Summer’s here, which means that the days are long and your pants are short. It’s time to make sure your legs are as strong, toned and shorts-ready as they can possibly be.
Summer’s here, which means that the days are long and your pants are short. It’s time to show off those pins, and to make sure that they’re as strong, toned and shorts-ready as they can possibly be. Strengthening the muscles in the lower half of your body has a huge effect on your overall fitness and performance – after all, your legs, thighs and core are what keep you upright and mobile day in and day out.
“To build strong legs, you need to work them against some kind of resistance and gradually increase the load,” says Diane Teles, a Johannesburg-based physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach. For maximum results, Diane recommends combining some of the following exercises during the course of your workout:
- Deadlifts
- Stand with your feet under a barbell with your shoulder blades back and down. Bend at the hip while keeping your torso upright, neck straight and your knees locked. As you learn forward, bend your knees and push your hips back so that your weight stays over your heels. When you are low enough, grip the bar with your hands shoulder width apart, stand up and lift the barbell, keeping it close to your body as you do so.
- Squats
- Stand with your feet as wide as your hips and turned out to about 45 degrees. Drive your knees out over your toes and bend your knees down until your hips are below the level of your knees. Drive through the heels to stand up again. Once you are comfortable with this movement, try squatting with a barbell on the back of your shoulders.
- Forward and backward lunges
- Step one leg forwards and lower your body until your back knee is almost touching the ground. Keep your back upright through the movement, and try not to sway back or lean forward when you stand up or lunge down. Repeat this movement with your other leg.
- Side-on box step-ups and step-downs
- These work the inside and outside leg muscles (adductors and abductors). Stand side-on to a box of manageable height (you should be able to lift your foot onto the box and stand through the leg completely without placing the other foot on the box for support). Step up onto the box, shuffle over the top of the box and then step down on the other side. Repeat from this side.
“Movements that address opposing major muscle groups should be performed with similar frequency and intensity to prevent one particular muscle group from overdeveloping,” says Diane. She also advises keeping your routine varied and incorporating other movements like shuttle and hill sprints, skipping and climbing stairs. With these exercises, you’ll have strong, defined legs in no time that are just begging to be shown off.
Sources:
- Men’s Journal: https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/30-best-legs-exercises-all-time/
- Women’s Health Mag: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a19982843/best-leg-exercises/
