6 Steps to Gorgeous Legs
By
T'ai Erasmus, ISSA
|
Summer is here and you are on the beach. Are you showing
off your new bathing suit? Or hiding your legs under a
long skirt?
If you want to tone your thighs and firm your calves, here are some simple
exercises you can do to get shapely, fast.
|
| Squats
(for the best overall leg development) |
| Beginners should perform free squats (no resistance), wall
squats, ball squats, and dumbbell squats to start. This is
a good way to improve your confidence, balance and flexibility
in your hips and lower legs, so you can move on to the better
stuff.
For intermediates and advanced: With the barbell on a
power rack, step under it so that it rests across the back
of your shoulders. Place hands evenly spaced from the center
of the bar, slightly wider than shoulder width. Extending
hips and legs, while keeping torso erect, lift bar and
back out of the rack one step. Keeping your head up and
back straight, bend your knees and lower yourself until
your thighs are just lower than parallel to the floor.
From this point, push yourself back up to the starting
position. It is important to go below parallel in this
movement, especially when you are first learning the exercise,
so you develop strength along the entire range of motion.
|
| Leg
Extensions (for isolation) |
This exercise is great for lighting your quads on fire. You
can also use this exercise to develop deep definition in the
thighs, especially around the knees.
Sit on the seat and hook your feet under the padded bar. Extend your legs
out to the maximum, making sure you remain sitting flat on the machine.
Then lower the weight slowly until your feet are farther back than the
knees and the thighs are fully stretched out.
|
| Lunges
(for quadriceps development) |
| To develop the front of the thighs, grasp dumbbells, arms
fully extended at your side. Prepare to lunge by positioning
your lower body: Step forward slightly farther than average
stride length, landing foot heel to toe and coming to a complete
stop. Keep torso erect, descending in a three count by bending
knees and dropping hips straight down. Stop short of the back
knee touching the ground while keeping the lower portion of
the front leg perpendicular to the ground. Hold for one count.
From bottom position, ascend by pulling forward and up with
front leg. Bring feet together, then step forward with the
other foot and repeat movement. |
| Leg
Curls (for hamstring development) |
| Lie face down or sit on a hamstring curl machine, and hook
your legs under the lever mechanism. Legs should be stretched
out straight. Holding your posture, curl your legs up as far
as possible, until the leg biceps (hamstrings) are fully contracted.
Lower the resistance slowly back to the starting position. |
| Ball
Bridge Up (for glutes and lower back) |
| Lie on a ball, with shoulders and neck supported
on the ball. Hands behind your head. Place feet flat on floor,
shoulder with apart. Drop hips toward floor and tilt pelvis,
contracting the lower back muscles and glutes; lift hips toward
sealing. Keep head, shoulders and upper back in contact with
the ball. Keep body weight off neck. Hold for five to 10 seconds.
Return to starting position. Repeat. |
| Calf
raises (for symmetry and balance) |
| Your stance should be a little narrower than shoulder with
apart, knees slightly bent. Your feet should be slightly pigeon
toed, keeping all the pressure over the big toe. Lower your
heels as far as possible toward the floor, keeping your knees
slightly bent throughout the movement in order to work the
lower area of the calves as well as the upper, and feeling
the calf muscles stretch to the maximum. From the bottom of
the movement, come up on your toes as far as possible. Choose
a weight that allows you to come all the way up. Finish off
with partial reps for the ultimate burn. |
| Trainer's
Tips:
Always bring your awareness to the muscles you are working.
Control the resistance; don't let the resistance control
you.
Always be posture conscious.
Inhale during eccentric phase. Exhale during concentric
phase.
Experiment with different tempos for example 3-1-3, 1-2-3,
or 1-1-3.
Enjoy exercise! That's what it's for.
|
| Special
thanks to Ocean Bloom, British Columbia's Fitness Champion
of 1998 for participating in the demonstration. |
| References Cited:
The Complete Book of Butt
and Abs, Kurt, Mike and Brett Brungardt. Villard Books,
1995
Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Dobbins.
Fireside Books, 1987
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