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What Exercises Work Your Butt and Thighs Best?
The butt and thighs are two big problem areas for many women. It seems that this area holds a lot of fat and as such it is important to find the best exercises to build those muscles which will help tone them up and trim them down.
This post is going to look at some of those exercises.
Exercises that work your butt and thighs?
Here are some of the better exercises that you can do for your butt and thighs.
1. The good old squat
Where would we be without the good old squat? Probably with soft and flabby legs with no lower body power at all. I make the weighted squat the core of my leg workout and don’t do anything else until I have really cranked these out. However, the squat can be a bit dangerous if you have bad knees so make sure you learn how to do it properly and make sure you don’t use too much weight too quickly.
This post looks at how to do the squat and why it is so good.
2. Furious hill sprints
When I was in high school I devoted more time to running hills than just about any other exercise. The result? I was toned, lean, strong, powerful and very fit. Running up hills is one of the best exercises you can do for your butt and thighs - the burn you will feel in them afterwards is second to none - even better than the squat.
The thing I really love about hill sprints is that you get an awesome cardio workout while you do it. You can feel your heart pumping in almost every possible place on your body and you will really test your lung capacity. Make this exercises a regular part of your routine and you will be fit and toned forever!
3. Full on Yoga
I am getting more and more interested in Yoga. I really love the benefits it can have on your internal energies but what I didn’t realize is that yoga is a very powerful muscle workout if you choose the right style. Like Pilates, many styles of yoga are very straining and can give you a really good strength workout. Some of the poses that work your butt and thighs are particularly good and will build up those muscles while working on your flexibility and relaxation.
4. Step ups
If you can find a good solid surface a little higher than your knees then you have all the equipment that you will need to get a really good butt and thighs workout. Stepping up to a high surface really brings those muscles into play and helps you target them to perfection. Its just like running up stairs by taking two or three steps at a time. It hurts!
5. Chinese kung fu
I have been doing kung fu for longer than I remember. The low stances of this ancient style really work your legs. Many beginners to the class have to sit down because their jelly legs cannot take the stance for too long! After a while of doing the horse stance and other low stances your legs become hard, firm and very strong.
Not only do your butt and thighs get a workout but you can work on your cardio and your self defense. This sounds like a perfect women’s class to me. Next time you get mugged you can distract him with your toned legs while you beat him down!
Conclusion
There are many exercises out there that will help you tone and shape your butt and thighs. However, I feel it is a good idea to find which ones work for you and then try to fully master them. This will lead to faster progress and less mucking around.
Comments on this article:
| Ashley Wagner said: | Thanks for all the suggestions - I sure need the help for my thighs :) The rest of me gets smaller while my thighs seem to stay the same.. ugh! I'm also getting into Yoga as well - I had no idea how many different poses there are! I also love the focus on the breath - it's probably the most relaxing form of exercise you can do. |
| home fitness said: | I am a firm believer in hill sprints as not only does it burn calories more butt it is also an incredible workout for your lower body. Women always come up to me asking how they can tone and firm their lower body and I have a say weight training, cardio and eating healthy is the only way. |
| Cindy said: | Oh, the hill sprints!!! Lunges are also very effective and don't always feel as daunting as getting out and running hills. Thanks for the great suggestions. |
| JC said: | Yoga, in any form, is not the same as Pilates. I get very protective of it... Yoga, even in intense circumstances, only burns about as many calories as that in an oreo. Yoga was originally meant to bring mind/ body/ spirit together. (Not to sound like a hippie, but it's true) Yoga might offer some form of workout in flexibility, but your strength does not improve as rapidly as Pilates (which I actually take, and find to be awesome.) If you are going into the intense yoga classes, make sure you are flexible enough for the work, or you could injure yourself. Also know that after a true yoga class, if done correctly, you should not be short of breath or extremely sore. Just wanted to put that out there to set the record straight. I do love the squats though in some other excersize, just to add... |
| Joey Atlas said: | Not a bad article - as many activities will involve the glutes - but there are many better targeted exercises that could place higher on this list. - one leg hip extensions - touch downs - slow step downs Joey Atlas - M.S., Exercise Physiology |
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