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FITNeSS

Get Great

legs!
By Caroline Sandry Photography Neil Francome

With spring finally here and summer approaching, nows the time to get to work
on your legs, as you ease them out of hibernation from under track pants and
leggings! The workout involves some great yoga and Pilates moves, to work on
your balance and stability, as well as the deep core muscles of your hips, torso
and pelvis, whilst of course shaping great legs.
Leg training add
running and other exercises
Adding running and other selected workout
options to your workouts will specifically
shape your legs.

thewarm-up

1. Steady running
If your goals are toned and shapely legs and
to improve your fitness and stamina then get
your trainers on and head out for some long
steady runs running will burn calories and
build strong lean legs. The pace will target
your slow twitch (endurance) fibres and
increase their oxygen processing ability.

ski warm up
Targets: all the muscles
involved in the workout

2. Sprints and faster running

If your goal is to build shapely legs with good
definition, try some sprint training, plyometrics
(jumping and leaping type exercises) or studio
cycling, as these will fire up your fast twitch
muscle fibres which will hypertrophy (increase
in size) to give you athletic legs.

The workout
Pay attention throughout the exercises: use
slow, controlled movements and focus on the
muscle groups working for example, for the
knee raise (exercise 1) focus on the glutes in
your standing leg, as they will be working hard
to stabilise your pelvis.

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Stand tall, inhale and

stretch your arms up
beside your ears
Exhale, lean forward and
bend your knees as you
swing your arms back
behind your bottom
Inhale and stretch up tall
Repeat, breathing deeply
for 1 2 minutes

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theexercises
1: Knee Raise

Targets: stability, ankles, hips, glutes and thighs

Stand on your right leg, draw your right knee cap up and squeeze your
right glute. Keep your hips level
Bring your hands out in front of you at shoulder-height
Raise your left knee in front of you, lower without touching the floor
Repeat 15 times on each leg

2: Knee Pump

Targets: hips, glutes and hamstrings

Stand on a step with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent, palms facing in.
Shift your weight onto your right leg, and step back into a reverse lunge with the left leg, simultaneously
lifting the left dumbbell forward as in the photo.
Keep both knees at right angles dont let front knee pass in front of toes.
Drive the left leg up towards your chest as you raise your right arm
Perform 15 reps moving smoothly from one position to the next
Repeat on the other side

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3:
One
and
a Half
squat

Targets:
quads, glutes
and hamstrings

Stand on step with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, arms by sides, palms facing in.
Squat until thighs are near parallel to floor, keeping knees behind toes and back straight.
Rise halfway and hold for 2sec before lowering back into full squat.
Return to start this is 1 rep
Perform 15 reps.

4: Yoga Utkatasana
(Awkward Pose) series
Targets: quads, glutes, core and shoulders

1.
Stand with feet slightly apart and parallel
Raise your arms out in front of you at shoulder height,
palms down and arms strong
Sit down in an imaginary chair, keeping your heels down
and shoulders away from your ears
Hold this position and breathe steadily for 30-60sec
Slowly return to standing

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2.
Now rise up on onto tiptoes heels as high as possible
Again, sink down into the seated position thighs parallel to
the floor
Keep your shoulders away from your ears and your arms strong
Hold steady and breath keeping heels high for 30-45sec.
(Performing this series without your trainers will make work
your feet and ankles work harder)

5: Yoga Tuladandasana
(Balancing stick Pose)

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Targets: back, glutes, hamstrings, core and shoulders

Stand with your arms stretched up beside your ears

Take a big step forward with your right leg as you
simultaneously stretch your arms up and forwards
and take your left leg out and up behind you,
hinging at your hips to lower your body
Continue simultaneously stretching arms forward and
leg back as you bring your body parallel to the floor
Keep your standing leg straight and your quads
tensed for support
Hold steady for up to 30sec, remember to breathe
Repeat on the other side

6: Pilates side leg lifts

Targets: hips, legs and bottom

Lie on your right side with your body supported on your elbow (elbow directly
beneath shoulder and head and shoulder lifted away from the floor)
Keep your waist still as you lift and lower your left leg 15 times
Keep your leg up, and circle 10 times each way
Repeat with right leg

7: scissors

Targets: hip flexors, quads and core

Lie on your back with both knees drawn into your
chest and your head up
Straighten one leg up towards the ceiling and
scissor the other towards the floor. Your hands
should guide your top leg - do not pull as this will
reduce the effort in the hip flexors
Exhale as you scissor legs apart, inhaling quickly
between each movement
Keep your legs straight and fully extended and
your spine in neutral on the floor (never arched)
Repeat 20 scissors

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