"Lower half blast"

Add these exercises into 1-2 days of strength to target your legs and glutes.
Try 2-3 sets of 20 for move, on each leg.

Single Leg Lifts

Lie on your left side, rest your head on your left arm, and place your right hand on the floor in front of your chest. Your legs should be straight with your right leg on top of your left leg. Without moving any other part of your body, slowly raise your right leg as high as you can. Pause, then return to the starting position.

Clam Shell

Lie on your left side with your hips and knees bent 45 degrees. Stack your right leg on top of your left leg, heels together. Keeping your feet together and left leg on the floor, raise your right knee as high as you can without your heels coming apart. Pause, then return to the starting position.

Hip Raises

Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Squeeze your glutes and press into your heels to raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause, then slowly lower back to the starting position. That's one rep.

Cross Body Mountain Climbers

Start at the top of the pushup position, with your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Keeping your abs braced, pick up your right foot and slowly bring your right knee toward your left shoulder. Then return to start.

source: womenshealthmag.com 

Move of the Day

Dead Lift to High Pull

targets: Shoulders, Chest, Upper back, Hamstrings and Glutes

Hold dumbbells in front of you, palms facing your thighs, and stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Keeping your back slightly arched and your core engaged, hinge forward at the hips and slowly lower your torso until it's almost parallel to the floor. 

Pause, then squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to return to standing, pulling the dumbbells up to your chest by bending your elbows out to the sides and raising your forearms. 

Return to the starting position. 

That's one rep. Do 15. 

Its a fairly simple exercise but very effective.

Add it to your workout today, or try and do one set during each commercial break during your favourite show tonight.

Leg Pyramid

I have done this leg pyramid a couple times now
And its great!!
It doesn't take very long to do but its very effective.
I just add a 10 minute warm up like biking at the beginning
and Stretching at the end and it's perfect!!

Santa Baby Workout

 

I am off to do this workout right now.

I probably wont be able to walk tomorrow.

For a printable version Click Here

Leg Workout

Last week (and hopefully this week) I did this Leg workout twice.

I got my inspiration from Itty Bits of Balance 10-10-10 leg workout  - Which you can find HERE

I did 25 minutes on the bike at about 60-80% of my max heart rate (Max HR =220-age)
Then I cranked up the levels and sprinted for 1 minute

I did 10 of Each - 2 sets

Sumo Squats

Front Lunges (5 each leg)

Side Lunges (5 each leg)

Then I did 10 reps, 2 sets of each of these

Calf Raises

The we get a little Jane Fonda

Outer Thigh Lift (10 each leg)

Inner Thigh Lift (10 Each)

I finished by doing as many sit ups as I can
and then stretching

Girl's Got Legs

Did you ever notice that Carrie Underwood has killer legs??

Well besides eating a very strict vegetarian diet, eating 1500 calories a day

and Doing cardio such as running and kickboxing 3 times a week...

Here are some of the very same leg exercises she does.

Back Lunges with a Bicep Curl
From a standing position, step backwards into a deep lunge, then come back into a standing position, while also doing a bicep curl with free weights. Do 15 for each leg for two or three sets.

Front Lunges with a Torso Twist
Holding a medicine ball in front on you, step forward into a front lunge, then twist sideways in the direction of the lunge (if you lunge with your right leg, twist towards the right). Do 15 for each leg for two or three sets.

Jump Squats
From the squat position, jump into the air as high as you can, landing back into the squat position. Repeat for 20-25 reps.

Prone Bridge on a stability ball
As you’re lying face down, place your bent elbows on the stability ball with your body completely straight behind you, belly down, feet on the floor, balanced on your toes. Once balanced, hold the position for as long as you can. Build up your reps as you get stronger.

[source]

circuit training

here is the circuit i have been doing recently at home.  all you need is a step or bench, a mat, and some weights - 3 - 7.5 lbs weights (whatever you can lift 10-12 times and gives you a good workout)

Warm up:

Jog in place 1 minute

Arm swings 30 sec

Jumping Jacks -30

Legs:

Step Up (I use my coffee table)

Plie squat

45 Degree Lunge

Chair Pose

Cardio:  30 sec each

Jumping Jacks, Jogging on spot, Skipping on spot

Abs 15 each

Crunches w/ legs lifted

Reverse Crunch

V -Sit

Side Plank (30 sec each side)

Cardio (same as above)

Arms: 10-12 reps each

Push ups

Bent Over Row

Bicep curl

Tricep Curl

Chest Fly

Cardio +Cool down

Jumping Jacks, Skipping on spot

Walk on spot

Stretch

want stronger legs?

try these 4 moves

Step Ups

Leg Swings

45 Degree Lung

Bridge

For more information, including how to do each exercise, click here

Move of the day

Want to tone your glutes, hips, and inner thighs? Then try this move. Its called the speed skaters and it works!

start by crossing your left leg behind your right as you bend you right knee to 90 degrees (making sure your knee doesn't go past your toe).

then either swing your right arm out to the side, or reach down and touch your toe.

then either jump or step a few feet to the other side and bring your right leg behind your left as you bend you left knee.

do 2 sets of 12-15 along with your regular leg strengthening exercises

dont forget to keep your core strong throughout the exercise.