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Women's Fitness Problem Areas

THE LEGS:

The legs seem to be a bit of a problem for many women. A lot of my female friends talk about their legs like they are a long time enemy of the rest of their body. Here I will talk about some strategies for working with the legs.

Weight Loss Principles
One must understand that it is impossible to lose fat off of just one area of the body. If you want to lose fat from your legs you must lose fat from your entire body. This seems a little unfair but it is the only way.
With that in mind we need to briefly look at a few weight loss principles and tips for speeding along the process.

1. Perform Cardio before breakfast to maximize fat burn
   
2. Perform high intensity cardio as opposed to slow walking or jogging
   
3. Cut out as much refined sugar and carbs (pasta, rice, bread) as you can
   
4. Increase the amount of fruit and vegetables that you eat
   
5. Don't eat within two hours of bed
   

If you follow these 5 principles you will start to see results in no time. Especially, it is important to change your diet habits. If you change just your diet you will not even have to exercise and you will still see results.

Top Two Basic Legs Exercises
As a martial artist and a soccer player my legs have been my number one weapon. I have spent many years searching for the best leg exercises and routines to build powerful and muscular legs. However, these same exercises are just as effective for slimming down the legs in females as females do not have the required testosterone levels to get huge legs.

The Jumping Squat
This is one of the hardest and most exhausting exercises you will ever do! Remember, this site is called REAL Women’s Fitness, not EASY Women’s Fitness.
The idea is to start in a crouched position with one foot in front of the other. You spring in to the air as high as you can and then land with the opposite foot in the front. Continue jumping and crouching right down for as many repetitions as you can do. Most people cannot perform 20.
Start with 3 or 4 sets and build your way up. This works all your legs and your butt and will also burn a lot of fat if done with enough explosiveness as it really does get your heart up. Make sure you warm up properly first.

Step Ups
Step ups are another exercise that works the entire lower body.
Find a solid bench or chair and place a medium-light bar bell over your shoulders. Step up on to the bench until you are standing on it and carefully step down. Then do the same with the other foot. The added resistance provided by the bar bell makes this a real workout as well as building some excellent agility. Try and perform 5 sets of as many reps as you can.

Conclusion
These are the top two BASIC leg exercises that are perfect for building the foundation of strength and fitness. Next time we will get into the more advanced exercises for pushing the limits a little bit.

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