7 Best Exercises To Lose Love Handles: A 2025 Guide

Is your waistline spilling over your jeans? It’s time to choose the best exercises to lose love handles and stay consistent with them. 

Sometimes, when you aim to lose fat from a specific body part, staying physically active may not be enough. You may need to work on the muscles of that particular body area to tone and shape them. So, exercises to work love handles may become your best friend in this journey of shaping your waistline. 

Are Exercises for Your Love Handles Worth it?

Yes, exercises that target love handles are worth it; the thing is, they need to be part of a proper approach involving dieting and overall fat-reducing methods. Love handles are areas of fat around one’s waist and are very stubborn to get rid of often. Some targeted exercises build up and firm the oblique muscles lying underneath the side fat. 

However, targeted ab love handle workouts are more beneficial when combined with a calorie-controlled diet and regular cardio to burn fat throughout the body. One more thing to remember is that “Consistency is the key.”

We have gathered some effective workouts for your love handles—let’s tame your waistline.

Here are 7 Exercises To Lose Love Handles

1. Side planks
2. V-Ups
3. Kettlebell swing
4. Russian twists
5. Mountain climbers
6. Plank with hip dips
7. Deadlift

Let’s see how to do these targeted workouts for love handles and lose that stubborn fat. 

1. Side Planks

Side planks target your side abdominal muscles—strengthening the muscles that run along your waistline, where love handles usually form.

Here’s how to do a side plank

• Lie on your side. 
• Place your elbow right below your shoulder and lift your upper body on it. 
• Let your legs stack on one another.
• Now, lift your hips off the ground.
• Hold your body in a straight line from head to toe.
• Hold this position and count for 20-30 seconds. 
• Get down, and repeat on the other side. 
• Repeat this 3 times on both sides. 

2. V-Ups

V-ups engage all your core muscles, especially the upper, lower and side ab muscles. 

Here’s how to do a V-up:

• Lie down on your yoga mat. 
• Lift your arms overhead and keep your legs straight. 
• Lift your upper body and your legs simultaneously. 
• Try to reach your hands towards your feet—forming a V-shape. 
• Focus on your abdominal muscles, and keep them engaged.
• Return to the starting position. 
• Repeat it 10-12 times for 3 sets.

3. Kettlebell Swing

Swinging a kettlebell with both hands not only engages your ab muscles but also works on your front thigh and buttock muscles. It is a powerful body movement that also aids in calorie burn.

Here’s how to do a kettlebell swing:

• Stand up comfortably.
• Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a kettle-bell with both your hands.
• While hinging at your hip joint, bend forward, keep your back straight and swing the kettlebell between your legs.
• Thrust forward quickly while swinging the kettlebell from between your legs to the front of your chest (shoulder height).
• Keep in mind that your back and arms should be straight. 
• In this manner, swing it again in a down, up, and front manner. 
• You may repeat it 10-12 times for three sets. 

4. Russian Twists

Russian twists especially work on the oblique muscles in your abdominal area.  

Here’s how to do a Russian twist:

• Sit down on your yoga mat comfortably. 
• Bend your knees, flat your feet on the floor, and bend backwards slightly. 
• Hold a gym ball or weights with your hands in front of you. 
• Turn your upper body while bringing the weights/ball to your right side. 
• Twist and bring the weight/ball towards the left. 
• Focus on your ab muscles and keep them engaged. 
• Repeat 12-15 twists for three sets. 

5. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers can be the best exercise to work love handles, as they engage your core, obliques, shoulder, and arm muscles. It is a form of high-intensity workout that supports overall body fat burn. 

Here’s how to do mountain climbers:

• Get down in a high plank position on the yoga mat. 
• Keep in mind that your shoulders are right above your hands. 
• Bring your knee towards your chest.
• Quickly switch the leg and bring the other knee towards your chest while straightening the other leg. 
• Keep climbing for 20-25 seconds for sets of 3. 

Bonus Tip: If you are already working out and want to complement your efforts, explore effective tips on how to get rid of love handles.

6. Plank with Hip Dips

Why not take planks to the next level to lose love handles? A plank with hip dips focuses on your entire core and helps slim the waist. 

Here’s how to do a plank with hip dips: 

• Get down in a regular plank position. 
• Slowly dip your hips to one side and then bring your body back to the centre. 
• Then, dip your hips onto the other side. 
• Repeat 8-10 times for 3 sets. 

7. Deadlift

Deadlift is another amazing exercise to lose love handles as it allows your waist, thighs, and lower back to work.

Here’s how to do a deadlift: 

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of you.
• Bend forward (hinge at your hips), keeping your back straight as you lower the weights towards the floor.
• Drive through your heels to return to standing. 
• Engage your glutes and hamstrings.
• Repeat 8-10 times for sets of 3. 

All these ab love handle workouts do not just focus on the muscles around your waist but boost your overall metabolism and help burn fat pockets.

It’s Your Time To Exercise To Lose Love Handles.

Now that you have explored the 7 best exercises to lose love handles in 2024, why not take a step further? It’s time to work out to fit into your favourite jeans.

 Incorporating targeted exercises like side planks, V-ups, and kettlebell swings into your routine can significantly help reduce love handles. However, it’s important to remember that these exercises require consistent effort, time, and dedication to show results. If you’re looking for a quicker solution to sculpt your waistline, BodyTite in Leeds might be your go-to option.

BodyTite treatment combines radiofrequency energy and liposuction. It works by melting fat and tightening the skin, offering faster and more noticeable results than traditional exercise alone. This treatment is particularly beneficial for stubborn areas like love handles, helping you achieve a more defined and sculpted appearance with minimal downtime. Here’s to a slimmer waistline and healthy body!

Frequently Asked Questions about Exercises To Lose Love Handles

1. What exercise is best to lose love handles?

The best exercises to lose love handles are V-ups, Russian twists, mountain climbers, side planks with hip dips, and deadlift.

2. How to burn side fat?

To burn your side fat, try going under a calorie deficit diet, maintain proper hydration, and perform exercises to work love handles like V-ups, Russian twists, and kettlebell swings,

3. Can squats lose love handles?

Squats is an amazing overall body workout that engages your core, lower back, and thigh muscles. It may help you lose love handles. 

4. Can walking reduce love handles?

Walking, especially brisk walking is an aerobic exercise, it engages overall body and heart muscles. It speed up your metabolism which promotes overall fat burn that may help reducing your love handles.