Because girls should know how to pump up their gams!
Women tend to have better quad muscle strength than any other leg muscle. This is due the way our bodies move naturally. Standing, walking, lifting, and running all emphasize on the quad areas so when it comes time to actually workout, our quads tend to show definition sooner than the glutes and calves areas. But the main issue that most women have is that they worry about getting too bulky or too muscled. What a lot of you don’t realize is that in order to sculpt gorgeous, lean legs you have to first build the muscle to carve them from. Here’s really a best leg workout for women to help you down the road to better and easier leg definition.
Pistol Squat
The pistol squat is excellent in terms of best leg workout for women; it mainly focuses on one leg at a time. Simply stand with one leg slightly lifted off the floor and directed out in front of you. Hold your arms out straight to ensure balance and when you’ve found it ease yourself down into a squat, keeping the lifted leg suspended at all times. Bring your body back up into a standing position and continue with a few sets on that leg. When you’re done, switch and focus on the other leg.
Dumbbell Jump
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and position your arms in a straight and downward form. Place one leg in front of the other as if you’re about to do a lunge. Keep this stance until you find balance and then push off the ground, switch legs and land again. Continue this for as many reps as you can manage, until you feel the burn of this best leg workout.
Walk on Toes
This is a unique and best leg workout for women, but it works. Grab a set of dumbbells with your desired weight and let your arms fall to your sides. Find your balance and then simply raise yourself up on your tip toes. Remain in this position and proceed to walk around on your toes. You can walk in a straight line or around in a circle. Try to hold this move for at least a minute. Rest, then repeat.
Box Lunge with Forward Reach
This move is one of the most common best leg workout for women and men alike. Hold a heavy dumbbell in each hand and stand on top of a box or stacked set of mats. Hold that position until you find your balance and then proceed to do a backward lunge while keeping one foot on the mat. Do a few sets of reps and then switch legs to ensure both get the same workout.
One Arm Kettle Ball Swing
Stand straight with your legs a little more than shoulder width apart. Grasp the kettle ball in one hand while securing the other behind your back. Proceed to do a slight squat while forcefully swinging the kettle ball between your thighs and back out in front of you again. Continue doing a few sets before alternating arms. While this may seem like more of an arm workout, by incorporating the slight squat we target the leg muscles.
Swiss Ball Knee Lift
Grab your yoga ball or a Swiss Ball. Lay flat on your back with the ball at your feet. Then place both feet onto the ball while keeping your back flat against the floor. Proceed to lift your buttocks up so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Then, once you’ve found a good balance with the ball, move on to squatting one knee up to your chest. Hold this position for a few seconds before releasing you leg and placing your foot back onto the ball. Alternate between both legs to really work those muscles.
Goblet Squat
For this best leg workout, hold a heavy goblet (or any weight) tight to your upper chest. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and then proceed to the squat position once you’ve found your balance. Hold for a few seconds and then lift back up into the standing position. Continue this for as many sets of reps of 8-10 as you can handle. This is a great lower body workout.
Cardio Finish
Any best leg workout for women should end off with a quick fix of cardio. This gets blood flowing to your tired muscles while also ensuring that your body is burning those pesky calories long after you leave the gym. Here are some easy ones to give your daily leg workout a great send off.
- 10 minutes on the treadmill
- 10 minutes on an elliptical
- 2 reps of 10-12 jumping jacks
Regardless of the leg exercises you incorporate into your daily workout; you’re going to begin seeing some great results. Don’t fret over building too much muscle because you can always tone it down and sculpt them using these great moves. Just make sure not to ignore any of the key leg muscles areas; glutes, calves, thighs, and quads. By using these moves you’ll be on the fast track to showing off those gorgeous gams this Summer!
Tips
*Don’t forget to stretch! It’s important to warm up your muscles for any workout and also stretch them out afterwards to avoid muscle cramping and pain.
*Make sure to hydrate yourself! Stay hydrated by drinking water and electrolytes before, during and after your workout.
*Consult your doctor if you ever experience major joint or muscle pain.
