Fat on the sides (especially at the waist) often grows due to a sedentary lifestyle and when eating excessive amounts of refined carbohydrates. That is why you can remove the sides only by doing exercises and observing proper nutrition.
Of particular importance in the fight against fat at the waist is the development of the gluteal muscles, as well as the lateral muscles of the body – they receive minimal stress in everyday life and require special exercises. At the same time, the good news is that these exercises allow you to remove the sides even at home.
How to remove the sides?
In order to remove the sides, it is necessary to understand the causes of their occurrence – this will help maintain the achieved result in the future. For example, an increase in fat is often associated with a lack of adequate exercise by the body and a decrease in the density of adipose tissue capillaries.
Also, gaining fat on the sides is often associated with a diet containing an excess of refined carbohydrates with a high glycemic index and an excess of saturated fat. Such a diet overwhelms the body with energy, which it prefers to store in the waist area.
Of particular importance is the implementation of physical exercises – both aerobic training for burning fat, and home exercises for the muscles of the body, which help strengthen the muscles on the sides of the body. But, in the end, you can remove the sides only through diet and training.
Why does fat accumulate on the stomach and sides?
On the one hand, fat accumulates with excess calorie intake – gradually and throughout the body. On the other hand, diet, bad habits and lifestyle can influence why fat accumulates mainly on the waist and on the sides:
- A low number of steps per day – in the absence of a load, the muscles of the thighs, buttocks, abs and body gradually lose their elasticity, as a result of which the density of capillaries in adipose tissue decreases, provoking difficulties with burning fat on the sides.
- Malnutrition – excess of refined carbohydrates and saturated fats against the background of a lack of foods with fiber (and low GI foods) is often associated with metabolic disorders that provoke the growth of fat in the abdomen.
- Weak press – the abdominal muscles are located not only on the front surface of the press, but also on the sides; most of them are not used in everyday life, requiring regular exercise to maintain tone.
- High stress levels – poor quality sleep increases cravings for fast carbohydrates, activating the formation of fat reserves on the sides.
Exercises to remove the sides
On the lateral surface of the body are located both the oblique abdominal muscles and the transverse abdominal muscle. In this case, the transverse muscle refers to the internal abdominal muscles, lying directly under the lateral muscles. She girdles the waist, pulling it together like a belt.
For this reason, for the development of the muscles of the sides, exercises are necessary that involve rotations, tilts and turns to the sides. Doing these exercises regularly will strengthen your abs, improve your posture, and help you create an athletic figure—but it won’t get rid of fat on your sides.
Home set of exercises
Effective training for strengthening the muscles of the lateral press is based on the ability to involve them in the work – in other words, when performing exercises, the muscles of the abdomen should be in a slight conscious tension. Four exercises that will help you quickly remove the sides:
1. Side plank with pelvic lift.
Starting position – side bar on the elbow. First, do 2-3 sets of 30-40 seconds, keeping your hips lifted and keeping your body in a straight line. Then do pelvic lifts – 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps for the left and right side of the body.
2. Exercise “Bicycle”.
The key exercise for developing the muscles of the lateral press. Lying on your back, place your hands behind your head (just lightly touching it with your fingers and avoiding pressure), then stretch one leg and bend the other at the knee. By twisting the press, lift your shoulders 10-20 cm up, directing the elbow to the knee.
3. Lateral twisting lying.
An exercise that targets the muscles of the sides. Lying on your back, twist your pelvis inward (in other words, press your lower back to the floor). Raise your shoulders slightly, then, as you exhale, reach your left hand towards your left foot, squeezing your side abs as hard as you can. Do 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps on each side.
4. Exercise “Rock climber”.
Despite the apparent ease, the exercise requires a good level of physical fitness. Get into a plank position with arms outstretched, tighten your abs, pull your leg up to your waist, then twist it slightly to the side. Make sure that the pelvis does not fall down. Repeat 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps for each leg.
How to burn fat from the waist?
The strategy for getting rid of fat on the sides depends on whether we are talking about subcutaneous or internal fat. In order to burn internal visceral fat, you need cardio – 3-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise with a moderate heart rate (brisk walking, exercise bike).
In turn, in order to burn soft subcutaneous fat in the lower abdomen , fairly short, but high-intensity loads. This can be a circuit training with functional exercises, or interval cardio.
It is important to adequately estimate the time needed to lose weight. It is impossible to get rid of fat on the sides in a week – no matter how strict the diet is and how hard you do the exercises. Attempting to lose weight too quickly harms the metabolism – and also worsens the elasticity of the skin.
Fat deposits in the waist area are formed due to a sedentary lifestyle and malnutrition. In order to remove the sides, you need to control your diet and exercise regularly. Including abdominal exercises – this helps to strengthen the core.