Limber up with these exercises to tone every part of your legs.
Many of us skip leg exercises as they are more strenuous. But they can re-shape your whole body. Try these exercises and run up a flight of stairs between sets for extra burn.
Sets of short, fast runs are the perfect leg toners. They're a high-intensity strength and cardio workout in one. Sprints can be done on a flat field or park, up a hill or on the beach. Keep them short enough (30m to 80m) that you can maintain your top speed and rest between reps for twice as long as it takes you to complete each run. In other words, a 20-second run followed by a 40-second rest before you go again. Do between 6 to 10 reps and have a rest and a drink before going again.
Sets and reps: 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Brace your abs, keep your back almost vertical and your gaze fixed on the horizon, and wiggle your toes so your weight transfers to your heels. Squat by bending your knees as though you're sitting on a chair. Slowly go as low as you can. Stop if you feel any knee pain. If you can get to the point where your hamstrings touch your calves, you're a squat expert. Slowly rise back to the start. Repeat without resting at the top.
Reps: 10 to 20
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and then take a long stride forward, keeping the same width between your feet. Raise your back heel off the ground. Keep your torso upright throughout. Drop your back knee directly down to the ground, keeping the majority of the weight through your front heel. Rise and repeat without stopping at the top of the movement.
Reps: 10 to 20 each leg
Place your left foot on a bench that is approximately knee height. Push down through your left heel and stand up on the bench. Without stopping, move the right thigh forward until the knee is hip height and at a right angle (in a running style). Balance for a moment before slowly lowering your right foot to the ground, touching down lightly with only your forefoot, and spring back up for your next rep. Focus on maintaining your posture throughout and fix your gaze on the horizon in front of you. Do all the reps on one leg, then change.
Reps: 15 to 25 each leg
Stand on your left leg. Maintain your posture by lengthening the distance between your sternum and bellybutton. Bend forward at your hips and bend your left knee into a one-legged squat. You should be low enough to touch your left foot with your right hand.
Try to keep an even amount of pressure through the base of your foot. Do all reps on one leg, without touching your foot down, and then repeat on the other leg.
Reps: 10 to 20
You probably know by now that spot fat reduction is a myth. You can't do an abdominal exercise and hope for the fat to magically disappear from that area. That may seem like a shame, but there's a silver lining to every cloud. The exercises in today's workout will not only tone and shape the muscles in your legs and backside, they'll also burn fat from your entire body. Plus, leg muscles burn a lot of fat due to their size, so any of these exercises can be added to your workouts for extra fat burning and muscle toning.
Kelly Dixon, 28, from Sydney, is a personal trainer. She loves running, mountain biking and doing strength workouts.
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Find out more about Damien Kelly.