Fitness - FITNESS GUIDANCE : Legs workout

Legs workout(16 photos)

Leg toning exercises for women

Get killer legs with this awesome workout from fitness expert, Ladan Soltani

 
Fancy toning your legs? Go old school with a workout from H&F personal trainer and Fitness TV presenter, Ladan Soltani. ‘We forget about or ignore the exercises that have always been around, such as basic leg raises, thinking of them as boring, traditional and even ineffective. But the reason they’ve been around for so long is because they did, and still do, really work,’ she says.

Moves such as squats, lunges and sit-ups should form the foundation of any lower-body workout – they might seem basic but they really do hit the spot! Consistency is key to getting results, so do these workouts three times a week. By performing these toning and conditioning moves regularly, you’ll improve the shape of your muscles and make them stronger.

Single-leg squat

Works:  All muscles below the waist, including core, quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals.

Standing with your legs shoulder-width apart, extend your left leg straight out in front of you, making sure your muscles are tensed and foot’s flexed.

Extend your arms forward to counterbalance your body weight as you squat down with your right leg, pushing your body weight back as though you’re going to sit down into a chair and exhale as you lower down. 

Keep your core engaged throughout to support your back. Inhale and return to the start position, repeating 10 times.

Swap legs and do 10 more reps. Rest for 30 seconds, then perform a second set.

Fancy toning your legs? Go old school with a workout from H&F personal trainer and Fitness TV presenter, Ladan Soltani. ‘We forget about or ignore the exercises that have always been around, such as basic leg raises, thinking of them as boring, traditional and even ineffective. But the reason they’ve been around for so long is because they did, and still do, really work,’ she says.

Moves such as squats, lunges and sit-ups should form the foundation of any lower-body workout – they might seem basic but they really do hit the spot!

Consistency is key to getting results, so do these workouts three times a week. By performing these toning and conditioning moves regularly, you’ll improve the shape of your muscles and make them stronger.

Single-leg lunges

Works:  All muscles below the waist, including core, quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals.

Standing with your legs shoulder-width apart, hold a weight or full water bottle in front of you with both hands.

Bring your right heel to your bottom in a leg curl so you’re balancing on your left leg.

Exhale, and bend down on your supporting leg as though you’re doing a stationary lunge, letting your arms hang in front of your body to even out the body weight.

Make sure your supporting leg is grounded and your toes are spread in your trainers (not scrunched!).

Inhale and return to the start position, repeating for 10. Swap legs and do 10 more reps. Rest for 30 seconds, then do a second set.

Fancy toning your legs? Go old school with a workout from H&F personal trainer and Fitness TV presenter, Ladan Soltani. ‘We forget about or ignore the exercises that have always been around, such as basic leg raises, thinking of them as boring, traditional and even ineffective. But the reason they’ve been around for so long is because they did, and still do, really work,’ she says.

Moves such as squats, lunges and sit-ups should form the foundation of any lower-body workout – they might seem basic but they really do hit the spot!

Consistency is key to getting results, so do these workouts three times a week. By performing these toning and conditioning moves regularly, you’ll improve the shape of your muscles and make them stronger.

Seated isometric squat 

Works:  Quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteals.

Find a wall, stand with your back against it and slide down until your legs are at a 90˚ angle, imagining you’re sitting on a seat. Make sure the lumber region of your spine is pressed into the wall and your stomach muscles are pulled in (keep breathing though!). 

When you feel your legs burning, visualise the amazing results! Do two sets of the maximum amount of time you can hold, gradually building up your time.

You’ll find the stronger your legs become, the longer you can hold this posture with less effort.

Fancy toning your legs? Go old school with a workout from H&F personal trainer and Fitness TV presenter, Ladan Soltani. ‘We forget about or ignore the exercises that have always been around, such as basic leg raises, thinking of them as boring, traditional and even ineffective. But the reason they’ve been around for so long is because they did, and still do, really work,’ she says.

Moves such as squats, lunges and sit-ups should form the foundation of any lower-body workout – they might seem basic but they really do hit the spot!

Consistency is key to getting results, so do these workouts three times a week. By performing these toning and conditioning moves regularly, you’ll improve the shape of your muscles and make them stronger.

Plyometric lunges

Works:  Core, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals and heart rate.

From standing, take a large step forward with your left leg. Bend at both knees and jump in the air, switching your left leg behind you and your right leg in front.

Keep scissoring the legs and switching sides by jumping, like alternate walking lunges but on the spot with impact involved.

Think about being really light and keeping your body weight in your stomach when landing, trying not to lean too far back or forwards.

Make sure you only do this exercise after all the standing exercises so you’re warmed up.

Do 10 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then do another set. Or to avoid high impact, keep your feet on the floor and pulse up and down in the lunge position three times instead of one jumping rep, then swap sides.

Fancy toning your legs? Go old school with a workout from H&F personal trainer and Fitness TV presenter, Ladan Soltani. ‘We forget about or ignore the exercises that have always been around, such as basic leg raises, thinking of them as boring, traditional and even ineffective. But the reason they’ve been around for so long is because they did, and still do, really work,’ she says.

Moves such as squats, lunges and sit-ups should form the foundation of any lower-body workout – they might seem basic but they really do hit the spot!

Consistency is key to getting results, so do these workouts three times a week. By performing these toning and conditioning moves regularly, you’ll improve the shape of your muscles and make them stronger.

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