8 Exercises to Get Rid of Muffin Top (#2 Is the Most Productive)

Muffins are delicious treats. It’s hard to turn them down. But sometimes you have to when trying to lose weight or achieve fitness goals. I have discussed as many as 8 exercises to get rid of muffin top. But before I do that, I would like to share with you something else that’s important.

What is a muffin top? It’s slang for hip or lower belly fat that accumulates above the buttocks. Muffin top and love handles are like best buddies. When trying to eliminate one, the other also vanishes. So how about getting to know the most effective exercise for muffin top and love handles?

8 Exercises to Get Rid of Muffin Top

Wearing the best shapewear for muffin top is a workable solution. But it’s a temporary one. For a more permanent result, exercising is not only important but necessary too.

When trying to do away with a muffin top and love handles, you have to follow a mantra. And that is a combination of total body workout and cardio training. The former includes muscle-specific exercises. But to sculpt your body, you have to first shed body fat. And the best way to do so is cardio. (Cardio vs Weight Lifting for Weight Loss)

As for muscle-specific exercises, here’s a list of what you can do to target your muffin top region.

#1 Hip Dips

Photo credit: brookegriffin.com

This form of exercise is very effective, hence popular for toning the whole waistline. Including your obliques of course! It also ranks as one of the most effective muffin top exercises for beginners.

• Get into plank position, then tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Lower yourself into forearm plank. You can do that by bending the elbows to come down on the forearms.
• Now it’s time to roll to the left side to get into a side forearm plank position. Place the right leg on top of the left. Then place the right hand over your hip.
• The next move is to dip that hip toward the floor before lifting it back up again.
• Perform as many as 10 such dips on each side. That’s 20 in total.

#2 Candlestick Dipper

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How about I get straight to the best of the best exercise for muffin top waist? It’s known as the candlestick dipper. And it’s a move you cannot replace with any other workout. What the physical movement does is target the oblique muscles to help you achieve results faster.

• Back straight and abs tight, you get down on the knees. With cushioning under those knees of course!
• Straighten the right leg sideways. Keep your knee straight at this point. Avoid dropping it toward the floor.
• Time to raise the hand straight up, bind the fingers together.
• Bend the waist to the left, going as low as possible. Then come back up.
• You can do 15 such dips on each side. And that’s 30 in total.

#3 Rolling Plank

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The standard plank move has a lot of variations. And rolling plank is one of them. It helps in toning the entire midsection area. And you know what; it’s a movement exercise. So that account as cardio too.

• Begin by getting into the normal plank position. Abs tight and arms straight. Your hands placed directly under the shoulders.
• Roll to the left into side plank, and then return to plank.
• Now roll to the right into side plank, and then return to plank.
• Keep alternating like this to complete 10 rolls on each side.

#4 Bicycle Crunches

Here’s the thing about bicycle crunches. They are great for burning belly fat. That means bicycle crunches are the ultimate muffin top enemies.

• Lie on the back and lift the feet with knees bent. Your calves should be parallel to your yoga mat or floor.
• Place the hand behind the head, which helps in supporting your neck and back.
• Bring the left knee and right elbow together while straightening out your right leg. But don’t lower your right leg.
• Now do the same with your right knee and left elbow.
• Keep alternating like this for as long as two minutes.

#5 Hip Twists

Also known as waist whittlers, hip twists are a killer workout for trimming your waistline. No wonder they are so popular among both men and women to get rid of belly fat.

• Begin with the forearm plank. Keep the elbows directly under the shoulder. And your body straight.
• Twist that hip to your left side to touch the left hip all the way down.
• Then twist in the right direction to touch the right hip all the way down.
• Perform 20 twists like this.

#6 Butt Lift

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This might turn out to be your favorite exercise. Butt lifts tone the lower abs and obliques. That implies getting rid of your muffin top and lifting the butt.

• Lie on the back with feet pressed flat on the mat or floor. Knees should be bent at this point.
• Lift the butt until your shoulders and knees are in a straight line. Then lower back again.
• Raise the butt in this manner at least 15 to 20 times.

#7 Heatwave

Photo credit: advancedhumanperformance.com

If you want to move your butt, abs, and all muscles in between, the heatwave is the way to go. It’s an amazing exercise to get your abdominal muscles moving.

• Lie on the back with your feet pressed flat against the floor.
• Raise the hips until your knees and shoulders are in a straight line.
• Move the hips from one side to the other in the form of a wave.
• Move in this position at least 15 times before lowering down your butt.

#8 Russian Twist

Here’s the last of the 8 exercises to get rid of muffin top. And not the least effective in any way! Russian twists are an excellent way to strengthen the abs. Along with toning those oblique muscles and shredding muffin top!

Choose to perform this exercise with weights as well. It all depends on your strength and workout level. The same applies to all the 8 exercises to get rid of muffin top. When you add weights to your training session, you’re building more resistance. Plus, it makes the particular workout twice as effective. And that counts!

• Sit on the buttocks with feet pressed flat into the mat or ground. Bend your knees, please.
• Then slightly lean back.
• Grab the kettlebell or dumbbell with your hands. And if not, then join the hands together.
• Rotate your hands, with or without the weight, from one side to the other. And while doing so, twist your torso.
• Perform 10 twists on each side. That’s 20 in total.

This brings me to the end of the 8 exercises to get rid of muffin top. They might not seem easy at first, but you’ll eventually get there. And when they do start to feel less challenging, it’s time to increase the numbers of reps and sets. Never be too comfortable with your workout routine. Always push your boundaries a little further.

That’s About It!

Keeping a check on your diet is not the only way to shrink the hips and belly. Physical training is important too. This includes core strengthening exercises and cardio. The former consists of exercises that target your abdominal muscles. That is quite effective at shedding that muffin top and those love handles.

As for the 8 exercises to get rid of muffin top, go at it for about a minute. Do as many reps as you can in 60 seconds. And repeat that three times! Only then can you expect noticeable results sooner. Otherwise, if you’re not in a hurry, then work out at your own pace.

But my advice to you would be to challenge yourself at every step of the way. If you’re genuinely keen on shedding muffin top and love handles, you’ve got to take it up a notch. The whole point of working out is to see results. So step out of your comfort zone. And find out as well as experience what lies on the other side. You’ll be glad you did. You can take my word for it.

Do you have your set of 8 exercises to get rid of muffin top? If yes, how about you share the plan with us here? The more the merrier, after all!

About the author:

Changing the world is easier said than done. And Jennifer Kessler, the founder of She Loves Best, understands that very well. Making sure that everything is in place is tough for both at-home and working parents. Going through pregnancy, childbirth, and post-delivery changes are no cakewalk. And having experienced it all firsthand, Kessler creates articles that revolve around improving the quality of life. Her only goal is to provide effective solutions that make the problems seem less important.