Don’t want to waste money on a gym membership? Wanna build a solid foundation, before you visit the gym? Or do you spend a lot of time on the road and therefore can’t visit a gym frequently? Or are you dreaming of your personal gym? No problem! You don’t need a gym membership to get in shape. With your own bodyweight and a few tools, you can accomplish great results.
Commercial gyms are not always the best place to do your workout. Sure, if you want to get jacked you won’t make it without high weights, but let’s be honest. Most of us just want to lose weight, gain a nice six-pack, keep our body healthy and have fun!
A gym on the other hand, seldom offers the freedom or atmosphere you might be looking for. From my own experience I can tell you, that even in popular gym brands many equipment are missing, people don’t use towels or act like a-holes.
You will often encounter the situation that dozen of people are waiting for a few machines, so you have to wait or do something else. Sucks, am I right?
To our luck we don’t have to waste valuable time and patience at the gym. Not if we can bring the gym to our home. All you need is my instructions and additionally a few tools. Now let’s take a look at 4 leg exercises that help you lose weight, tone your butt and boost your strength.
Plie Dumbbell Squats
A great exercise to tone your legs and butt. You are going to need a dumbbell, preferably with adjustable weights, or a backpack filled with books. Put the dumbbell in front of your feet and stand slightly wider than your shoulder width.
Bend your knees and lower your legs as if you are about to sit down, till your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Your toes have to face out, while you grab the dumbbell with your hands and return to your starting position.
Make sure to exhale while lifting the weights up and inhale when you put them on the floor. Your back should stay straight through the whole exercise. Aim for about 12 to 15 repetitions and 3 sets.
Step-Up with Knee Raising
Also a fantastic exercise to tone your butt and lose calories. Place a box or a step board of appropriate height in front of your feet. Start stepping up by lifting your right foot on top of the step board. During your way to stand on the step board, flex your left knee and lift it as high as possible.
Reverse the motion to step down and repeat it with the other leg. To achieve better results I recommend you to bring your hip forward, thereby you can lift your leg higher. The faster you perform this exercise the more calories you are going to burn, but be aware!
A bad performed repetition isn’t going to help you much, so concentrate on quality. Do this exercise for 1 minute with adequate speed, 3 sets and 30 seconds rest between each set.
Lateral Band Walk
Terrific exercise to strengthen your hips. All you need is a resistance band. Place the resistance band around your lower legs and position yourself with slightly bend hips and knees. Your feet should be shoulder width apart.
Now take a slow step sideways while your toes point forwards. Now follow with the opposite leg and try to keep the resistance band tense at all time. Continue the exercise into the opposite directions after 10 to 15 repetitions.
Do 3 sets with each leg and don’t rest between each set, do the exercise for your other leg to spare time.
Glute Kickback
Get on all fours and position your arms shoulder width on the ground. Your knees should be bent at a 90-degree angle and stay like this through the whole exercise. This is the starting position of glute kickbacks. Now lift one of your legs up until the hamstrings are in one line with your back.
Contract your leg throughout the whole exercise and hold the contraction at the top for 3 seconds. While inhaling, go back to your starting position and repeat the exercise with the other leg.
As always, aim for 10 to 15 repetitions and 3 sets for each leg.