Legs for Women:

Like they say in that pantyhose commercial, nothing beats a great pair of legs.

Like they say in that pantyhose commercial, nothing beats them. But if your goal is to get that great pair of legs, that’s precisely what you may have to do to achieve your gam goals: Beat them silly.

One such exercise that could get you kickin’ like a Vegas showgirl is the split jump. This vigorous regimen is not only ideal for building strong, shapely legs, it is also guaranteed to quickly get the heart and blood pumping.

With your feet only a few inches apart, take a dumbbell in each hand. Step forward with one foot, keeping your back straight as you lunge toward the floor. Your front knee should be at a 45-degree angle as your back heel should roll off the floor. Then, exploding off the ground, switch your legs in midair and land with your opposite foot on the floor. Repeat the motion for a set of 10 (on each leg).

Beware! You will feel the impact almost immediately.

Leg Muscle Madness:

LEGS: No Longer a Four-Letter Word:

To anyone who has ever picked up a weight – or even thought about it – this four-letter word can take on a variety of different meanings.

For many, legs are the indomitable foundation for which a healthy physique is formed. To a large number of others, the leg day is the one square on the calendar that you painfully dread, the one that you know will require both vigorous effort and agonizing labor.

And yet to many others, legs mean absolutely nothing. Hence, they are woefully neglected.

But nothing looks sillier on a fitness fanatic than a beefy upper torso cemented atop a pair of chicken legs.

So, don’t be that chicken. Take on these painful, gainful exercises that are sure to turn your legs into logs in due time.

Hack Squats: After setting the desired weight, station yourself inside the machine, so your shoulders are flush underneath the pads and your feet are in the middle of the platform. You feet should be at a shoulder length width. Releasing the safety bar, slowly bend your knees, allowing the weight to push your buttocks toward the platform. When your quadraceps are parallel to the floor – or perhaps dip a little lower - immediately reverse the movement, exploding the through an upward motion. Stop just before your knees are locked as you squeeze your legs during the contraction. Try 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitions.

Leg Presses: Lie down on the machine so that your feet are on the platform. Make sure that your feet are parallel to each other and not pointed inward or outward. Allow the weight to push your knees toward your torso. Stop when your knees form a 90-degree angle. Reverse the movement as you push with your legs, pushing your torso away from the platform. As your legs begin to straighten out, stop just short of your knees being locked. Slowly let the weight bring your buttocks down into the starting position. Try 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.

Leg Extensions: Sitting on the bench, clasp your ankles underneath the pads, gripping the side handles for balance. Slowly raise the pads, squeezing your quads, and stop the motion when your knees are locked in front of you. Squeeze your quads for a two-count before releasing the tension, allowing your legs to drop to the starting position. Repeat the motion for 3 sets of 12-15 for an incredible burn.

Hamstring Curls: Set yourself face down on the hamstring machine, sliding your heels underneath the pads. Grip on to the handles for balance. Setting a manageable weight, slowly curl your legs upward, so your heels push toward your buttocks. Your feet should be flexed during the movement. Curling upward, the motion should stop when your legs and torso form an angle of roughly 45 degrees. Squeeze your hamstrings during the motion. Slowly release the weight and return to the starting position, as your legs should straighten out. Repeat this movement for 10-12 reps for 3–4 sets.

A leg workout requires optimum intensity, if your intentions are to increase size and strength. Nothing in weight training will wear you out the way a rigorous leg workout will so be sure to provide yourself with ample rest before leg days. Also, legs should be done only once a week to insure time for the torn muscle tissue to recuperate.

What makes a great leg workout? Hard work! Training legs can be very grueling (and very effective) when done correctly. Try my leg workout and see if you're up for the challenge.

Thigh Exercises
Squats - 4 sets x 12,10,8,6 reps
or
Leg Press - 4 sets x 12,10,8,6 reps

Leg Extension - 3 sets x 10,8,8 reps

Inner Thigh Exercises
Thigh Abductor Machine - 3 sets x 12,12,12 reps

Hamstring Exercises
Lying Leg Curls - 3 sets x 12,10,8 reps

Calf Exercises
Standing Calf Raise - 3 sets x 12,12,12 reps

Leg Workout Tip
To get the best results from your leg workout, train legs on their own day of the week. If you're working out hard enough, you won't have any energy left to train any other body parts anyway.

It may be in your best interest to use a good weight belt if you're really using some heavy weights. Keep your back straight, head up and abs tight while performing any leg exercise - it will make your leg workout more effective, and help reduce the chance of injury.

The Essential Warm-up

Warming up prior to every weight training session is an absolute must and should never be missed. The warming up phase increases blood circulation and gently prepares and stretches the muscles tendons and ligaments in a controlled fashion prior to the main body of the workout. All of this means that once you have warmed up your muscles you will be able to lift heavier weights than from cold without the risk of injuries. Summer is coming and the shorts will be coming out so lets get started and get those sweeping thighs!!

Squats

This is probably the most beneficial exercise for the whole of the body. Intense stress is imparted on the thighs, quadriceps, buttocks and hamstrings. So do not miss this exercise.

Start with a barbell loaded with moderately heavy weight on squat racks. Bend your legs and dip under the bar so that the bar rests on the back of your neck with your hands shoulder width apart. Now straighten your legs with the effect of pushing up the bar and steadily take a step back so that you are clear of the racks. Place your feet shoulder width apart with your feet slightly angled outwards.It is important that through the course of the exercise you keep your head up and focus at a spot on the wall at eye level throughout.Slowly lower the weight by bending your knees out over your toes keeping your back straight as you do so, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor then without bouncing or jerking return to the upright position. Do 5 sets of squats per leg workout building up the weights as you do

Leg Presses

Very similar top squats in the fact that this exercise places intense stress on the thighs, quadriceps, buttocks and hamstrings. You can perform this exercise on a flat leg press or an angled press both give excellent results. Sit on the leg press with your arms grasping the support levers, place your feet flat on the lifting pad ankles 12v inches apart toes facing slightly outward. Now press with your legs raising the sliding platform until your legs are straight and rotate in the stop bars of the machine. In a controlled fashion lower the sliding platform by bending the knees resisting the weight on the way down and without bouncing return to the starting position with your legs straight. Perform 4 sets again increasing the weight each time

Leg Extensions

This is an excellent isolation exercise for the quadriceps, ideal for burning in those deep cuts. Sit on the leg extension machine select a reasonably light weight to begin with. Hook your feet under the bottom set of pads if the machine has two, and firmly hold the bench with your arms. Using your quad power raise the weight slowly by straightening your legs do not jerk, bounce or swing your body back use a controlled movement. When your legs are straight tense the quads for a complete second then lower the weight again in a controlled fashion. Perform 3 sets of this exercise increasing the weight each time .

Leg exercises for your leg workout

squats and stiff leg deadlift

Squats

1. In a squat rack, take a barbell off of the rack by placing it squarely on your traps and shoulders (not the neck) and grip the bar comfortably with your hands a little wider than your shoulders.
2. Carefully take a step or 2 back from the rack and get in a comfortable upright stance with your feet shoulder width apart or slightly wider. Your toes should be pointed slightly outward. They should NEVER be pointed inward.
3. Focus your vision on something straight ahead and slightly above you. Do not tilt your head backwards, downwards or to the sides as this will disrupt your balance.
4. Keeping your heels planted firmly on the floor and your back straight at all times, move your butt back and downward as though you were sitting in a chair behind you.
5. When your thighs reach parallel to the floor, return to the starting position by extending your knees and hips and pushing through your heels.

- Your knees should never extend out further than your toes.
- When pushing back up, always push through the heels, not the toes.
- The movement is up and down. There should be no sideways movement of any kind during the squat.
- Keep your back straight and chest up at all times.
- Squats can also be performed using dumbbells.

Stiff Leg Deadlift

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Pick up a barbell (off the floor or out of a rack) and hold it with your hands about shoulder width apart. Most people (myself included) perform this exercise with a mixed grip, which means one hand has an overhand grip, and the other hand has an underhand grip.
3. With your arms and back straight at all times and your knees just slightly bent, lower the bar towards your feet by bending over at the hips.
4. Once your upper body is either parallel to the floor or you feel a comfortable stretch in the hamstrings, lift the barbell back up and return to the standing position by extending your hips.

- While the stiff leg deadlift is primarily a hamstring exercise, it also recruits the use of the lower back secondarily.
- Be sure to keep your back straight at all times. Do NOT round your back. Also keep your shoulders pulled back and your chest out.
- How far down you go greatly depends on flexibility. Most people (myself included) don't go any lower than parallel to the floor.

One other thing that some people don't realize (I know because I get 100's of e-mails like this) is that leg exercises like squats and the stiff leg deadlift, or any other leg exercise for that matter, will only help build muscle and increase strength in your legs. Leg exercises DO NOT target any of the fat that is specifically located on your legs. If there is any fat, muscle will be built underneath this fat. You must then work on getting rid of that fat in order to see more "tone and definition" or look more "ripped and cut up" or whatever other fancy words you can think of. The ONLY way to lose fat from ANY part of the body is through either a proper diet, cardio or a combination of both.