You may know them as your love handles, muffin top or spare tire. Technically, those not-so-affectionate terms are for the obliques, a common area targeted by clients of Personal Trainer Toronto.

The obliques refer to a section of the abdominal muscles that run along your sides, extending from the lower ribs to the hips. There are the external and internal obliques, both located in the same area but run diagonally in opposite directions. Any twisting or bending movement to the side at the waist require the assistance of these muscles. They are also required to compress the abdomen if both sides of the body are contracted.

If you’ve got love handles, the obliques won’t be visible since they’ll be hidden under layers of subcutaneous fat. While it’s absolutely imperative that you continue to strengthen the area with specific exercises designed for these muscles, you’ll need to reduce your overall body fat percentage in order to make your hard work more visible.

Personal Trainer Kin Sze has a great exercise that strengthens the obliques. Windshield Wipers may look easy, but after a couple reps, you’ll definitely feel it in sides of the abdominals. If you don’t feel anything, extend your legs out to straighten them completely and try the exercise again. You can also add leg weights, but you most likely won’t need them!

An important point to remember when performing Windshield Wipers is to keep your back flat on the floor along with your outstretched arms. Keep your palms flat against the floor. This will help maintain your balance as well.

Some other exercises that are great to improve the obliques are bicycle crunches and side bends.

An important point to consider is that while you can strengthen both the internal and external obliques, only the external portion will be visible if built up (think about that the next time you see someone who’s ripped).