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Weight loss coach suggests 4 strength training exercises for women to target back rolls, flabby arms and belly fat

Updated on: Sep 12, 2025, 16:03:37 IST
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Squat is one of the forms of strength training that helps to tone your thighs. (PC: Freepik)
Squat is one of the forms of strength training that helps to tone your thighs. (PC: Freepik)

Try targeted strength-training exercises that focus on stubborn areas where weight loss can be challenging.

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).

ALSO READ: Fitness trainer reveals 5 things that made her weight loss journey easier: Walk a lot, fix sleep and more

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.

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.

This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.

  • Adrija Dey
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Adrija Dey

    Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read More

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