Building Leg Strength
Pliès: Not Just for Ballerinas
Don’t be scared off by the fancy French name; plies are one of the best ways to tone up the inner and outer thighs without driving yourself to insanity. Performing plies also places less stress on joints and can be as intense or moderate as you need. Begin by standing with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Take one small step out with each foot and then turn your feet outward like a duck. Place your hands on your hips or hold the back of a chair for support. Gently lower your entire body down about six inches and then raise it back up slowly. Repeat the movement for three sets of 30 repetitions. By moving slowly, you force the muscle to work harder without the benefit of momentum and thus the muscle becomes stronger faster. Pliès can be modified almost endlessly. You can drop down more or less depending on your needs, move your feet closer or farther apart, or even work on your core muscles by holding one arm curved over the head and the other in front of the body a lá ballerinas.
An excellent modification for those who want a greater challenge is to perform a full set and on the thirtieth repetition, hold the lowered position for 15 seconds. At the end of fifteen seconds, gently pulse your body up and down no more than a few inches for an additional thirty seconds. This works the muscle overtime and can define and tone even faster.
Heel Raises: Fast Toning on the Go
Heel raises are a wonderful exercise for people on the go because the exercise can be done practically anywhere without attracting odd glances from strangers. The target of the heel raise is the calf muscle, which can be a problem area for many people. Calves tend to respond to strengthening very quickly and gain definition in a matter of days, so this can be a very rewarding exercise for people who like fast results. Begin by standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. You may want to place your hands on your hips to help with balance. Simply raise your body up onto your tiptoes and hold it there for a few seconds. Lower back down slowly. Repeat this movement for three sets of 40 heel raises. You can do this standing in line at the grocery store and no one will think anything about it.
When you are ready for a bigger challenge, stand on a stair or sturdy elevated surface and let your heels hang off the edge. Slowly raise and lower your body for three sets of 25 repetitions. This asks for greater work from the calf muscle and shows up almost immediately. Use this move at work by taking the stairs and stepping only halfway onto the next step, forcing your calves to work harder.
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