Do you want longer leaner legs and a toned butt? Just follow these simple exercises and sculpt your butt, hamstrings, quads, thighs, and calves.
1. Chair Squat
Begin standing with your back to a chair, feet hip-width apart. While keeping your weight centered on your heels, draw in your abs and hinge forward at the hips slowly lowering your butt toward the chair. Pause right before you would sit down and return to standing while keeping the core engaged. Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
2. Pivoting Curtsy Lunge
Standing with feet hip-width apart, step your right foot diagonally behind you and into a 7 o’clock position. Bend both knees so you’re in a lunge stance. Lean your torso forward 30 degrees and pulse up and town 10-15 times. Straighten the body and pivot 180 degrees so your right foot comes to the front. Again, lower into a lunge.
Pulse up and down 10-15 times on each side to complete one set; do 3 sets.
3. Low Lunge Hover
Stand with feet hip-width apart before stepping your right foot back, and lowering into lunge stance with the left knee over the ankle. Bring your arms over your head and hinge forward from the waist. Lower the chest forward toward the thighs as your arms reach forward. Lift the right leg while straightening the left. Hold for 3 breaths before returning to the starting lunge position. Do 3 reps; switch legs and repeat.
4. The Lean
Begin with feet shoulder-width apart and the arms down at your sides. Take a step diagonally back with the right foot. Then, bend sideways from the waist toward the side where your right leg is stretched out, and reach your right arm up and left arm down and back toward your right calf. Return arms to starting position to complete 1 rep.
Do 10 reps, then switch sides and repeat.
5. Leg Lift
While you stand facing a chair, raise your right leg, knee facing up, foot flexed and place your heel on the seat. Make sure not to lock your standing knee as you lift your right foot off the chair and straighten it out until you feel your quadriceps engage. Keeping your lifted leg in the air, bend the leg on the floor slightly and then straighten it again. Do 10-15 reps, then switch sides and repeat for 1 full set; do 3 sets.
6. V-Position
Stand holding the back of a chair with one hand. Place your feet in a V position, toes should be about 4 inches apart and heels stay pressed together. Bend your knees and lift the heels a few inches off the floor. Then, lower your hips until you feel your quads intensely working. Pulse up and down. 10-15 pulses up and down completes 1 set; do 3 sets.
7. Hip Bridge
Lie on your back with knees bent and facing up. Plant your heels into the floor and lift the toes toward the shins. Raise the buttocks off the ground until your back forms a straight line from the knees to the shoulders. Hold for 1 second before lowering down. Repeat for 15 reps.
8. Split-Squat
With a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand at your sides, stand with the left foot forward and right foot back in a wide stance. Bend both knees keeping the left knee over your ankle, while lowering the right knee nearly to the floor. Return to standing. Do 8-10 reps on each side.
9. Standing Forward Bend
Stand with feet hip-width apart and hinge forward at the hips. Keep your knees slightly bent, lay the chest on your upper thighs, and let your head fall forward toward the ground. Keep the quads engaged and slowly work to straighten the legs without locking the knees. Hips should stay centered over the feet. Hold for 5-8 slow and deep breaths.
10. Chair Twist
Start by standing with feet together. Bend the knees and push the hips back, while making sure the knees stay behind the toes. Lower the thighs until they’re almost parallel with the floor and raise the arms forward and up. Then, rotate the torso to the right side and place the left elbow on the outside of the right knee. Hold for 3 breaths and return to the starting position. Repeat on the left side to complete one rep; do 3 reps.
11. Downward Dog Split
Begin on all fours on the ground. Take a deep breath, release and push into downward dog by straightening the legs and lifting your hips and butt into the air. Push your hands and feet into the ground and relax the head between your arms. Exhale and lift one leg as high as you can while keeping it straight with a flexed foot. Lower the leg down, and repeat on the other side.
12. Knee Lift-Leg Kick Combo
Lie on your right side with the upper body supported by the right elbow and tricep, which should be flat on the mat at your side. Stack the legs and hip, and bend the knees. Lift the top bent leg, keeping it level, and then lower it. Straighten both legs and let them fall into a small split position (with one leg split over the other). Hover the bottom leg about 1-2 inches from the floor with knees facing forward. Return to starting position to complete one rep. Do 30-40 reps, then switch sides and repeat.
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