Making sure your legs are in good shape is crucial to keeping your body strong, it is claimed Medicine Network. Fortunately, when it comes to gaining strength and strengthening your leg muscles, you can take yourself to the next level by checking out these must-have moves Alison Sizemore, a certified sports nutritionist and online fitness trainer with Couture Fitness & Lifestyle Coaching. Sizemore shares with us the best chicken leg workouts that will help you gain weight. Say goodbye to your chicken legs and hello to strong, toned, chiseled legs.
Sizemore told Eat this, don’t eat that!“There are several ways to develop great legs. However, doing hundreds of lightweight or band exercises [is simply] won’t get you the result you want. If you really want to develop a perfect lower body, you need to lift weights. “
Beyond that, Sizemore explains, “While some lighter exercises, such as the band clamshell and lateral walk away, are great for strengthening specific glute muscles and preventing injuries and muscle imbalances, without heavier exercises, you’ll never Won’t get your legs or hips to hope for.”
Instead, Sizemore recommends the following exercises. She recommends doing it twice a week, aiming for three to four sets of 8 to 15 reps. Read on to learn more, and next, don’t miss out if you’re not doing these exercises you’re not gaining muscle mass, says Trainer.
You’re probably familiar with the standard squat. However, the goblet squat is a little different.
Sizemore instructs you to start with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Position your toes so they face slightly outward. Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in each hand and hold them in front of your chest as if you were holding a goblet.
Once you’re in the right position, bend your elbows until the weight is at mid-chest level. Next, press your hips back and squat down. Sizemore emphasizes making sure your chest stays upright, your weight is evenly distributed, and you don’t lean forward as you lower. Then, press into your heels to return to the original shape.
Use a barbell for the next squat. Begin by removing the barbell from the rack and resting it on the back of your shoulder muscles. Once you are stable and comfortable, take two steps back. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart while pointing your toes slightly outward.
To perform this movement, act as if you were going to sit on a chair. While keeping your spine as straight as possible, let your hips drop until they are at or just below knee height. Allow most of your weight to rest on your heels, then stand back up to the starting position.
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Are you ready for another leg-targeting squat workout? Of course you are! Next, Sizemore recommends split squats.
Take a big step forward, “like doing a lunge.” This means that when you move, the heel of your back foot will eventually come off the floor. Keeping your back leg as straight as possible, lower your body until your back knee is close to the floor. From there, push yourself back to the starting position. Continue on one side until you’ve completed your reps, then switch and do the same prescribed reps on the other side.
Now that you’ve done your various squat exercises, Sizemore says it’s time for sumo deadlifts. For this, you’ll need to use a barbell again.
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and turn your feet outward at a 45-degree angle. The stance is supposed to resemble that of a sumo wrestler, hence the name. Of course, instead of taking on an opponent, you lower yourself by flexing your hips and grabbing the bar on the ground. Sizemore adds an important tip: “Make sure your back is flat in this bottom position, and be careful not to round it at any point during the exercise.”
Next, press down on your heels as you lift the barbell, pushing your knees and hips up. Lift the barbell to mid-thighs, and pull the shoulders back as you finish the lift. Maintaining proper form, lower the barbell until it rests on the ground.
“It’s a great low-impact way to get in some exercise without being too strenuous (and triggering a cortisol boost),” explains Sizemore. Going for a walk in a hilly area adds some extra challenge to this exercise. Best of all, Sizemore says it will really activate your glutes and calves.
As for how many steps you should walk, Sizemore recommends “try to walk 10k steps per day,” although it really depends on your specific abilities and goals.