Many people are after toned legs with less fat. While many exercises do tone the legs and burn fat, you must add cardiovascular exercise to your routine if you want to maximize fat loss. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of exercise, most days of the week. You can increase the intensity of any toning exercise by adding dumbbells or increasing the weight of the dumbbells you are using.
Squats
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lower
yourself toward the ground as if you were about to sit in a chair. When
your thighs are parallel to the ground, stand back up, returning to your
starting position. Make sure your behind extends behind you so that
your knees don’t move forward past your toes. You should be able to see
the top of your sneakers throughout the whole workout. If you don’t see
your shoes, shift your weight back.
Jump Squats
Stand with your feet flat on the ground, hip-width
apart. Lower yourself toward the ground, then jump into the air as high
as you can, landing softly. Make sure your behind extends behind you so
that your knees don’t move forward past your toes. You should be able
to see the top of your sneakers throughout the whole workout. If you
don’t see your shoes, shift your weight back.
Walking Lunges
Stand with your hands on your hips or at your
sides holding dumbbells. Step one foot forward as far as you can while
dropping your back knee toward the ground. Return to start and step the
other foot forward as you drop the other back knee toward the ground.
Continue alternating legs as you travel forward across the room.
Curtsy Lunge
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step one leg
behind you as you cross it behind the front leg, bending both knees
simultaneously as you lower toward the ground. Return to your starting
by pushing off the back knee. Repeat the same number of sets on both
legs.
Reverse Lunge
Stand with your feet flat on the floor. Step one
leg back behind you and lower your back knee toward the ground. Press
off your back leg, returning to your start position. Complete the same
number of reps on the other side.
Forward Lunge
Stand with your feet flat on floor. Step one foot
forward as far as you can while dropping the back knee toward the
ground. Be sure to lower yourself toward the ground instead of forward
toward your toes. You should see your front toes throughout the entire
movement, so be sure you don’t extend forward. Complete the same number
of reps on the other side.
Side Lunge
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip distance.
Step one foot out to the side as far as you can while lowering yourself
toward the ground. Your opposite leg should remain straight, and you
should feel a stretch in the inner thigh of that leg. Push powerfully
off the bent leg to return to your starting position. Complete the same
number of reps on the other side.
Abduction
Lie on the ground on your side. Lift your top leg
as high as you can, and lower to start with control. Roll over and
complete on the other side. You may rest a dumbbell on your leg near the
outside of your knee to add resistance, or wear a set of ankle weights.
Adduction
Lie on your side. Cross your top leg over your
bottom leg. Begin lifting your bottom leg up toward the ceiling. Try not
to let your torso rock backward. You may wear ankle weights to increase
resistance. Repeat same number of sets on both legs.
Wall Sit
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your back
against a wall. Walk your feet out and lower yourself toward the ground
until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold this position for 30
to 60 seconds and repeat several times. Avoid putting your hands on
your thighs. Instead, keep them overhead or down at your sides.
