Are you bored from your routine squat exercises?

Are you in search of new exercises to add your “leg day”?

Do you want to tone your quads, butt, and core?

If you answered Yes to one or more of these questions, this lower body circuit is for you!

Try these 5 Killer Leg Exercises Today!

Curtsy Lunge with Optional Leg Lift

• Begin with your legs at shoulder width, holding a medicine ball (or dumbbell) at chest level.  Lunge one leg behind the other leg, and lower as far as your body will allow. Repeat on other side.
• Regression:  Omit medicine ball or dumbbell
• Progression:  After lunge, lift your leg out to side.

Single-Leg Floor Bridge with Optional Medicine Ball

• Lying supine (head, chest, and palms facing up) on a floor mat, bend your knees and place your heels close to buttocks (within fingertip reach).  Squeeze your gluteal muscles (butt!) and your raise low back, buttocks, and hamstrings (back of thigh) off mat.  From this position, lift and extend one leg and hold for 8 to 10 seconds.  Lower leg and repeat on other side.
• Regression:  Avoid single leg movements.  Simply, squeeze gluteal muscles, raise low back, buttocks, and hamstrings, hold for 1 to 2 seconds, and lower to mat.  Place arms on floor mat (palms facing up) for increased stability.

• Progression:  Place stationary foot on medicine ball (as pictured above).

Diamond Squat with Body Bar

• Begin with your heels about 6 inches apart and toes turn outward. Hold a Body Bar in front of you with your arms extended.  Lift onto the balls of your feet, and lower to a squat position until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your legs create a diamond shape.  Rise up, squeezing your inner  thighs (adductor muscle group).
• Regression:  Avoid lifting to the balls of your feet – keeping the entire sole of your foot intact with floor during movement will increase stability.
• Progression:  Omit Body Bar to decrease stability, creating a more unstable environment.

Single-Leg Drop and Raise

• Perform this exercise with a box or bench.  Start with one foot next to the edge of the box or bench and the other leg suspended (next to edge of box or bench) with the flexed foot position.  Lower the suspended leg down to the floor, push off with the ball of your foot, and return to the starting position.  Repeat exercise on the other side.
• Regression:  Decrease height of box or bench.
• Progression:  (1) Hold a dumbbell in each hand.  Or, (2) Hold one dumbbell at ends and add a front raise.  Or, (3) Avoid touching foot to floor, performing a single-leg squat.

Supermans’ with Optional Swiss Ball

• Perform exercise in the prone position (stomach on Swiss ball).  Place the ball at your waist and lower abdominals.  Extend your right arm and left leg, squeezing between your gluteals and drawing your shoulder blades together.  Repeat on other side, extending your left arm and right leg.
• Regression:  Perform exercise in a quadruped  position (on hands and knees).
• Progression:  Hold a light dumbbell in each hand and/or place weight around your ankles.

Reference:

Daily Hiit Blog. (2014). “Sexy Ass Legs.”  doi:  http://www.dailyhiit.com/hiit-blog/hiit-workout/leg-workouts/sexy-ass-legs/.  Accessed on February 9, 2014.