We have a great outdoor workout coming up from Fitness Expert Nichelle Laus that is sure to get your legs burning and your heart pumping. I met up with her for a private kickboxing lesson with my sister and contributor, Linda Luu. Man, did we get beat up (and I think Nichelle was going easy on us). What I loved about Nichelle was how real she was and her no BS attitude. Maybe it’s because the mother of four just left her 15 year career as a police officer to focus on being a trainer and transformation specialist. Take a look at her website to see ALLLLLL of her success stories!
Try this summer exercise routine for yourself and sign up for Nichelle’s newsletter on her site for more interesting tidbits to keep you on track. Take it away, Nichelle!
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Many women ignore training their legs for fear of looking bulky. To the contrary, shaping and strengthening the lower half will result in a tightly toned overall appearance, and beautiful feminine curves.
Let’s head outside for this one! These 4 lower body exercises are easy and focus on strengthening the legs, improving stability, and defining your beautiful figure.
To get started, warm up with a light 3 – 5 minute jog, skip, or running on the spot to warm up the leg muscles, develop the thighs, and strengthen the hips.
Then, perform 3 sets of 10 reps of each exercise below, resting less than 60 seconds between each set.
Walking Lunges (Quads, glutes, hamstrings):
Stand upright with your feet together.
Take a controlled step forward with your left leg. Lower hips toward the floor and bend both knees (almost at 90 degree angles). The back knee should come close but never touch the ground.
Your front knee should be directly over the ankle and the back knee should be pointing down toward the floor.
Push off with your right foot and bring it forward to starting position. This completes one rep.
Repeat with the right leg, and continue for the number of desired repetitions.
Bench Jump (Quads, glutes, hamstrings):
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Start by doing a regular squat, then engage your core and jump up explosively onto the bench.
When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep. Land as quietly as possible. Repeat for number of desired repetitions.
Glute Bridge (Glutes, Core):
Lie flat on the floor on your back with your hands by your side and your knees bent. Your feet should be placed around shoulder width. This will be your starting position.
Pushing mainly with your heels, lift your hips off the floor while keeping your back straight. Breathe out as you perform this part of the motion and hold at the top for a second.
Slowly go back to the starting position as you breathe in.
Repeat for the number of desired repetitions.
Fire Hydrant (Glutes, Outer hips, Outer thighs)
Start on all fours, knees directly under your hips, and hands directly below your shoulders. Keep your back and neck straight and look forward. Keeping your knee bent, raise your right leg out to the side, until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep your pelvis stable. Slowly lower your leg back to starting position.
Perform desired amount of repetitions, and switch legs.
