Getting rid of back fat

GETTING rid of back and side fat or love handles is one of the most difficult issues for women trying to lose weight. Rohan Gordon, personal trainer at Eden Gardens Wellness Resort and Spa, said it is the hardest weight loss to achieve, but with the right exercise and proper diet, success is possible.

Gordon said love handles or muffin tops are simply excess abdominal fat. He said it is challenging for women to get rid of these deposits of fat, as body type and genetics mean one cannot spot-reduce body fat.

“Despite your best efforts, it’s impossible to go to the gym and work directly on getting off the flab or muffin top that’s hanging around your tummy and above your butt. But that doesn’t mean you should give up. With a certified fitness and physical trainer it can be achieved.”

He recommended a combination of diet, rest, reduced stress levels, and varying the intensity of exercise you do as ways to help stave off fat deposits in the body.

Below, Gordon lists exercises he said should be done three to four days a week to spot-train the muscles surrounding the area of the body that has fat deposits.

1. Russian twist

Routine: The Russian twist with interval cardiovascular training, according to Gordon, targets the oblique muscles, transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, and multifidus. He said this exercise can be done with or without weights, depending on the difficulty level you are trying to achieve. “Sit on glutes with feet raised up, then twist side to side with or without weights,” he said. He added that doing interval cardiovascular training such as running, walking or swimming will improve the effects of this exercise.

2. Standing oblique crunch

Routine: Gordon said this exercise targets the oblique muscles, transverse abdominis, multifidus, and rectus abdominis muscles. “Since this is a standing exercise, it makes your muscles activate to stabilise the body when balancing on one foot to lift the leg to crunch,” he said. Depending on the difficulty level you wish to achieve, lift one leg and keep it lifted throughout 10 to 20 repetitions, then switch sides. “If you wish the difficulty level to be lower, tap the lifting foot down between repetitions. Do three sets on each side,” he said.

3. Burpees

Routine: The personal trainer said this exercise targets the triceps, shoulders, upper back, abdominal muscles and legs. He said this is considered a full-body exercise and can be very beneficial to tone up all over. “The more you focus on proper form and technique, the more your muscles will benefit from this exercise. Do 10 to 20 repetitions and three sets. Increase difficulty by doing more repetitions with less rest in between sets,” Gordon said.

4. Scissors abdominal exercise

Routine: “The scissors exercise targets all the stabilising muscles of the trunk and activates the leg muscles to produce movement to challenge the core. The legs cross over each other and you alternate the legs that cross on top. Both exercises can challenge the body. Try doing 10 to 20 repetitions and three sets.

5. Plank and side plank

Routine: Gordon said the plank is a good stand-by to challenge the body’s stability centres. He said just initiating contraction of the muscles of the core can cause the body to get muscle benefits. He said to challenge the body, even more movement can be added such as arm, leg, and/or hip movements to challenge the core. The basic plank requires a stable position of the body to be maintained with the hips low and in line with the shoulders. You should breathe while holding the contraction. For the side plank, Gordon said it requires balancing on one forearm and shoulder while the feet are stacked to keep the body in line. Both exercises can be held for 15 to 30 seconds and repeated three times to achieve a benefit for the muscles.

6. Bridges

Routine: “The bridge is a fantastic exercise to strengthen the lower back muscles, glutes, and core muscles. Squeezing and contracting these muscles when raising the hips off the floor can help increase metabolism and give the muscles a good burn so that those muscles targeted can become more toned,” Gordon said.