Why work the legs?
Legs are the largest muscle groups in the body. When you work the legs, say, through a squat,
you put more stress on the body. A squat
requires work from your legs, yes, but also your lower back, shoulders and
core. Additionally, working your legs
through heavy lifting increases the release of growth hormones. So, actually, working the legs helps build
everything else. Don't skip leg day!
My own personal reasons for loving
the legs vary. I'm a runner so strong
legs are essential. As a woman, legs can
be a trouble spot. Having trim legs
means smaller jeans, shorter shorts and slinkier dresses. Legs are larger muscles, which burn more
calories and help me maintain my weight. And last but not least, I'm
short! The leaner my legs are, the
longer they appear to be. It's an
illusion, but one I'm happy to promote!
Here are some of my personal favorite
leg exercises:
5. Lunges - Forward, backward or
side to side, lunges are excellent for toning glutes and thighs. Just remember to keep your core tight and
your weight in the heel of the forward leg.
There are tons of variations of the lunge, so have fun!
4. Squats! - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
squats. I love that you can do them
anywhere! Use a band, dumbbells,
straight bar, smith rack, kettle bells... whatever floats your boat. Always make sure to engage your core and keep
the weight through the heels. Push your
hips backward as though you were sitting in a chair. Squats target the butt and thighs as well as
core muscles. Go a little wider in the
squat and hit the inner thighs.
3. Stairs - Run them, walk them,
jump them. Whatever your pleasure. Using stairs in your leg routine forces you
to engage more muscle fiber than walking on a flat surface. Plus, if you run them, you get your heart
rate up and burn some serious calories.
2. Squat Jumps/Box Jumps - Similar
to stairs, you engage a lot of muscle fiber with this exercises. It's a little different than simply lifting a
weight, however. Typically, you are not
lifting anything more than your own body weight, but you are doing it with
POWER. In this exercise, you drop in a
squat position and power up, using a burst of movement. Not only does this help your muscles, but it
also helps improve speed, agility, and endurance.
1. Running/Biking - Of COURSE I love
running. Running does a lot for my legs
as well as my heart. In each stride (or
pedal) taken, all of the muscle groups of the leg are engage. Everything from hip, thighs, calves, glutes and
of course, core!
