Getting great-looking legs isn’t just a matter of picking the right heels and practicing a close shave. A little exercise and toning can go a long way to making those muscles stand out. As the weather gets colder, this is the perfect time to push your fitness goals and try a little leg toning before you get out your skirts again. Good exercise will not only help your appearance, it can also help with strength, stamina, overall energy and blood circulation (https://www.ivein.com/). To start out, let’s break down some simple bodyweight exercises that can be done anywhere.
Basic Lunge
The lunge can be such a great exercise when done correctly. This is because they are such a strong, compound exercise, hitting the inner, outer, front, and back thighs along with the calves and glutes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF0BQS2W80k). To tone your legs even more, add weight to your lunges as your body will get used to your bodyweight overtime. This allows your legs to keep growing without hitting a plateau. Do this exercise for three sets between 8-12 reps for effectiveness. Overall, this is a great beginner exercise that can point you in the right direction. You can also add stairs or steps to your lunge sequences for a challenge when things get boring.
Squats
Parallel squats are by far the best exercise you can do to build up your legs. Due to the bio-mechanics in the lift, they are able to work all of your lower-body musculature while releasing many muscle building hormones during the lift. Other squat variations include the Bulgarian split squat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-uNgKwPLE) and the machine squat. The split squat is more difficult because you have to balance the weight on one leg. However, these have been proven to build massive quads when done for multiple sets in the 8-12 rep range. It’s recommended that newcomers try machine squats for lifting since it offers plenty of safety while still working your legs.
HIIT Cardio or Slow-intensity Cardio
High Intensity Interval Training has been shown to burn a lot of fat while maintaining a good amount of muscle (http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/lower-body-hiit-workout). By choosing this cardio over mid-intensity, you won’t have to worry about losing muscle while cutting for the summer season. HIIT should only be done two days a week, non-consecutively for the best results. Slow intensity cardio is a lot easier than HIIT but takes a lot longer to effectively burn fat. A 1-2 hour walk a couple times a week would do the trick.
There are many things that you can do to tone your legs over the winter. The few exercises presented here are some of the best, and most effective ways of toning your legs. Make sure you are getting the right nutrition and sleeping enough, as those are an equally important part of the muscle building process. In the end, your hard work will pay off when summer’s here.