| A major complaint of people who want to look more | | | | Side Crunch |
| fit is belly fat. Specifically, a large number of people | | | | The next two abdominal exercises require you to get |
| have trouble with "love handles." Far from lovely or | | | | off your feet and lie down, preferably on the floor or |
| lovable, these are deposits of fat that take up | | | | other flat surface. Use a mat or towel as a cushion if |
| residence on the sides of one's lower torso, around | | | | you have a particularly hard floor to work with. Lie |
| the external oblique muscles. Traditional crunches and | | | | down on one side. For simplicity, let us say you are on |
| sit-ups will not do much for this sort of chub, as they | | | | your right side to start. Bring your right arm across |
| mainly work the abdominal muscles and not the | | | | your waist so that your right hand comes to rest on |
| obliques. The good news, however, is that there are a | | | | your left side. Touch your ear with the fingertips of |
| few abdominal exercises which specifically target the | | | | your left hand, so that your left elbows winds up |
| obliques, helping trim love handles. As with any new | | | | pointing straight upward. Lift your shoulders up off the |
| physical activity, consult a professional before beginning | | | | floor while simultaneously raising your left leg to height |
| and be sure to properly warm up to avoid injury. | | | | of about twelve inches (30 cm). Contract your obliques |
| Side Bend | | | | as you do this. Hold for a few seconds, then gently lie |
| A simple exercise, side bends are also probably the | | | | back down. Do this for an entire set, then switch to the |
| most effective method for losing love handles. Start by | | | | right side. |
| standing upright. Position your feet shoulder width apart | | | | Seated Knee Drop |
| and bend your knees slightly. Lower your whole torso | | | | First, position yourself on the floor so that you are |
| to one side, then back to the other. Lean only side to | | | | resting on your hipbones (not sitting on your butt). You |
| side, not backwards or forwards. | | | | can put your hands on the floor behind you to keep |
| Torso Twist | | | | yourself stable in this position. Bend your knees so that |
| This abdominal exercise is also effective at reducing | | | | your feet are flat on the floor. Put your ankles |
| love handles, and is good to do right after the side | | | | together. Now lower your knees to the right. Your feet |
| bends in your routine, as it is also done in a standing | | | | will roll on to their sides, but should remain on the floor. |
| position. Again, with feet shoulder width apart, slowly | | | | Continue this lowering move until your knees are about |
| twist the body to one side, then to the other. The key | | | | six inches above the floor. Hold for one second, then |
| here is to twist from your torso, not from the hips. As | | | | go back up and down to the left side. Move slowly |
| much of the twisting work as possible should be done | | | | and under control, using your abdominal muscles rather |
| by your oblique muscles, not your hip flexors. Keep | | | | than momentum to raise and lower your legs. |
| your torso upright with no bending. | | | | |