Basic Lower Body Workout
Cardio is very important for your health and for weight loss but so is strength training. Remember muscle burns fat! So just adding a little bit of muscle tissue will help you burn extra calories and give your body form as you lose weight. If you don’t add a little muscle you will just be a skinnier version of the body you have now.
Here is a very basic lower body workout to help get you toned up. Alternate lower and upper body workouts and separate days to give your muscles time to recover a day in between.
Squats- Quadriceps (front muscle upper leg)
Starting position:
Stand with your feet a little wider than your shoulders, toes pointed forward.
Action:
Slowly lower your body bending slightly at your hips as if you are going to sit on the end of a chair. You can even use a chair for reference. Keep your weight on your heels and make sure your knees do not go in front of your toes. Straighten legs and come back to starting position.
Repeat for 12 reps
Stand with your feet a little wider than your shoulders, toes pointed forward.
Action:
Slowly lower your body bending slightly at your hips as if you are going to sit on the end of a chair. You can even use a chair for reference. Keep your weight on your heels and make sure your knees do not go in front of your toes. Straighten legs and come back to starting position.
Repeat for 12 reps
Leg Curls- Hamstrings (back muscle of upper leg)
Starting position:
Lie face down with legs extended straight. Place towel or pillow under hips to cushion bones. Keep hips down and feet flexed leading with heel.
Action:
Bend knees one at a time and curl heel towards butt squeezing the muscle. Hold at the top for 2 seconds. Then release and slowly lower to starting position controlling on the way down.
Repeat for 12 reps
Bridge- Glutes (buttocks)
Starting position:
Lie on back, knees bent, feet on floor and press weight into heels
Action:
Slowly lift hips off floor towards ceiling squeezing buttocks and try to keep back on the floor. Tilt at pelvis. Hold at the top for 2 seconds and slowly return to starting position.
Repeat for 12 reps
Calf raises- Calf muscle (lower leg)
Starting position:
Stand with feet hip width apart
Action:
Slowly raise your heels until you are on tip toes. Hold for 2 seconds and then slowly lower back down with control.
Repeat for 12 reps
Lying Adduction- Adductor (inner thigh muscle)
Starting position:
Lie on right side, right leg straight on ground, left leg bent with foot flat on ground behind you. Extend right arm and bend at elbow to support head.
Action:
Keeping toes pointed forward and flexed
, lift right leg off the floor toward the ceiling a couple of inches keeping leg straight. Hold at the top for 2 seconds squeezing inner thigh. Slowly lower to starting position with control and without letting leg touch ground before raising for next rep.
Repeat for 12 reps and then switch sides
Lying Abduction- Abductor (outer thigh)
Starting position:
Lie on left side, legs straight, knees together, resting head hand or extended arm. Place right hand in front of body for support.
Action:
Squeeze the right thigh and raise right leg as high as you can keeping hips straight. Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds and then slowly return to starting position controlling muscle on th way down.
Repeat for 12 reps then switch sides.
Complete all lower body exercises 12 reps each and then start again at the first one. Repeat for 3 sets 13 reps each in a circuit.
Starting position:
Lie face down with legs extended straight. Place towel or pillow under hips to cushion bones. Keep hips down and feet flexed leading with heel.
Action:
Bend knees one at a time and curl heel towards butt squeezing the muscle. Hold at the top for 2 seconds. Then release and slowly lower to starting position controlling on the way down.
Repeat for 12 reps
Bridge- Glutes (buttocks)
Starting position:
Lie on back, knees bent, feet on floor and press weight into heels
Action:
Slowly lift hips off floor towards ceiling squeezing buttocks and try to keep back on the floor. Tilt at pelvis. Hold at the top for 2 seconds and slowly return to starting position.
Repeat for 12 reps
Calf raises- Calf muscle (lower leg)
Starting position:
Stand with feet hip width apart
Action:
Slowly raise your heels until you are on tip toes. Hold for 2 seconds and then slowly lower back down with control.
Repeat for 12 reps
Lying Adduction- Adductor (inner thigh muscle)
Starting position:
Lie on right side, right leg straight on ground, left leg bent with foot flat on ground behind you. Extend right arm and bend at elbow to support head.
Action:
Keeping toes pointed forward and flexed
, lift right leg off the floor toward the ceiling a couple of inches keeping leg straight. Hold at the top for 2 seconds squeezing inner thigh. Slowly lower to starting position with control and without letting leg touch ground before raising for next rep.
Repeat for 12 reps and then switch sides
Lying Abduction- Abductor (outer thigh)
Starting position:
Lie on left side, legs straight, knees together, resting head hand or extended arm. Place right hand in front of body for support.
Action:
Squeeze the right thigh and raise right leg as high as you can keeping hips straight. Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds and then slowly return to starting position controlling muscle on th way down.
Repeat for 12 reps then switch sides.
Complete all lower body exercises 12 reps each and then start again at the first one. Repeat for 3 sets 13 reps each in a circuit.
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