"love handles" exercise advice

lipo starter

I dont know if im doing right for the love handles, im lying on my side on floor, lifting the top leg up as high as i can, keeping foot flexed. also doing squats for bum, trying to lift that up! when doing the squats,i can feel muscle working at top/back of leg,just at bottom of bum, but nothing higher, i dont want just the bottom part working, is this a correct exercise? i like the squats but doing the lunges hurt my knees, plus when dropping down, my left leg kind of points into the right... no matter what i try..it aims inwards! anyway, i need advice on bum, and big advice for thighs, side of them are sticky out type, and hips. please can someone give me advice on these areas, ps, inner thighs i can feel working (sore) when im lifting them when lying down, but not feeling anything on the outer thigh when lifting up.. i am doing my exercise bike for 40 minutes, cos i need to lose weight too.

EileenG

You can't spot reduce. If you want to shift love handles, you have to shift bodyfat, and unfortunately, you don't get to chose where it goes from. The easiest way is cardio, lots if it, and go hard at it. The "fat burning" zone is a myth. Harder work will burn more calories, including more fat calories than piddling along at a crawl.

Try some HIIT, where you alternate flat out sprints with slower recovery periods.

In the gym, go for the big compound exercises like squat, deadlift, benchpress, pull-up, dips, shoulder press, lunges, stiffleg deadlift etc. They will also burn calories, and will build muscle, but they almost all work your core, so they should help you develop that six pack. Stiffleg deadlifts and good mornings are great exercises for your bum. High step-ups are good too. You can't beat squats for thighs. Try doing them with different foot placements to hit your thigh muscles in different ways.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBStiffLegDeadlift.html
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBBentKneeGoodMorning.html

lipo starter

thanks, i did try that fast/slow thing, im sure i died and went to hell :eek:, it is hard to do. went back to doing my 40 mins, and i do sweat a fair bit and am breathless, will try the fast/slow again. my bum doesnt feel as squashed in jeans, maybe its all in my head but i do think its working. somebody told me that when you start doing weights at the beginning, your feel your clothes tighter, just for the first few weeks, then clothes get looser after that as muscle firms up, is that true? mine dont feel tighter

lipo starter

forgot to add, i dont use a gym

sorry, just seen the link for the good morning!

EileenG

I never said HIIT was easy. But at least the torture is over quickly. If you do 1 minute sprints, followed by one minute recovery, and do six intervals, that's your cardio done and dusted in 12 minutes. If you cycle a road bike, pick a suitable hill, and belt up it as hard as you can. Or on a straight road, pick a car and try to race it.

As for the size thing, it varies from person to person and depending on what exercise you are doing.

The good morning exercise doesn't really need a weight at the beginning. Put a broom handle across your shoulders and do it, and you'll feel it in your bum. The still leg deadlift does need a weight, but you could fill a couple of green bags with books or bottles of water and do it standing on a low step. Or step up onto a kitchen chair. Ten times with one leg, then ten times with the other.