handles

Exercises for Love Handles Exercise 1: knee to elbows

Want to avoid doing knee to elbows incorrectly? Try this Premium workout video. It’s free for 14 days.

Quick tips to do knee to elbows correctly.

Imagine a string connecting your knee and elbow to enhance muscle engagement.
Aim to bring your knee as close to your elbow as possible without compromising your form or straining your lower back.
Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears to avoid unnecessary tension in the upper body.
Breathe steadily throughout the exercise, inhaling deeply as you prepare to bring your knee to your elbow and exhaling as you extend your leg back out to the starting position.
Don’t panic if you feel a burn in your thigh as you do this exercise. It is totally normal and will subside as your core gets stronger and begins to do more of the work

Exercises for Love Handles Exercise 2: hinge splits

Want to avoid doing hinge splits incorrectly? Try this Premium workout video. So you can be confident you’re not wasting any time. Try it free for 14 days.

Quick tips to do hinge splits correctly.

When you bring your leg up, raise it as high as it will go
Practice a few times before starting the timer if you are timing yourself for this exercise
Look straight ahead as you do the hinge splits Gently tap your ankles together on the downward motion
Stay on the balls of your feet (the front part near your toes) so that you can remain light on your feet
Don’t try to move to fast. Start slow then raise the tempo when you feel ready
Keep your arms in an active position throughout the exercise

Exercises for Love Handles Exercise 3: frankenstein walk

Want to avoid doing frankenstein walk incorrectly? Try this Premium workout video. It’s free for 14 days.

Quick tips to do frankenstein walk correctly.

Focus on taking slow, deliberate steps, lifting your legs straight out in front of you like Frankenstein’s monster 😄
Keep your movements controlled and avoid swinging your legs or letting them flop down. Aim for a smooth and purposeful motion.
Maintain a relaxed but engaged upper body. Avoid hunching your shoulders or tensing your neck.
Breathe steadily as you walk, inhaling deeply and exhaling fully to maintain a sense of calm and control.
Lift your legs as high as your flexibility allows without compromising your balance or form. Don’t force the range of motion; gradually increase it as your flexibility improves over time

Exercises for Love Handles Exercise 4: high roller step – left

Want to avoid doing high roller step – left incorrectly? Try this Premium workout video. So you can be confident you’re not wasting any time. Try it free for 14 days.

Quick tips to do high roller step – left correctly.

Keep your feet at hip width apart Keep a soft bend in the foot that is on the floor for balance
For the leg you bring upward, just gently tap it to the ground when you make contact with the floor (no foot slamming please :)) Try to bring your knee up to waist level Keep your arms high up (above your head)
Create a consistent rotation clockwise then anticlockwise
Try to keep your eyes focused on your arms to help create a straight back and correct posture
Engage your core as you do the high roller step

Exercises for Love Handles Exercise 5: compass

Want to avoid doing compass incorrectly? Try this Premium workout video. It’s free for 14 days.

Quick tips to do compass correctly.

Engage your core when you bend to the side – this activates the oblique muscles in the love handles / waist area. Doing this exercise will not make them bigger. Instead, it will make them tighter, more cinched in, and stronger – which is what we want
Keep your feet firmly planted on the floor to support your movements and provide a stable base.
Experiment with different tempos and directions of rotation to challenge your coordination and body awareness.
Focus on maintaining a steady rhythm throughout the exercise, as if you are moving to the beat of your own internal compass.
Play with the depth of your rotations, exploring a larger range of motion as you become more comfortable and confident.
Extend your hands fully each time you reach out

3 Exercises for Love Handles Tips & Advice

Do 30 Minutes of Structured Exercise

Do your best to get in at least 30 minutes of structured exercise everyday (except your rest days).

This can be anything from belly fat workouts to love handles workouts.

The main thing is to have a dedicated 30 minutes to structured exercise.

In addition to this, if you have time, incorporate other forms of movement into your day like walking, stretching, cycling or swimming.

Although any movement is better than no movement at all, 30 minutes of dedicated time for a structured workout is the gold standard for maintaining consistency.

And consistency is the King, Queen, Bishop, and Jury when it comes to losing love handles (or any kind of fat).

We have to stay consistent with our workouts to see results.

Try Mindful Eating

Practicing mindful eating can help reduce love handles.

Eating mindfully just means eating slowly and with intention.

This was (still is) a hard one for me personally but I try my best each meal.

In the beginning of my mindful eating journey, I actually had to set a timer to force myself to chew more. 😅

Some people recommend chewing each bite 30 times before swallowing.

It’s definitely a worthy goal to aspire to when eating more mindfully.

By eating mindfully, it is easier to pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. It also helps us to pay attention to the emotions driving us to eat particular foods.

This way, we make conscious choices about the food we eat. Instead of automatic, subconscious ones.

Skip These Types of Carbs

Refined carbohydrates include white bread, white pasta, hard candy, gas station food, grocery store donuts, and more.

These foods contribute to weight gain and storage of fat as love handles.

Instead, of these foods, it’s best to choose whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat bread.

These whole grain foods provide more fiber, nutrients, and support the body in losing love handles.

Exercises for Love Handles Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are there any specific diet tips or nutritional recommendations that can help in getting rid of love handles?

Yes, there are specific diet tips and nutritional recommendations that can help in getting rid of love handles.

Love handles, also known as excess fat around the waistline, can be stubborn to get rid of, but with the right diet and nutrition, it is possible to reduce their appearance.

1. Correct Nutrition Goals

The first thing to look at is your nutrition goals.

Why?

Because the way to eat to lose love handles is totally different from the way to eat to grow a booty.

I see WAY too many women trying to lose love handles and GROW a booty at the same time.

Let’s not do that this year 😊

This year, let’s eat according to our goals.

The next tip follows from here.

2. Calorie Deficit Goal

To lose love handles, the correct nutrition goal is to create a calorie deficit.

A calorie deficit means consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight.

The amount of this deficit (200 calories? 300? 500?) is totally and completely up to you.

To achieve a calorie deficit, you can reduce portion sizes, choose unprocessed foods, and avoid drinking calories (soda, lemonade, etc.)

📝 Please don’t assume that a bigger calorie deficit is automatically better.

Some people make progress faster by following a more conservative deficit goal.

Experiment with different goals and follow the deficit that works for you!

I’m a moderate deficit girlie myself. I can’t do the whole huge calorie deficit thing. I like food too much for that 😂

3. Stay hydrated

Drinking enough water is essential for overall health and keeping love handles away.

Water helps in digestion, keeps you feeling full, aids in the removal of waste from the body, and boosts post-exercise recovery.

Most adults should aim to drink at least 8 cups (64 ounces) of water per day.

You can even boost the effectiveness of your water intake by adding electrolytes.

What are love handles?

Love handles, also known as muffin tops, are excess pockets of fat that sit right at the sides of the waist.

They are called love handles because when a loved one puts their hand around the waist, they can usually feel the fat deposit rolls on the waist.

It surprises me that we have turned a loving gesture (a loved one holding our waist) into a source of insecurity (omg! they can feel the fat rolls there).

But I’m not here to judge. I’m only here to help.

Love handles are extra frustrating for people that want a more toned and sculpted midsection.

Those that want an hourglass figure.

And anyone that is worried about their loved ones feeling bumps or rolls while holding their waist.

Love handles can be stubborn and difficult to get rid of.

But it is actually very possible to get rid of love handles completely.

What are the most effective exercises for targeting and eliminating love handles?

When it comes to targeting and eliminating love handles, it is important to focus on a combination of exercises that not only target the specific area but also promote overall fat loss.

The exercises provided in this workout are the perfect example of such exercises.

Exercises that target the specific area are useful. They strengthen and tone the muscles – helping to tighten and tone the core and cinch in the waist. They also assist with burning fat which is a double win!

The exercises that promote overall fat-loss are also useful. They help bring down the overall level of body fat – which includes reducing the fat stored in the love handles.

By strategically combining both types of exercises, you will be well on your way to reducing love handles.

Just remember to also eat a healthy, balanced, responsible meals 👍 and stay consistent with the workouts ♥

Is it possible to get rid of love handles without going to the gym?

Yes, it is possible to get rid of love handles without going to the gym. 🎉

This is fantastic news for those of us with extremely busy lifestyles.

As well as people that don’t enjoy the gym environment.

Or people that just prefer to exercise at home without the headache of a gym membership.

The key to getting rid of love handles without going to the gym is to simply stay consistent with doing at home exercises like the ones provided here and eating a healthy balanced diet.

Include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains in your meals. Stay away from processed foods, sugary snacks, and drinks.

A little treat here and there is fine though – there should be no guilt associated with eating food!

When it is time to exercise, do the love handles workouts provided on this page. And stay consistent with doing them.

You can also boost your physical activity by taking walks outside. I LOVE a good leisurely stroll early in the morning. It is pure bliss!

A jog could also be nice or try cycling, swimming, or even gardening.

The extra physical activity combined with your consistent workouts and healthy eating will help reduce love handles over time.

How do you get rid of love handles?

Love handles, also known as excess fat around the waistline, can be stubborn and difficult to get rid of.

But it can be done.

Here’s how to get rid of love handles.

1. Workout

To get rid of love handles, you want to make sure you have a regular and consistent workout routine.

Ideally, your workout routine should include love handles workouts like the ones provided on this page.

This will stimulate your body to burn the excess fat stored around the waist.

2. Caloric deficit

To lose love handles, you need to create a caloric deficit. This means consuming fewer calories than your body requires.

This forces the body to use some of the fat currently stored as love handles for energy.

After hearing this, some women try to create a huge calorie deficit in hopes of getting faster results.

Usually, this approach backfires because it can throw some hormones off and create fat storage (instead of loss).

My preference as a Certified Personal Trainer is to stick with a small to moderate caloric deficit.

This tends to be a more sustainable and highly effective approach to reducing love handles.

3. Healthy eating:

This goes along with the previous point. It is much easier to create a caloric deficit while eating lightly processed (or unprocessed) foods.

I personally enjoy a few raw brazil nuts every morning 😃

I’m not even going to play you. They don’t taste anything like oreos but they feel good in my belly when I eat them.

They are also so satiating that I don’t crave more after eating just 3. I can’t say the same for oreos. haha

So – focus on unprocessed foods. They are less likely to trigger cravings and overeating the way highly engineered foods can.

4. Aim for 4 weeks

Here’s a secret I don’t want to share.

Love handles take at least 4 weeks to appear and become visible to the point that they bother us.

Given this fact, you should also give yourself at least 4 weeks of consistent exercise and healthy eating to start to notice visible changes.

This doesn’t mean the love handles will disappear in 4 weeks. It just means, don’t quit before 4 weeks is up.

It’s okay to “mess up” along the way. For example, missing one workout. Or eating oreos for breakfast one stressful day.

Those things are just a part of life. The key is to keep going and make yourself proud by being consistent 4 weeks – minimum.

Workout Options (Exercises for Love Handles)

There are two workout options for exercises for love handles in this post.

Regardless of the option you choose, please be sure to do a thorough warm up and cool down.

Here’s a good multi-purpose warm up that most people can easily do.

20 sec jumping jacks
20 sec squats
20 sec lunges

Do twice.

For your cool down, I recommend doing your favorite gentle streches for at least 5 minutes.

Exercises for Love Handles Workout Video (Option 1):

Do you want to try a follow along love handles workout?

Simply press play on the video below.

It’s only 10 minutes long. You’ll be done before you know it!

Workout Video: 10 Min No Equipment Back Workout || Lose Back Fat, Underarm Flab & Bra Bulge – At Home Routine

Exercises for Love Handles (Option 2):

Do you want to try a self-paced exercises for love handles workout?

I have you covered.

Follow the workout outline below.

Exercises for Love Handles: Workout Outline

⏩⏩ swipe right to see the next move

knee to elbows
hinge splits
frankenstein walk
high roller step – left
compass

Jump to Exercise Tips

Disclaimer: This or any other exercise program may result in injury. Always consult your doctor / physician before beginning this or any other workout or exercise program. By performing any of the exercises in this program or on this site, you agree to the full disclaimer and assume ALL risks of injury from doing so. Koboko Fitness is NOT responsible or liable for any injury or loss you may sustain by participating in this workout or any exercise program. Read the full disclaimer here before you begin.

Workout Instructions (1/2)

Do each exercise for 30 seconds. Take a 10 second break between each exercise.

knee to elbows
hinge splits
frankenstein walk
high roller step – left
compass

Workout Instructions (2/2)

Once you complete all the exercises above as explained, take a 1 minute break, then repeat the exercises as follows

compass
high roller step – left
frankenstein walk
hinge splits
knee to elbows

Once you complete this second round, congratulations! Your exercises for love handles workout is complete!

Want another workout? Try this love handles workout.

A few things to note:

Whenever there are 2 exercises shown side by side, one is a lower impact modification. Always go with the lower impact version if you are a beginner or have not exercised in a long time.
If I show an exercise that you do one leg (or arm) at a time, do the leg (or arm) shown for 15 seconds. Then do your other leg (or arm) for the remaining 15 seconds.

It’s easier for me to show you how to do it with just one arm or leg in this post. But if you’re doing my full-length follow along Premium workout videos, I always show both sides of every exercise.