Getting Back Into Shape

fitnessloveaffair:

Get Your Best Legs

First know that you can’t reduce fat in just one place. Your body takes a little bit of fat from everywhere, more or less in some places due to your genetics. Doing a ton of leg exercises isn’t necessarily going to make all that fat disappear, at least not by itself. We do these exercises to shape and tone the muscles so your legs have a great shape. If you aren’t eating healthy and doing cardio those sexy muscles are going to be hidden no matter how many squats you do. Gaining muscle helps, it increases the metabolism thus burning more calories, but you have to work the rest of your body and have a clean diet too.

Try to do one video or pick five exercises and do 3 sets of 8-12 reps (or until you feel the burn) about 3-4 days a week. Do cardio 3-5 days a week too, it can be running, biking, swimming, Zumba, kickboxing, whatever gets your heart pounding and sweat dripping. You can combine strength workouts and cardio into the same day if you want. Make sure to eat protein after your workouts, it helps build muscle!

These are, in my opinion, the best thigh and leg exercises and videos. I’ve included links to instructions for most of the exercises and a variety that you can do at home or at the gym. If you workout at home try to get some 8-10 lbs dumbbells, or get a backpack/duffel bag and fill it with heavy books to challenge yourself.

If you have access to a gym try these machines & equipment:

• the leg/hamstring curl machine
• the leg press machine
• the leg abductor/adductor machines
• squats with a barbell and/or dumbbells
• barbell deadlifts 
• lunges with dumbbells
• bulgarian split squat

If you don’t have access to a gym try these exercises at home:

• wall squats
• jump squats
• bridge/hip lifts (try them with your feet on a chair/bed)
• hip lifts on a balance ball (you’ll get an almost instant burn!)
• leg lifts
• inner thigh lifts
• the fire hydrant
• sumo squats
• suicides

These are my favorite leg videos:

• Inner Thigh Insanity
• Slimmer Inner Thighs
• Legs & Thighs Workout
• Itty Bitty Bikini
• Long Lean Legs Workout
• POP Kicks Kickboxing
• Bikini Beach Bum
• Tone It Up Legs & Core

(via lovefitspo-deactivated20120914)

(via gottaworkout)

(via princess-of-weights)

dudeletsburn:

Feel like watching TV tonight? Challenge yourself!

(via keeponpushingyourself)

(via love-yourself-gorgeous)

3 sets of wall holds for as long as you can this works out what most women call “the pouch” or your lower abdominals

(via gettingfit20)

fit-and-slim:

the runway thighs workout

read up (trust me, this is a killer for the thighs)!!

also, would love to hear your questions or have you send me some things to publish, always available to offer advice and publish your recipes/photos/stories!!

(via healthyhellzya)