There are some specific regions like back rolls, belly fat, and arms which require special attention through targeted exercises. Women’s weight loss coach Akanni Salako, who frequently shares fitness-related insights ranging from exercises to diet tips, posted on August 10 about four exercises that can help drop weight from size 18 to size 8. The exercises he recommended were ‘staples’ in one of his clients’ programs, which helped her lose over 80 pounds within a year. For the uninformed, size 18 is a US clothing size that falls in the plus category, typically 2XL, while size 8 is considered the moderate weight category, or M (medium).
Other than going up a clothing size, the exercises he suggested also focus on areas where losing weight may be a bit challenging.
Weight loss exercises target problem areas. Overweight or obese women often have challenging areas like thicker thighs, belly fat, and flabby arms. Hence, the exercises added to a workout regimen need to effectively address these focus areas.
The fitness coach listed these exercises:
1. Squat
For overweight women, the problem area is often the lower body. Squat targets and tones the lower body. Akkani explained, “This tones your legs and lifts your butts so that your jeans and dresses fit smoother and your thighs don’t rub together.”
2. Back rows
Back rolls and flabby arm fat are usually some of the common insecurities. According to the fitness coach, back row exercises help target the upper back and arms.
3. RDLS
RDLs, or Romanian Deadlifts, target specific muscle groups in the legs, like the hamstrings and glutes, and further assist in reducing lower-body fat. Akkani said, “This firms the back of your legs and glutes, which smoothes out trouble spots and helps tighten your lower body so that your clothes fit more flattering.”
4. Planks
Belly fat is one of the most difficult areas to lose weight. This is where planks come in, strengthening the core and helping to target stubborn belly fat.
He added, “This tightens your midsection so you have a flatter stomach and a better posture.”
All in all, these four exercises fall under strength training. This indicates that women looking to lose weight should definitely include strength training in their routine to target common problem areas like belly fat, flabby arms, and back rolls, which cardio alone may not effectively address.
