The No-Equipment-Needed Workout to Blast Your Love Handles
Ready for a workout that will blast your core and tone up your sides? If you're fed up with your [...]
Ready for a workout that will blast your core and tone up your sides? If you're fed up with your "love handles", try these 10 laser-focused moves to tone and tighten your obliques.
Pair these moves twice a week along with some high intensity interval training (HIIT) and you'll see results — fast. The best part? You can do this workout anywhere — no equipment required.
Just perform the number of reps shown for each exercise, then repeat the whole workout two more times.
1. Heel Taps | 20 each side; total of 40 reps
Lie with your lower back pressed into the ground and your knees bent. Raise your shoulders off the ground. Using your abs, rotate your right hand down to your right foot and then back up. Then do the same thing with your left hand.
Alternate back and forth to complete 40 reps total (20 per side).
2. Bicycle Crunches | 15 each side; total of 30 reps
Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, knees bent and feet on the floor. Lift your shoulder blades off the ground, and keep them off the ground for this whole exercise.
Twist your torso to the right, bringing your left shoulder in to touch your right knee. Keep left leg straight and lifted off the floor. Repeat, twisting torso to the left and bringing your right shoulder into touch your left knee. Make sure your rib cage (not just your elbows) is moving. That's one rep.
Repeat for 15 reps on each side (30 reps total).
3. Side Plank Hip Dips | 10 each side; total of 20 reps
Begin in side plank position with your shoulder over your wrist, feet stacked or staggered (shown here), and your lower obliques engaged to stay lifted. Let the hips drop a few inches without hinging them backward.
Squeeze the lower oblique to lift you up past the neutral starting point into an arched position. Notice the intense crunch of the lower side abs. To help, inhale when you dip and exhale when you lift.
Repeat for ten reps on each side (20 reps total).
prevnext4. Lying Side Crunch | 10 each side; total of 20 reps
Start by lying on the floor face up with your knees together and bent at a 90-degree angle. Without moving your upper body, lower your knees to the right side so that they're touching the floor.
Place your fingers behind your head. Raise your shoulders toward your hips, pause for one second, and then take two seconds to lower your upper body back to the starting position.
Repeat for ten reps on each side (20 reps total).
5. Kneeling Russian Twist | 10 each side; total of 20 reps
If you have a pair of dumbbells lying around, grab 'em. If not, you can still work on your core by omitting the weight with this exercise.
Start by kneeling with your knees as close together as comfortable, and push your hips forward. Hold one dumbbell horizontally at the chest. Lean backward as far as you can while keeping control.
Do NOT hinge the hips — keep them pushed forward. Twist over to one side without lifting your knees off the floor. Immediately twist over to the other side — do not stop in the center. If you get dizzy from the twisting, look straight ahead and limit your range of motion.
Repeat for ten reps on each side (20 reps total).
prevnext6. Ab Cyclone | 10 rotations
Lie flat on your back with your hands down at your sides, palms down. For extra comfort, you can place them in between your butt and lower back.
Keeping your legs straight, raise them up until they form a 90-degree angle with your upper body. Drop them down and to your left, keeping your legs straight the entire time. Now rotate them to the center, straight in front of you about 6 inches off the floor. Swoop them to your right side, keeping the same hovering distance from the floor. Pull them back to that 90-degree angle.
Repeat for 10 reps.
7. Crab Twist | 5 each side; total of 10 reps
Sit on floor with your knees bent in front of you and feet hip-width apart on the floor. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on floor behind you.
Lift your butt so that your body is in reverse tabletop position. Extend your right leg and place your left hand behind your head, elbow out. Crunch diagonally, bringing your right knee to your left elbow.
That's one rep. Repeat for 5 reps on each side (10 total reps).
prevnext8. Spiderman Plank | 10 each side; total of 20 reps
Lie face-down on floor resting on your forearms. Push up off the floor, rising up onto your toes and resting on your elbows. Keep your back flat, contracting your abdominal muscles while you hold your body in a straight line from head to heels.
Don't let your butt sag or stick up in the air. Slowly move your right knee towards your right elbow and back to the original position (while keeping your butt down). Keep your gaze in front of your fists and your back straight. Then repeat the same movement with your left knee and left elbow.
Repeat for 10 reps per side (20 total reps).
9. Side Plank Leg Lifts | 10 each side; total of 20 reps
Come into a side plank position with your wrist under your shoulder and your feet either stacked or staggered. Make sure your hips are not rolling backward, forward or hinging.
Push yourself up by squeezing your lower obliques. Rest your free hand on your hip. Flex the feet as you lift the top foot and leg as high as you can, aiming to get it to hip level.
If that's too difficult, drop the bottom knee and tuck the leg straight behind you in a 90-degree bend. As you lift and lower, be aware of you lower hip position — don't let it drop!
Repeat for 10 reps on each side (20 reps total).
prevnext10. Seated Pretzel | 15 each side; total of 30 reps
Sit with your front shin parallel to your body in front of you and your back knee far behind. Place your hands on either side of your front shin and lean forward slightly. Activating through your core and butt, lift your bent back leg up.
Repeat 15 times per side (30 reps total).
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