5 Moves For
LEAN, STRONG LEGS
Here are some primary reasons why leg fitness is more than window dressing:
The muscle groups in our legs consist of some of the largest muscles in our bodies (think burning calories); they are responsible for knee stability, balance, flexing and extending hips, rotating thigh bones inward and outward, assisting glutes in maintaining back and knee health, and absorbing force during activities like jumping, skiing, running, and dancing. In short, healthy leg muscles work together to keep us mobile.
Giving our legs the exercise attention they deserve will yield benefits that go beautifully with any outfit.
Upgrade your leg day with these 5 essential leg exercises for a strong and lean lower body…
Here’s how it works:
- This workout is called 25’s.
- There are 5 moves …start with 10 reps on each side. Add a few reps everey workout until you’re up to 25 reps.
- Do these moves 3 times a week.
And the best part? No excuses and zero intimidation factor. This versatile workout requires no equipment and only a few feet of space, so your at-home gym can be a small space in your living room, a hotel room, a park, or even the beach.
Let’s get started!
Rear Dip Lunge With Tricep Kickback
How to do it:
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, step your left foot directly behind you, taking a wide stance, and bend your legs, lowering your torso down into a lunge. Be sure and maintain that core stability to prevent injury.
- While in lunge position, keep your shoulders over your hips, back knee slightly bent, front knee in alignment with your front toes, shoulders back and down.
- Feel your weight in your right (front) heel as you push yourself to standing.
- As you return to standing, do a tricep kickback: Reach your arms back behind you and extend, feeling a squeeze in the tricep.
Beginners:
- Practice the lunge and tricep kickback movements separately and without weights at first.
Side Lunge With Bicep Curl
How to do it:
- Stand with dumbbells in each hand in hammerhead position, with palms facing each other.
- Step out to the right side, with a wide stance. Bend the right leg and lower your hips down as you keep the left leg straight out to the side, feeling a slight stretch in the left inner thigh.
- Pressing off the right foot, keeping your core engaged, push yourself back up to standing.
- As you return to standing, curl the weights up toward your shoulders, squeezing the muscles on the front of the arms for a bicep curl.
Beginners:
- Only take a stance that’s comfortable for you – a wide side lunge can be challenging when you’re just starting out.
Weighted Bridge
How to do it:
- Lie on your back with knees bent.
- Hold a light to medium weight on the crease between the leg and the hips.
- Lift your hips off the floor. Lift your right leg off the floor and then lift and lower the hips 15 times.
- Repeat with your left leg off the floor.
Forearm Plank With Swivel
How to do it:
- Starting in plank position, lift your right leg off the floor, keeping the hips square and squeezing the right glute as you extend the leg.
- Next, engage your obliques as you bend the right leg and bring the right knee just outside the right elbow.
- Then, swivel the right leg underneath your torso and toward the left elbow, still keeping the hips square, shoulders back and down and neck long.
- Do 5 full repetitions like this, and then push back into child’s pose, and repeat on the other leg.
Beginners:
- Try performing the movement on your knees instead of in full-plank position. You won’t have full range of motion, of course, but this will give you some good practice as you build your core strength.
Burpees
How to do it:
- Squat down to rest both hands on the floor, similar to the Mountain Climber move. But instead of lunging one leg back behind you, jump both legs at the same time into a plank position.
- Return to standing, and reach up to the sky.
Beginners:
- Even though this is a dynamic, full-body movement that challenges both the legs and arms, focus on engaging the core throughout the exercise. Remember to use your lower abdominals to pull in the knees as you jump your legs forward again.
- Make sure you’re initiating the move from the core as you lift your hips up and hop both legs back to standing position
