The Love Handle Plan That Finally Worked — Without Endless Cardio

Love handles are the most stubborn fat deposit on the body. They are usually the first to arrive and the last to leave.

As a personal trainer with almost two decades of hands-on experience, I’ve seen people do all sorts of things to get rid of their muffin tops, from extended cardio sessions to adopting restrictive diets. But only a handful are successful in achieving their weight loss objectives.

However, the most effective solution for love handles also turns out to be the simplest. When I reveal this technique to my clients, many question its potency as it goes against gym dogma.

What is it, you ask?

This plan combines a smarter, cardio-free approach with simple eating habits. I have used this program with hundreds of people, and it has delivered mind-blowing results every single time. It works because it is practical and sustainable.

In this article, I share my tried-and-true love handle cutting program that will deliver lasting fat loss results for trainers of varying experience levels. You’ll also learn how you can implement it into your own routine.

Why Love Handles Are So Stubborn

Fun fact: Do you know how love handles got their name? Apparently, this is the body part of your partner that you grab during a love-making session. Nature does not want to make things hard for your lover, and maybe that is why losing these pesky flanks is so challenging.

Jokes apart, there is a scientific reason why your love handles cling to you like an overzealous ex.

There are two types of fat in your body: subcutaneous and visceral. The former sits just beneath your skin, creating that pinchable roll above your jeans. On the other hand, visceral fat wraps around your organs and also increases the risk of chronic health diseases like diabetes and hypertension.

It doesn’t end here. Your hormones can also act against you if you’re not taking care of yourself.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, can push your body to store more fat around your midsection when you are overly tense or sleep-deprived. Eating sugary snacks or refined carbs can also spike your insulin levels and direct excess calories to your waistline.

Cardio Alone Might Not Be Enough

By now, you probably understand why spending countless hours on the treadmill isn’t helping you get rid of the spare tire.

Cardio might burn calories, but it does not target specific fat deposits (1). While your workouts might prioritize your love handles, your lifestyle and hormones protect and promote them. This is a big issue that must be fixed at its root.

You must also remember that excessive high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can spike cortisol levels, which can be counterproductive for your fat loss ambitions.

Common Mistakes

Many people fall into the same traps that stall their progress. First, they overly rely on crunches, sit-ups, or the weird standing twister machine to target the abs and specifically the love handles.

Before we move any further, I want to address the elephant in the room.

Earlier, it was believed that spot reduction (targeting a certain area of your body for fat loss) was a myth. However, new research proves that we have been wrong all along.

A study published in the Physiological Reports journal concluded that abdominal endurance exercises utilize more local fat than treadmill running, indicating that sport reduction does, in fact, exist. (2)

You also want to stay away from crash diets as they promise quick fixes but can hamper your metabolism and spike hunger levels, which can increase the risk of rebound.

Adopting a holistic approach is the most calculated way of achieving your weight loss objectives, as it keeps your hormone levels in check and puts you in a good place to maximize side fat expenditure.

Myth of Endless Cardio for Fat Loss

You know why most newbies head straight to the treadmill section as soon as they join a gym? It is because they have bought into the myth that hours of cardio are necessary for fat loss.

It is an irony that most of these folks quit before achieving their goals.

While it is true that cardio can help you burn calories, it doesn’t guarantee fat loss where you want it. Your body picks where to shed fat, and your midsection is often the last place.

This happens because your body likes to take a conservative approach when it comes to fat loss. It stores its energy reserves around your midsection for emergencies, where it might not get the fuel it needs to sustain basic functionality like breathing and digestion.

So if you are planning to pound the pavement for hours, remember that it won’t target your waistline. However, it can leave you exhausted, drain your motivation, and significantly increase the risk of overuse injuries.

The Core of the Plan: Smart Ab Training

If your primary goal is to shed the side rolls, you will be better off performing exercises that build strength and engage your entire core. Compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and kettlebell swings require you to keep your midsection engaged throughout the exercise, which can help tighten up your love handles.

These multi-joint lifts lead to a phenomenon known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), or the afterburn effect. It revs up your metabolism, so your body is burning calories at a heightened rate even multiple hours after ending your workout.

Best Exercises To Target Obliques

We don’t have to stop at compound exercises. Adding targeted core work can help further tighten up your midsection. Here are my five favorite exercises to target the stubborn love handles and how to perform them correctly for maximum effectiveness:

• Planks: Get into a high push-up position with your arms fully extended and your hands under your shoulders. Lift your right arm off the floor and place your elbow under your shoulder. Repeat it on the left side so your upper and lower arms are parallel. Maintain your body in a straight line for 30 to 60 seconds.
• Russian Twists: Sit with your knees bent and lean back slightly. Twist from side to side while holding a weight with both hands. This exercise targets your obliques and can help tighten up the love handles.
• Hanging Leg Raises: Hang from a pull-up bar and raise your legs to hip height while keeping them straight. Slowly return to the starting position to hammer your lower abs.
• Cablewood Choppers: Pull a cable from high to low across your body to engage your obliques and transverse abdominis muscles.
• Dead Bugs: Lie on your back with your arms and legs raised. Lower your opposite arm and leg while keeping your core tight. This will strengthen your deep core muscles.

Role of a Strong Core

These moves will sculpt your abs while burning fat more efficiently. Remember, the goal of a strong core isn’t just to look good. It can help stabilize your body, improve your posture, and ramp up your fat expenditure.

A tight and strong core can also enhance your performance in daily activities and training, as you can deadlift, squat, and overhead press with more confidence.

Also, strength training-focused programs preserve muscle mass during fat loss, unlike cardio-heavy plans.

Sample Workout

Now that you know about the most effective exercises, let’s put them together in a convenient 15-minute workout that you can try today.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest time
Cable Woodchoppers	3	15 per side	60 seconds
Dead Bug	3	20	60 seconds
Planks	3	60 seconds	60 seconds

Simple Eating Shifts to Melt Fat

Remember, irrespective of how hard you train, you can’t out-train a bad diet.

On the other hand, no starvation diet can help you get rid of the flanks. If anything, they will make the situation worse.  Diving into your diet to achieve your dream physique involves four main components:

1. Balanced macros (proteins, carbs, and healthy fats)
2. Moderate calorie deficit
3. High protein meals
4. Fewer processed carbs

For the uninitiated, a calorie deficit involves expending more calories in a day than you consume. Most weight loss experts recommend aiming for a 500 daily calorie deficit for optimal results. Sticking to this can result in a 1-pound drop each week.

Use this total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) calculator to determine your ideal daily protein, carbs, and healthy fats intake.

Tips For Balanced Eating

Begin by prioritizing whole foods, like lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Aim for 0.8-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to maximize muscle gain. This will help preserve muscle mass and increase your metabolism, which can help in cutting down body fat. 

As you gain more experience and start getting comfortable with your new diet protocol, experiment with timing your meals. Eat protein and carbs around your workout to ensure you have enough energy and nutrients in your body for recovery.

You must also drink at least a gallon of water daily to support your metabolism and curb false hunger alarms.

Meal Plan For Cutting Love Handles

Given below is a 2,000-calorie diet, tailored for maximizing fat burn and ensuring you have enough fuel for your workouts:

• Breakfast: 1 cup Greek yogurt (plain, nonfat), 1/2 cup berries, 1/4 cup granola
• Snack: 1 medium apple, 1 tablespoon almond butter
• Lunch: 6 ounces grilled chicken breast, 1 cup roasted broccoli, 1/2 cup quinoa
• Snack: 1 scoop whey protein shake with water, 1 handful almonds (15 nuts)
• Dinner: 5 ounces baked salmon, 1 cup steamed spinach, 1 small sweet potato
• Evening Snack: 1/2 cup cottage cheese (low-fat), 1/4 cup sliced cucumber

Lifestyle Tweaks to Boost Results

Physique transformation doesn’t work in isolation. You must do everything right to achieve your dream body.

Some of my clients have had to do a complete lifestyle transformation to get rid of their love handles. The first thing that you can do today is to ensure you are getting enough sleep. Aim for at least eight hours of eye shut time to allow your body enough time to rest and recuperate. This is also when your body rebalances its hormone levels.

You must also keep your stress levels under control, so your body does not hold on to excess fat.

Activities like meditation, journaling, and outdoor walks are proven to help lower overall stress levels. You should seek professional help if you don’t see any improvement after incorporating these methods into your routine.

Avoid making overly drastic changes from the get-go. Instead, start with one change and slowly incorporate more as your body starts adapting.

Conclusion 

Getting rid of your love handles requires targeted ab training, better eating habits, and subtle lifestyle tweaks. The workout and diet program listed above give you all the tools you need to be successful in this pursuit. 

Consistency and discipline are the most important factors when it comes to maximizing your gains. Start small and gradually increase the training intensity and frequency as you gain more experience. Best of luck.

References:

1. Després JP, Bouchard C, Tremblay A, Savard R, Marcotte M. Effects of aerobic training on fat distribution in male subjects. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1985 Feb;17(1):113-8. PMID: 3982265.
2. Brobakken MF, Krogsaeter I, Helgerud J, Wang E, Hoff J. Abdominal aerobic endurance exercise reveals spot reduction exists: A randomized controlled trial. Physiol Rep. 2023 Nov;11(22):e15853. doi: 10.14814/phy2.15853. PMID: 38010201; PMCID: PMC10680576.

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