I am totally ALL ABOUT THE BASICS. When I workout, I don’t aim for anything extremely fancy or choreographed.
WHY? I believe simplicity is key to a great workout. I also believe that in order to efficiently tone and shape our muscles, we need to isolate the muscle groups one at a time. If we are working legs, it’s okay to do one arm exercise but anything more becomes too confusing for our bodies. Our muscles go into survival mode and then every muscle group gets involved which can get nasty!
If I’m doing a lunge, I’m not going to try to dance out of it, wave my arms about and do a bicep curl here and there. NO. I’m going to be very disciplined about my lunge technique, making sure my knee NEVER PASSES MY TOES. Once I’ve perfected the lunge, I can add a simple bicep curl in which the ELBOW DOES NOT MOVE.
I truly believe that with simple, clean, efficient movements, we can sculpt sexy, strong legs in NO TIME! Check out my exercises below and please try them and let me know what you think.
I like to perform 2-3 sets of each exercise anywhere from 20-30 reps each time per leg or per move. Oftentimes I’ll add low pulses to really feel the burn. You can also time yourself on each exercise. 3-4 minutes per exercise is plenty of time.
And remember… ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS warm up and stretch for 10-15 minutes before beginning your weight training session. When you finish, get back on the cardio machine for another 5-10 minutes followed by some more stretching. You can be in and out of the gym in just about 55 minutes.
LET’S GET STARTED!…
Basic Lunge with a basic bicep curl-
Always start by perfecting your lunge first. The goal should be 90 degrees with the front and back knee angles. I’m a little bigger than 90 in these pictures because I want you guys to start safe and knee-injury free! Remember to ALWAYS FOCUS ON THE BACK LEG in your lunge. If you can keep your weight equal between the feet, drop your pelvis straight down towards the floor and bend into that back knee, you’ll sculpt your leg muscles in no time. Add your bicep curls when ready. Choose weights you can handle for sets of high reps. Anywhere from 3’s to 10’s should do it.
Plie’ Squats with a row-
These give us sexy adductor muscles! Again, follow my rule by never allowing your knees to pass your toes. Stay wide in your stance, slightly tuck your tailbone and sink your weight evenly into your heels. Press your ribheads down and together as you squat and stand. I like to do a 2 count down, 2 count up timing on these guys. Once I see that my form is good, I’ll add a row. As I squat down, my arms row up and wide, pinching my shoulder blades.
Legs together in parallel position, squats-
Here, the goal should be to put 100% of your weight and weights into your legs. As you can see, my arms are toned by my side holding the weights (not too tightly). My knees land just over my toes but not beyond. My chest is lifted and I am sitting back as far as I can to shift my weight into my heels. The arms stay by my side as I squat up 2, down 2 and add low pulses at the end of three sets of reps.
Squat to clean and press-
Again, make sure you are in a safe, low squat with the weight shifted towards your heels to help you keep your knees from passing your toes. As you squat, lift your weights to shoulder height. Using your LEG strength for the next step, press through your heels coming into a vertical standing position with arms extended overhead. As you lower your weights back to shoulder height, return to your squat position. Your legs should be doing most of the work here, NOT YOUR SHOULDERS. Yes, it’s called a shoulder press at the top but that doesn’t mean you should over use them. Think of engaging your back muscles, dropping your scapula towards your hips. Think of placing the weight of those weights into your legs and feet so they do all the work. I always perform these at a slower pace and in a maximum of 2 sets. More than that and you can tire out your shoulders. Keep a tight core with your belly button pulling in towards your spine at all times.
My fave straight legged dead lifts-
I am a huge fan of LIGHT WEIGHT DEADLIFTS. In fact, you’ll never see me promote them with heavy weights. Save that for the men’s weight competitions!
You might not feel like you’re lifting weights but trust me, if you feel a stretch in the back of your leg, you’ll definitley feel your hammies the next day. Be VERY CAREFUL when performing deadlifts. Work hard to keep a straight back and weight in your heels. Never go to where you feel uncomfortable. You want to feel a good stretch, not tear anything. You must also focus on engaging those abs and keeping your belly button pulled in at all times to help protect your back. Your abs wrap around to your back and will work to keep those muscles protected! I do these in counts of 4 down and 4 up. 2-3 sets is good and sometimes I even do them standing on one leg. Remember to keep your head lengthening with your spine and a long neck.
Add a row to your deadlift-
If you’re feeling great about your deadlifts and technique, you can add some low rows. Count 2 down into your deadlift, row 2 up and release the arms 2 down, then come up for 2 counts out of your deadlift. I would do 20 reps at the most here in 1-2 sets. If you’re feeling it in your lower back at all, best to stop and ask for help or a spotter so you can improve your technique before trying again.
Deadlift with bent knees (my girly version of a sumo deadlift)-
Feet are hip width apart, knees are soft. Engage your core and back muscles, lengthening your spine as you hinge forward while squatting into your knees. Weights and arms loosely held, toward the inside or front of your knees.
I might do 2 sets of 20 on these guys. If I’ve already done a ton of other deadlift variations, I may opt for only one set. Again, stay slow in your counts and take your time.
Cardio lunges with a kick-
I know I said no fancy choreographed moves and I meant it. BUT… I also know many of you will want to up your pace and try something a bit more fancy. So here you have it.
Start with your basic lunge and bicep curl. When you’re feeling balanced, add a kick as you lift up and out of your lunge. As you kick, connect your core and tuck your tailbone so you’re not arching. Allow your arms to straighten downward. Stand tall and contract those abs to bring the leg back through and behind you into your basic lunge position and bicep curl. I do high reps of these guys, like 30 each leg and then repeat for two more sets. This is when I’m in the mood to turn up the heat and sweat!
As you can see, I’ve stayed very basic and shown that everything can be done with light dumbbells. I really believe if you perform everything with the proper technique and a high amount of reps, there’s no need for insanely heavy weights. Your body will start to shape itself. You’ll notice sexy legs and sculpted thighs in no time! And the best part… this can all be done in under 20 minutes!
xx Shanna