I've been fortunate to get my training in at the gym these days. So, with that, I get to observe what's going on in the gym day to day - how people train, etc. I love seeing women, and of
course men as well, lifting weights. Brings so much joy to my heart. It really does, because the power of being fit and having an able body is second to none. Also helps me with a host of writing topics and teaching moments.
Anywho, the last two days, I have witnessed a couple of women doing side bends. I'm sure I have talked about this before. It's very common for women to think these are the answer to getting rid of their love handles, myself included, before I knew better. I used to do them without fail on my ab day.
My love handles didn't go away by doing side bends. Sure, they work the oblique’s. However, they don't slim your waist or eliminate the fat. Unfortunately, we can't spot reduce areas of our bodies – it would be nice though, ha! Side bends may actually make your waist appear thicker. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but if that's
not the look you are going for, then I certainly wouldn't be doing side bends.
Love handles are fat accumulation that shows up on the sides of our midsection/torso. The better solution is to get precise with your nutrition,
set a modest caloric deficit and stick to it consistently, strength train, sleep well, and manage your stress. Train your abdominals/core but leave the side bends out of the equation.
Here are few exercises that are a game
changer for the abdominal/core area:
- Dead bugs
- Palloff Press
- Get-ups
- RKC Plank
- Sprinkle some direct
abdominal work but do it proper form!
Secondly, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite go-to Strong Squat movements and that's the Goblet
Squat. Check out the how-to video here!
If you're new to lifting, or even an advanced trainee, the Goblet Squat is a great movement. One of the reasons that I like it is because it's user-friendly and it's a great prerequisite to other challenging squat variations. The Goblet Squat will teach how to squat properly.
Also, all you need is a dumbbell or kettlebell to do it. Lastly, if you don't want to or don’t like barbell back squats, you can do the goblet squat instead without a load on your back!
Last Strong tip of the week is to make sure you are resting and recovering from your strength training sessions a couple of times a week.
This is
important so that you don't burn out. The rest from weight-bearing exercise will allow for the body to recover and repair the muscle tissue that we tear down during training.
On those non-training days, it's perfectly fine to do
non-lifting things such as walking, playing with your kids, chores, etc... Daily movement is always essential. I welcome it and tell my ladies to do it often.
I think that's it for now! Thank you for being here. If you have any
questions or need help with anything, hit the reply button and let me know! I reply back to every single email!
Have a beautiful weekend!
Yours in Strength,
Xo
Candace
