Thighs and Legs

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction – Getting the Thighs and legs of your dreams!
2. Yo what?!? – Yoga
3. You don’t know squat – Squat Based Strength
4. No time? No excuses! – One Minute Exercises

Introduction – Getting the legs and thighs of your dreams

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Achieving this goal can be an overwhelming and difficult task. Infomercials and department stores are constantly advertising the newest and best way to have the tightest, sexiest butt, thighs and legs. Unfortunately, it can never be that easy. No one exercise will work all of the muscles in the legs and thighs. Different muscles need to be targeted with different exercises. These thigh and legs workouts will help you target each muscle in each group to give you sexy butt and lean, sculpted legs and thighs.

These exercise will tone. For weight loss, there is no magic cure. You must eat a balanced, organic, low carbohydrate (sugar) and non-processed diet and get at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every day.

A basic understanding of the muscles being used as well as the different types of exercises commonly used is necessary to properly toning these areas. The muscles of the legs and thighs fall into three basic categories. The first is the calves. The calves are on the back of the lower legs. The next muscle group of the legs and thighs is the quadracep. The quadracep runs on the top of the thigh and causes the knee to extend. The hamstring, which sits on the back of the upper leg, causes the knee to bend. The inner and outer thigh muscles provide stability.

Closely related to these muscles are the gluteus maximus, or glutes. These are, for lack of a better term, the butt muscles. Many exercises that work the legs and thighs also work the glutes.

Leg exercises fall into two basic categories. These are open and closed chain. The closed chain exercises involve the feet being planted firmly on the ground. An example of this is the squat. These exercises utilize multiple muscle groups, such as the hamstrings, quads and glutes that are exercised during a squat.

The second category, open chain exercises, involve the foot being freestanding. Open chain exercises, such as weight machines, work one muscle group alone. Open chain exercises are especially effective for the stabilization muscles of the inner and outer thighs.

Several types of exercises are especially effective for this area. These thigh and legs workouts are divided into three types. The first type of exercise covered by this guide is yoga poses. Squat-based strength exercises are the second category. The third category consists of exercises that can be done at work or home, in less than a minute. This last category of exercises are effective for toning the stabilizing muscles.

Yo what?!? – Yoga

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• Equipment needed: None
• Duration:15 minutes
• Frequency: Twice Daily

Yoga is a practice that began in ancient India. It involves using various stretches and positions to strengthen the body and mind. Beginning the morning and ending the evening with a few yoga poses is a great way to clear the mind and improve memory, concentration and sleep as well as toning the body. These yoga positions specifically work the leg and thigh.

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Mountain pose is the basic pose needed to learn all yoga. Most standing positions begin from Tadasana. This pose will help to center the mind and body and ready you for your workout. The steps to correctly doing the Mountain Pose are:

1. Place the feet with the base of the big toes touching. Pull the heals slightly apart. Balance the weight evenly on the feet
2. Firm the thighs and turn them slightly inward
3. Push your shoulders back, lengthen the spine and elongate the tale bone

Soften the jaw, relax the hands and center the mind

• Hold this position for 30-60 seconds

Warrior I

Warrior pose, first position is a great butt, thigh and leg pose. It works all four groups of muscles in the legs and butt. This pose, like most standing yoga poses, is also extremely effective on the stabilizing muscles. To do Warrior I, start in Tadasana and:

1. While exhaling, step the left leg back three and a half to four feet.
2. Raise your arms, perpendicular to the ground
3. Turn the left foot 45 to 60 degrees and the right foot 90 degrees. Rotate the torso to the right.
4. Slowly and gently bend the right knee until it is over the right ankle. The shin should be perpendicular to the ground
5. ground the back foot and stretch the arms, torso and back
6. hold this for 30-60 seconds and then repeat on the other side

Child’s Pose

The child’s pose is a simple yoga pose that is more relaxing and less strenuous than other yoga poses. It should be placed between other poses to give you a short break. To do the child’s pose:

1. Starting from Mountain, kneel on the floor. Touch the big toes together and sit on the heels
2. Exhaling, lay your head and torso down between the thighs
3. Place hands on the floor, palms up, and relax the shoulders towards the floor
4. Stay in this pose between 1 and 3 minutes

Garland Pose

The last yoga pose, the Garland pose is sort of a modified squat. The Garland pose works all muscles of the legs and thighs, including the stabilizing muscles of the inner and outer thighs. The Garland pose, like most standing yoga positions, begins in Mountain. From there:

1. keeping the feet together as closely as possible, squat toward the floor.
2. Spread the thighs slightly wider than your torso

Lean torso forward and exhale, fitting the torso between the thighs

• Press elbows into thighs and bring palms together
• Stay in this position for 30 to 60 seconds.

Workout:

1. Mountain pose
2. Warrior Pose
3. Mountain Pose
4. Child’s Pose
5. Mountain Pose
6. Garland Pose
7. repeat times three

You don’t know squat – Squat Based Strength

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• Equipment: 5 pound hand weights, yoga ball
• Time duration: 15 to 30 minutes
• frequency: Daily

With all of the new products, workouts and exercises, science has yet to develop a better exercise for shaping the thighs and legs than the simple squat. There are countless ways to alter the squat including using small hand weights, a yoga ball or even a wall. These three variations are some of the best of the best.

Traditional Squat

The traditional squat is one of the most effective moves when done correctly. Unfortunately, too many people do it incorrectly. To change this exercise up and work different muscles, try placing a yoga ball between the lower back and the wall.To execute a perfect squat:

1. Place the feet shoulder width apart
2. While keeping the shoulders level and hips squared, bend the knees five to 10 inches
3. Stay in this position for 30 seconds

Pyrometric Squat

The pyrometric squat is a very fast and fun version of a squat. This version works the inner thigh muscles as well as the quads and hamstrings. It also works the calves to a lesser degree. To do a pyrometric squat:

1. stand with feet shoulder width apart and bend the knees 90 degrees
2. jump up and land softly in a squat position. The soft landing is key to prevent knee injury
3. repeat 15 times

Pick-up Squat

The pick-up squat combines a traditional squat with hand weights. To do this exercise:

1. Hold a five pound weight in each hand
2. bend 90 degrees, keeping the chest level, and place the weights on the floor, outside the feet
3. Stand up and immediately squat down again.
4. Pick up the weights on the squat
5. repeat for one minute

Workout

1. Squat times 10
2. Pick-up Squats times 1 minute
3. Pyrometric Squats times fifteen
4. Repeat twice

No time? No excuses! – One Minute Exercises

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• Equipment: None
• frequency: Daily

The following exercises can be done absolutely anywhere. They are short exercise, done in one minute or less. These powerful exercises can make a huge difference in very little time.

Hip Flexion

This exercise can be done sitting in an office chair. It involves no equipment and takes less than one minute. To do this exercise:

1. Sit on the edge of the chair
2. Bend both knees and place firmly on the floor
3. Straighten the back, tighten the tummy and bring the right knee up
4. Repeat 10 times and then switch to the left leg

Inner Thigh Strengthener

This is another exercise that can easily be done in an office chair or on your sofa. This works the stabilizing inner thigh muscles. This exercise is done like this:

1. Sit on the edge of the chair with feet firmly planted
2. Place palms of hands on the inner thigh just above the knee
3. Press palms outward while attempting to push legs together
4. count to five and then release. Repeat 10 times

Abductors and Adductors

The adductors provide stabilazation and draw the leg toward the center of the body and stabilize the knee. The abductors do the opposite. They move the leg away from the center. It is very important to work these two muscle groups evenly. To do this, use this exercise:

1. Lay on your right side
2. lift the upper leg 10 times to work the abductors
3. Lift the lower leg ten times to work the Adductors
4. Repeat 3-5 times a day

The third set of exercises should be done as you can. While watching TV, sitting at work or even riding the bus, you can easily take one minute to do some of those. When sitting at home, watching TV, lie on the floor for one minute and do some leg lifts. They will make a huge difference. Just wait, with your awesome butt, thighs and calves, you will get all the looks on the dance floor!

If you’ve made it all the way to the end, it means you have the legs and thighs you have only dreamed of or you are ready to start. Either way, you are making the first step to the sexy butt and sculpted, shaped thigh, calves and legs that you desire. Follow these simple steps, and the killer legs and sexy thighs will be yours in no time. These thigh and leg workouts are as fun as they are helpful. Try rocking out while you work it out for a new twist to this routine. You can even work some of these moves while dancing during your next night out.