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Exercises

Muffin top exercises for your sides, lower belly and whole body

Published October 29, 2026

The best muffin top exercises are the side plank hip dip, suitcase carry and cable woodchop for the sides of your waist, the reverse crunch and mountain climber for your lower belly, and the goblet squat, kettlebell swing and renegade row, the full-body lifts that use the most muscle per session. The roll above your waistband shrinks with overall fat loss, not with crunches aimed at it; these exercises build the muscle underneath so the area looks firmer as it goes. Lift 3 days a week, 2 to 4 sets per exercise.

  1. Dumbbell Side Plank Hip Dip Abs
  2. Dumbbell Suitcase Carry Abs, Quads
  3. Cable Woodchop Abs
  4. Reverse Crunch Abs
  5. Mountain Climber Abs
  6. Goblet Squat Quads, Glutes
  7. Kettlebell Swing Glutes, Hamstrings
  8. Renegade Row Lats, Upper Back

Side work for the sides of your waist

Your obliques wrap around the sides of your waist, right where a muffin top sits. They work hardest when they stop you from bending sideways, which is what a side plank and a one-handed carry ask of them. Add the hip dip when holding still gets easy.

Obliques, loaded side plank

Dumbbell Side Plank Hip Dip

Abs

Lowering and lifting your hips from a side plank trains the obliques along the side of your waist through a short range. A dumbbell on the top hip turns it from an endurance hold into a set you can progress.

How to do it

  1. Set up in a side plank on your elbow with a dumbbell on your top hip.
  2. Lower your hips until they almost touch the floor.
  3. Drive them back up past straight, squeezing the bottom side of your waist.

Cues

  • Lift past straight
  • Slow down
  • Elbow under shoulder

Common mistakes

  • Dropping fast into the floor and bouncing up.
  • Rolling the chest toward the floor as the hips drop.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Plank, Dumbbell Side Bend

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Obliques, side hold

Side Plank

Abs

The side plank is the start point for the hip dip: it teaches you to hold your ribs and hips in line while the side of your waist does the work. It needs only floor space.

How to do it

  1. Lie on one side with your elbow under your shoulder and your legs stacked.
  2. Lift your hips until your body is straight from head to feet.
  3. Hold, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Hips high
  • Stacked feet
  • Elbow under shoulder

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips drop toward the floor as the hold goes on.
  • Rolling the chest forward or back.

Swap for: Dumbbell Side Plank, Copenhagen Plank

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Obliques and grip, one-sided carry

Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Abs, Quads

Walking with one heavy dumbbell makes the opposite side of your waist fight to keep you upright. It is standing, easy to learn, and gets harder simply by picking a heavier dumbbell.

How to do it

  1. Pick up one heavy dumbbell and stand tall with it at your side.
  2. Walk with short, steady steps without leaning toward or away from it.
  3. Set it down, switch hands and walk back.

Cues

  • Shoulders level
  • Tall walk
  • Grip hard

Common mistakes

  • Leaning away from the weight to balance it.
  • Picking a dumbbell so light that nothing has to work.

Swap for: Farmer's Walk, Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry

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Abs and obliques, plank with knee drive

Spider Plank

Abs

Drawing a knee to the elbow from a plank adds a side crunch to a front plank. It is a good no-equipment move for the sides of the waist.

How to do it

  1. Hold a straight-arm or forearm plank.
  2. Bring one knee out to the side toward the elbow on that side.
  3. Return it and alternate sides without letting your hips rise.

Cues

  • Knee toward the elbow
  • Hips level
  • Slow and controlled

Common mistakes

  • Piking the hips up to reach: bring the knee as far as the plank allows.

Swap for: Mountain Climber, Plank, Bear Crawl

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Rotation moves

Twisting and chopping train the obliques as they turn your trunk. The cable woodchop is the easiest to load and progress, the kneeling dumbbell chop does the same at home, and the Russian twist is the floor version for when you have one weight or none.

Obliques, cable rotation

Cable Woodchop

Abs

The cable keeps tension through the whole turn and the stack moves in small steps, so you can add weight every few weeks. It is the rotation move to use in a gym.

How to do it

  1. Set a cable high, stand side-on and grip the handle two-handed above the near shoulder.
  2. Chop it on a diagonal to the far hip, turning your chest as your back heel lifts and spins.
  3. Let it return along the same line under control. Finish one side, then switch.

Cues

  • Turn the chest
  • Arms long
  • Pivot the back foot

Common mistakes

  • Pulling with the arms rather than turning the trunk.
  • Going so heavy the stack drags you back on the return.

Swap for: Dumbbell Woodchop, Pallof Press

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Obliques, kneeling dumbbell chop

Dumbbell Woodchop

Abs

Kneeling on one knee locks your hips so the turn comes from your trunk, not your legs. One dumbbell makes it a home version of the cable chop.

How to do it

  1. Kneel tall on both knees on a mat and hold one dumbbell with both hands beside one hip.
  2. Lift it diagonally up and across your body to above the opposite shoulder, turning your ribs with it.
  3. Bring it back down the same line to your hip under control.
  4. Finish all reps on that side, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Chest turns
  • Hips square
  • Diagonal line

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows to move the weight instead of turning the trunk: keep your arms long.
  • Going too heavy to control the way back down: if the dumbbell pulls you off balance at the top, go lighter.

Swap for: Med Ball Woodchop, Cable Woodchop

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Obliques, seated twist

Russian Twist

Abs

Twisting side to side while seated trains rotation with no equipment, and holding a plate or dumbbell makes it harder. Keep it slow; fast twists use momentum, not muscle.

How to do it

  1. Sit with knees bent and heels on the floor, then lean back until your trunk is at an angle.
  2. Clasp your hands together at chest height.
  3. Turn your shoulders to one side, come back through the middle and turn to the other.

Cues

  • Turn the ribs
  • Chest tall
  • Slow

Common mistakes

  • Swinging only the arms while the chest faces forward.
  • Rounding your back to get lower.

Swap for: Dumbbell Woodchop, Windshield Wipers

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Lower belly

The reverse crunch curls your hips toward your ribs, which works the lower part of the abs that a regular crunch reaches less. Mountain climbers add a fast, breathless finish that also gets your heart rate up.

Lower abs, hip curl

Reverse Crunch

Abs

Rolling your hips off the floor toward your ribs targets the lower abs, the area under the belly button that sits behind the front of a muffin top.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up, hands by your sides, knees bent and feet lifted.
  2. Pull your knees toward your chest and keep going until your hips peel off the floor.
  3. Lower your hips one vertebra at a time, then let your feet drift back to just above the floor.

Cues

  • Hips peel up
  • Slow way down
  • No swinging

Common mistakes

  • Throwing the legs back for momentum: the hips should curl up, not get flung.
  • Stopping when the knees reach the chest: the rep counts once the hips lift.

Swap for: Lying Knee Raise, Hanging Knee Raise

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Abs and conditioning, timed drill

Mountain Climber

Abs

Driving the knees in fast from a plank works your abs and raises your heart rate together. Short timed rounds make a quick finisher on any day.

How to do it

  1. Start in a high plank.
  2. Drive one knee toward your chest, then switch legs quickly.
  3. Bursts: 15 seconds at half pace, then faster.

Cues

  • Shoulders over hands
  • Hips level

Common mistakes

  • Raising your hips high.
  • Bouncing on your hands.

Swap for: Plank Jack, Mountain Climber Jump, High Knees

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Full-body lifts that do the heavy lifting

Squats, swings and rows train your legs, hips and back at once, so a session built on them burns more and builds more muscle than one spent on the floor doing crunches. Each plan below starts with one of them.

Quads and glutes, squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

The goblet squat trains the biggest muscles you have with one dumbbell. A session that starts with it uses far more energy than one that starts on the floor.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically against your chest.
  2. Sit down between your knees, elbows inside them at the bottom.
  3. Stand up tall.

Cues

  • Elbows nudge the knees out at the bottom.
  • Chest stays up behind the weight.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the weight pull you forward.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Barbell Back Squat

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Glutes and hamstrings, hip hinge

Kettlebell Swing

Glutes, Hamstrings

Swings work the back of your body hard and keep your heart rate high, so 3 or 4 sets do the job of a short cardio block. Learn the hinge first, then go heavier.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips, the bell set about a foot in front of you.
  2. Hinge down, grip the handle with both hands, and hike the bell back between your thighs.
  3. Snap your hips forward to stand tall, letting the bell float up to about shoulder height on straight arms.
  4. Let it fall back between your legs as you hinge again, and go straight into the next rep.

Cues

  • Hips snap, arms just hold on
  • Stand tall at the top
  • Bell passes high between the thighs

Common mistakes

  • Squatting the swing by bending the knees deeply: push your hips back and keep the shins nearly vertical.
  • Lifting the bell with your shoulders: if your arms are working, the hips are not driving it.

Swap for: Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift, Superman

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Back and core, row from a plank

Renegade Row

Lats, Upper Back

Rowing one dumbbell while holding a plank on the other trains your back and makes your obliques resist twisting at the same time. Wider feet make it easier.

How to do it

  1. Set up in a high plank with each hand on a dumbbell and your feet about hip-width apart.
  2. Shift your weight onto one hand and row the other dumbbell toward your hip.
  3. Lower it to the floor and repeat on the other side.

Cues

  • Hips stay square
  • Feet hip-width
  • Row to the hip

Common mistakes

  • Rotating the hips up on the rowing side.
  • Using dumbbells so heavy you have to twist to lift them.

Swap for: Plank Shoulder Tap, One-Arm Dumbbell Row

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

At home, one dumbbell or kettlebell, three short sessions

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets35 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You work out at home with a dumbbell or two, or a kettlebell, plus a mat, and you can fit three sessions of about 25 minutes into your week.

Each session opens with 3 sets of a full-body lift and then gives 8 or 9 sets to the abs and obliques, about 35 sets over a three-session week. Core muscles recover fast, so training them every session is fine as long as the sets stay short of failure.

Session A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set first 3 × 10–15 2 90 s
Dumbbell Side Plank Hip DipPer side. 3 × 8–15 2 1 min
Reverse Crunch 3 × 10–15 2 1 min
Mountain ClimberSeconds per round. 3 × 20–40 2 45 s

Open Session A in the session builder

Session B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Renegade Row1 warm-up set firstPer arm. Feet wide. 3 × 6–10 2 90 s
Dumbbell WoodchopPer side. 3 × 10–12 2 1 min
Spider PlankPer side. 3 × 6–10 2 1 min
Side PlankSeconds per side. 2 × 20–45 2 45 s

Open Session B in the session builder

How to run it
Alternate Session A and Session B on three non-consecutive days, so one week is A, B, A and the next is B, A, B. Walk on the days in between if you can.
How to progress
Grow reps or seconds within each range, and once you sit at the top with the planned reps in reserve, step up: a heavier dumbbell on hip dips, a slower lowering on reverse crunches, longer mountain climber rounds.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

In the gym while eating less, three days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets37 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Kettlebells, Adjustable Cable

You have a gym membership, you are eating in a calorie deficit to lose fat, and you want to keep and build muscle while the scale goes down.

In a deficit the lifts that keep muscle on are the heavy full-body ones, so each day starts with two of the squat, swing and row before two waist exercises. Over the week that is 19 sets of full-body lifting and 18 sets of oblique and lower-ab work, 12 or 13 sets per session, which is enough to recover from on fewer calories.

Day 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat2 warm-up sets first 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Kettlebell Swing 3 × 12–15 2 90 s
Cable WoodchopPer side. 3 × 10–12 1 1 min
Reverse Crunch 3 × 10–15 1 1 min

Open Day 1 in the session builder

Day 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Renegade Row1 warm-up set firstPer arm. 3 × 6–10 2 90 s
Goblet Squat 3 × 10–15 2 90 s
Dumbbell Suitcase CarrySteps per hand. 3 × 20–30 2 90 s
Dumbbell Side Plank Hip DipPer side. 3 × 10–15 1 1 min

Open Day 2 in the session builder

Day 3
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kettlebell Swing1 warm-up set first 4 × 10–15 2 90 s
Renegade RowPer arm. 3 × 8–10 2 90 s
Cable WoodchopPer side. 3 × 10–12 1 1 min
Mountain ClimberSeconds per round. 3 × 30–45 2 45 s

Open Day 3 in the session builder

How to run it
Run Days 1, 2 and 3 on three non-consecutive days. Keep the full-body lift first, when you are freshest.
How to progress
On every lift, hold a weight until all sets are full at the top of the range with the target reps in reserve, then load more. While dieting, matching last month's numbers counts as progress.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Getting down to the floor is hard right now

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets18 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Adjustable Cable, Kettlebells

You have plenty of weight to lose or simply find floor work uncomfortable, you can use a gym with a cable station, and you would rather do everything standing.

Every exercise here is done on your feet, so there is no getting up and down between sets. Two days of 9 sets each give your obliques 12 sets a week and your legs and hips 6, a manageable start that you can build on.

Standing A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set firstSit to a bench at first. 3 × 8–12 3 2 min
Cable WoodchopPer side. 3 × 10–12 2 1 min
Dumbbell Suitcase CarrySteps per hand. 3 × 20–30 2 90 s

Open Standing A in the session builder

Standing B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Kettlebell Swing1 warm-up set firstLearn the hinge with a light bell. 3 × 10–15 3 90 s
Dumbbell Suitcase CarrySteps per hand. 3 × 20–30 2 90 s
Cable WoodchopPer side. High to low. 3 × 10–12 2 1 min

Open Standing B in the session builder

How to run it
Space Standing A and Standing B through the week, say Monday and Thursday. Add a third day of walking or cycling if you have the time.
How to progress
Add reps first, then weight. On the goblet squat, squat to a bench and lower the bench as you get stronger. On carries, add steps, then pick up a heavier dumbbell.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What's the best exercise to get rid of a muffin top?

No single exercise removes it, because fat over the hips comes off with your overall fat. The most useful mix is a heavy full-body lift such as the goblet squat or kettlebell swing plus one side move, such as the side plank hip dip or suitcase carry, done three times a week while eating a little less than you burn.

Why is my stomach fat at the top of my jeans?

Where you store fat is set mostly by genes and hormones, and the lower belly and hips are common places. Tight or low-rise waistbands also push the soft tissue up and over. Training changes the muscle; fat loss changes the roll.

Can I reduce my tummy in 7 days?

Not in fat. A week can reduce bloating and water, which changes how your waistband fits, but losing fat that you can see takes several weeks of steady training and eating.

How many times a week should I do muffin top exercises?

Two or three sessions, with 12 to 25 hard sets for the abs and obliques across the week. More sessions of crunches do not speed up fat loss; more full-body lifting and walking do more.