How to swing your legs correctly
The hips, legs, and feet bear a large load, which consists of body weight, efforts when moving, standing, and carrying heavy objects. The higher the excess weight, the greater the pressure and the risk of displacement in the joints of the legs and arches of the feet. Progressive curvatures, multiplied by age-related arthritic diseases, can immobilize and place a person in a wheelchair.
“Strengthening your legs at home” is a program for strengthening muscles, which consists of regularity, proper distribution and a gradual increase in physical effort. The schedule is based on 3-4 workouts per week, which are carried out 1-1.5 hours after meals.
It is necessary to follow the recommended technique for performing each exercise to avoid severe soreness, poor health, sprains and more serious injuries.
How to end a workout correctly
So, you worked out a whole set - quite well, especially if you are new to “butt building”. However, do not rush headlong into the shower, you still have a hitch ahead. It will protect you from a sudden flow of blood into the head - the so-called vertigo. It will also allow your body to cool down before water procedures and smooth out the pain that occurs after training.
In this case, the cool-down will consist of walking in place. Raise your knees high, like a marching majorette or a soldier of the Kremlin regiment in a parade. Continue marching for 15-20 minutes.
Some people ask the question: “Is it possible to drink water immediately after training?” If you really want to drink, then you can.
After marching for the allotted time, drink water to restore the level of moisture in the body, but do not “drink” it in one gulp - you will quench your thirst much better and avoid swallowing excess air if you drink in small sips.
Leg exercises at home
Self-training helps correct figure flaws. A man's torso with excellent relief, resting on thin, limp legs, looks ridiculous. A woman with a well-groomed appearance, in a beautiful tight-fitting dress, simply does not have the right to show saggy buttocks, flabby contours of the hips, or a heavy gait.
What settings should you start with:
- choose the appropriate duration, pace of classes, load;
- work all muscles sequentially;
- increase the load evenly by adding the number of repetitions, approaches, and later weights;
- be sure to do a warm-up (10 minutes) to warm up the leg, heart, and respiratory muscles;
- end the workout with deep breathing exercises, restoring the normal functioning of the lungs and heart.
Squats for legs and buttocks
The exercise allows you to work the gluteal muscles, medial (middle) and inner thigh muscles.
Squats are the simplest and most effective exercises at home in the “pump up your legs and buttocks” program.
Starting position – feet shoulder-width apart, turned outward by 35°, resting on the floor with their entire surface; back straight, abs tense; arms extended forward.
Squat technique:
- As you lower yourself down while inhaling, lean forward a little with your back straight.
- At the lowest point, keep your knees above your feet, resting on your heels and holding for 1-2 seconds.
- Exhale and rise up without bending your knees.
Repeat until you feel a burning sensation in your legs.
Side lunges
The exercise uses the thigh, gluteal, and calves muscles. The abs and lower back are involved. The breeches zone is corrected.
Initial stance – back straight, abs tucked in, hands on the belt, feet apart, slightly turned to the sides.
Technique:
- Inhaling, gently take a step to the left, moving the center of gravity there. Move your straight back slightly forward.
- Squat down to a right angle at the knee, right leg straight.
- Exhaling, straighten your knee. Push off slightly and return to a straight stance.
Repeat everything to the right.
Cross lunges
The stance is the same as for side lunges.
Technique:
- As you inhale, step your right foot back, bringing it behind your left as if in a curtsy.
- The knee of the back leg drops slightly short of the floor. Support on the toe, which together with the knee joint looks straight. At the lowest point, tension on the gluteal surface is felt. The knee of the front leg is bent, does not extend beyond the line of the toes and is turned outward along with them. The front heel keeps the body from falling over.
- As you exhale, rise up. Perform a series of lunges from the same position, or changing legs.
Mahi
High-amplitude lifts strengthen muscles, hip joints, and break down cellulite. Swings forward, backward, and to the side are performed in separate series or in combination. First, they hold onto a support or sit on the floor.
For standing swings, you need your head, back, and legs to be on the same vertical line. Each rise is accompanied by an exhalation. Pulling your fingers towards you increases muscle stretching. The back does not bend, the body does not deviate. The lifting height increases gradually.
Swings on the floor are done in 2 ways from one position - emphasis on the knees and elbows. From head to buttocks - a horizontal line.
Technique:
- Bring your working leg back onto your toes. Raise it straight or bent, pointing the heel up. Before subsequent swings, do not lower it to the floor. There is no need to raise your head or bend your lower back.
- Without straightening, move your working leg to the side. As you exhale, swing your knee forward. As you inhale, take your leg back, straightening it slightly. Put force into moving the knee forward. Do not tilt the body to the side.
Jumping rope
In adulthood, skipping puts a lot of stress on the heart, so you should start with 1 minute. jumping, inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Increase the duration of skipping when breathing becomes confidently rhythmic and heart rate is kept within 120.
How to do it:
- Exercise with a skipping rope in 3-4 approaches for 7-10 minutes.
- During jumps, the elbows are pressed to the body, the back is straight.
- The rotation of the rope is created only by the hands.
- It is easier to practice while listening to rhythmic music, replacing bouncing with both legs with left-right jumps or moving forward.
Gluteal bridge
Lying face up on the mat, place your bent legs on the floor. Raise 1 leg strictly vertically, rest the heel of the other on the floor. Using the force of the gluteal muscles, lift the body up to the shoulders. After a delay of 2-4 seconds, gently lower. Repeat the same in mirror image.
Variants, technique for performing the “gluteal bridge” exercise:
Exercises with dumbbells
“Pumping up your legs at home with weights” is a section of the program that involves the use of sports or homemade equipment.
These are the following devices:
- dumbbells;
- small discs from the bar;
- metal balls;
- plastic bottles with water or sand.
Weights are used when the following exercises become easy to perform:
- Plie – legs are spread wide apart, toes are turned outward as much as possible, arms with dumbbells are lowered. Slowly squat, hold for 2-3 seconds, rise to the starting position.
- Lunges – hands with dumbbells constantly down, step forward, back knee down, lift.
- Deadlift – with 2 dumbbells or a barbell, tilt your body down towards your feet. At the same time, the pelvis is pulled back, and the strength of the buttocks is used to lift.
- Jumping – hands with dumbbells at your sides, squat and, pushing off your heels, jump up.
Calf exercises
Regular exercise will make your legs not only strong and resilient, but also more beautiful due to symmetrically convex calf muscles. Girls shouldn't pump them too much.
Exercises:
- Pistol – lifting a straight leg forward (“barrel”) and squatting on the other. The same with the load.
- Walking on straight, pointed toes.
- Skipping.
- Run.
Calf raise
These exercises tighten the core muscles (abdomen, back, buttocks, hips), which provide stability to the spine.
Performing exercises:
- Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, arms down. Move the center of gravity to your toes, with a slight tilt of the body forward and sit on your toes. By moving the tailbone back at this moment, body balance is achieved. The hands lie on the hips. Squat depth is half.
- Toes are spread out, looking forward. Lifting your heels off the floor, rise on your toes as high as possible. Fix in this position for 2-3 seconds, lower your entire foot.
- Balance on 1 toe. Raise the other leg, bending the knee. Alternate lifts on both limbs.
- Press your back and arms against the wall, stand on your toes. Perform a series of pendulum (cross) swings with one, then the other leg.
- Stand with your fingers on the edge of the step, steps. On the shoulders is a barbell or a bar from it. Rise up and down with your heels in the air. Perform smoothly, freezing at the top point for 2-3 seconds.
Exercises while lying on the floor
For horizontal training, you will need a thin rolled or thick mat made up of “puzzle” segments.
Exercise technique:
- The face looks up, hands along the body on the floor, legs on the feet. Move your right foot to your left knee and do a series of glute raises. Repeat on the other side.
- Lying on your side, legs straight, hand supporting your head. Raise the upper leg smoothly by 90° using the force of the gluteal and thigh muscles (without straining the lower back). Repeat in series on each side.
- In the same position, place your upper foot on the mat in front of your knee. Raise and lower your lower leg while maintaining core stability.
Don't miss the most popular article in the section: Morning exercises for those over 40, 50. Gymnastics exercises for weight loss, video lessons.
30-day complex for toned buttocks
And this “hardcore” program, consisting of 30 days, is for those who are eager to test their strength, are not afraid of pain after training, and also have enough free time. If you, looking for a program convenient for yourself, mentally asked yourself the question: “How to pump up your legs and butt at home in a month?” – then the information below is for you.
This program is intended only for the fair sex. You may not be able to effectively and magically pump up your butt in a week, but these exercises will make themselves felt after 7 days - you will feel that your body is putting itself on a “sports track.”
You don't need any sports equipment for this program - just your weight and willpower. You will also learn a lot through trial and error, such as how to squat correctly.
All you need to do is choose any 5 exercises that will allow you to pump up your butt, without much expense and at home. You can use those indicated in the “training” section.
You can experiment as much as you like, vary the exercises, try new ones, even the most exotic ones, but the only condition is that there should be only 5 of them.
Don’t miss a single training day and then you will definitely be able to pump up your legs and butt in just a “measly” month.
Day | Training | Exercises |
1 | 6 | ALL |
2 | 10 | ALL |
3 | 6 | ALL |
4 | break | — |
5 | 5 | ALL |
6 | 10 | ALL |
7 | 8 | ALL |
8 | break | — |
9 | 9 | ALL |
10 | 6 | ALL |
11 | 5 | ALL |
12 | break | — |
13 | 7 | ALL |
14 | 6 | ALL |
15 | 5 | ALL |
16 | break | — |
17 | 9 | ALL |
18 | 5 | ALL |
19 | 7 | ALL |
20 | break | — |
21 | 10 | ALL |
22 | 8 | ALL |
23 | 8 | ALL |
24 | break | — |
25 | 7 | ALL |
26 | 6 | ALL |
27 | 9 | ALL |
28 | break | — |
29 | 12 | ALL |
30 | 10 | ALL |
How to build calf muscles without squats
One of the most effective workouts - squats - is not available to everyone due to existing injuries, hemorrhoids, and heavy weight.
You can strengthen your shins in other ways:
- walking up and down slopes, stairs, including stepping up one step at a time, using weights in the form of 2 bags or a backpack;
- cycling routes;
- swimming with emphasis on the legs.
In the “boat” exercise, not only the calf muscles, but the whole body actively work. Lying on your stomach, stretch and raise your arms and legs. After 2-3 seconds of tension, relax. Alternatively, you can swing longitudinally on your stomach.
Optimal exercise for - Gluteal Bridge
You should always have var in your arsenal
Glute Bridge (on one leg)
In its basic version, the glute bridge is simply lifting your butt from a supine position. However, there are more than 10 options for performing this exercise. We will look at many of them in the material. In all variations, these simple upward movements by lifting the hip joint are great for targeting your glutes.
Gluteal Bridge
One leg bridge
Weighted Gluteal Bridge
Lie on the floor, bend your legs at the knee joints. Place a dumbbell on your upper thighs, supporting it with your hands. Raise your pelvis as high as possible. Return to the starting position.
Glute bridge with dumbbell
Single leg glute bridge + dumbbell crunch
Gluteal Bridge with loops
Place the mini loop above your knees. Lie on your back. Bend one leg at the knee joint. Keep the second one straight. Raise your pelvis as high as possible. Keep the loop stretched throughout the exercise. Return to the starting position.
Glute bridge using a mini loop
Single leg glute bridge using a mini loop
Sets of exercises for different muscle groups of the legs
At home, if necessary, you can selectively pump your legs in order, for example, to correct the contour in their problem areas.
For the vastus anterior muscles (quadriceps)
Sit on a stool, a hard chair. Raise the toes of your flattened legs and place a heavy backpack and barbell on them. Grasping your hands on the sides of the seat, raise the lower part of your limbs to a straight line with your knees.
Don't fall back, don't jerk. At first, 10 lifts in 3 approaches with intervals depending on how you feel is enough.
For the back of the thighs, calves
Lie on your stomach with your legs hanging from your knees. Place the weight closer to your feet. Lift it by bending your knees. Perform the same number of times as in the previous exercise.
For the lateral thighs
Lying sideways on the mat, straighten your legs, toes pointing towards you, hand under your head. Bring your leg up so far that the second leg can join it. Lower the limbs one after another.
Burpees for the buttocks, front and back muscles of the legs
The following are executed sequentially, without stopping:
- deep squat;
- bar;
- push-ups;
- deep squat
- jumping up.
Climber variations for all muscles.
- Standing in a high plank on straight arms (later on 1 arm) or in a low plank (on arms bent at the elbows), pull your knee forward and move back, imitating climbing mountains in series on each side. In the starting position, legs are together.
- Leaning in a side position on the palm of a straight hand, place your feet on the floor sideways and one after another. Raise your upper and lower knees in front of you alternately.
- In a high plank, your feet are spread apart. “Step” with your knees forward along the sides of the same name from the body, in the next block - along opposite sides (diagonal). Another option is to return the leg not to the starting point, but by stepping back 3-4 steps to the left each time, then to the right as well.
- Leaning in the plank on outstretched arms, jump with bent legs back and forth, sideways, and back to the starting point.
- With support on your hands, place your toes on a raised platform behind you so that your head and heels are at the same level. Without bending, pull your knees up one by one.
Pump up your butt: training in the gym
This complex is suitable for those who have been going to the gym relatively recently. As the body adapts, the load can be increased: add the weight of the weights or the number of laps.
How to build a lesson
- Do some cardio before starting your workout.
- Build your workout according to the circular principle: perform the exercises sequentially for 20 repetitions without pauses between them. After completing the circuit (doing all 5 exercises), rest for 1 minute and start all over again. Do 3-5 laps per workout.
- Finish your workout with light stretching.
- Do this program 3-4 times a week.
To perform the complex, you will need a mat, a barbell and dumbbells with your working weight, and a block exercise machine.
Dumbbell Squats
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Place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, point your toes to the sides. Hold the dumbbell with both hands and lower it just below groin level. Bend your knees and slowly lower yourself into a squat. Work the muscles of your thighs, buttocks, abs, and back. Then straighten smoothly, returning to the starting position, and repeat. Perform 20 repetitions of the exercise.
Deadlift
11 deadlift
Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip. Stretch up with the top of your head, work the muscles of your abs, back, legs and arms. Bend your knees, move your pelvis back, slightly lean your body forward, and slide the bar down your legs. Maintain a natural arch in your lower back. Then, straightening your knees, return to the starting position and repeat. Perform 20 repetitions of the exercise.
Cross lunges with dumbbells
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Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Take dumbbells in your hands. Step your left foot back and to the right, moving your left foot as far diagonally behind your right as possible. Lower into a lunge, bending your knees. Then smoothly straighten up, return to the starting position and step back and to the left with your right foot. With your feet in the desired position, bend your knees. Return to the starting position for one repetition. Perform 20 such repetitions.
Squats with a pulley machine
Stand facing the pulley machine. Attach the handle to the lower block and grasp it with both palms. Keep your arms straight. Bend your knees and keep the cable taut, lower into a squat. Then smoothly straighten your knees and return to the starting position. This will amount to one repetition, do 20 of these.
Lesson plan for the week
“Strengthening your legs at home” may seem like a monotonous program. But it is not at all necessary to do the same movements every time. It is necessary to distribute them into 3-4 groups according to training days, select stimulating music, and involve family members and friends in the training.
An example of grouping exercises during the week:
Day of the week | Movement | Number of repetitions |
Monday | Warm up joints from neck to ankles | 10 rubles each |
Jumping – legs to the sides, clapping hands above head | 30 s. | |
Running without moving | ||
Skipping | 100 rub. | |
Regular squats | 20 rub. x 3 approaches | |
Bridge for the buttocks | 10 rubles each x 3 | |
boat | ||
Simple plank | 30 s x 3 | |
Final leg stretch | 30 s each | |
Tuesday | Warm-up | 10 rubles each |
Squats | 15 rub. x 6 | |
Squats | 20 s., 10 s. – rest, total – 3 min. | |
Burpee | 10 rub. x 3 | |
Jump Squat | ||
Stretching | 30 s each | |
Thursday | Warm-up | 10 rubles each |
Running without moving | 30 s. | |
Skipping | 100 rub. | |
Jumping onto the step straight, sideways; quickly touching the edge of the step with the toes of each foot | 7-10 min. | |
Lunges | 10 rubles each x 3 | |
Raising the buttocks with hands supporting the back on the bench | 10 rub. x 3 | |
boat | ||
Planks: regular, side | 30 s each | |
Stretching | ||
Friday | Warm-up | 10 rubles each |
Jump Squat | 10 rub. x 6 | |
Plank | 30 s. after 30 s. rest, 6 approaches in total | |
Burpee Skipping Climber Variations Lunges | 30 s each after 30 s. rest, first do 2 cycles until the end | |
Stretching | 30 s each |
Help from professional athletes
Professional athletes and coaches believe that maximum results are possible only in the gym, as well as by observing other aspects, such as nutrition and regimen. However, this does not mean that home workouts will not allow you to build an athletic figure, lose weight, achieve relief, and even pump up certain muscle groups.
The experience of professionals can be used when creating your own training plan; it will help you avoid many mistakes. But we should not forget that each organism is individual, that what worked with one cannot work with all. Therefore, your own feelings should also be taken into account.
Ekaterina Usmanova, fitness bikini
Russian champion and winner of a number of international fitness bikini titles, Ekaterina Usmanova believes that the buttocks and legs need heavy physical activity. First of all, you need to pay attention to complex multi-joint movements, and then move on to isolating and high-repetition movements.
She also believes that, in addition to training, nutrition and adherence to a routine are important. Only together these three points will help achieve maximum results.
Denis Austin, coach
The trainer specializes in home exercises and is the author of such training methods. He believes that you need to train the body in a complex manner, and select specific exercises depending on your goals. To develop your legs and buttocks, it is best to use squats and lunges, combining their different options, which will allow you to work your entire legs and buttocks.
Tracy Mallett, trainer
Tracy Mallett is also the author of home training techniques. She claims that you can build an effective program at home, and exercises for the legs and buttocks at home for girls will be almost as effective as exercises in the gym.
Home exercises for leg development should be based on squats, lunges and a whole range of auxiliary movements, such as jumping, walking and so on. It all depends on the goal and conditions.
Advice from professionals
- Training should take place in a well-ventilated room, since fat burning, active heart function, and lungs need oxygen;
- It is important to correctly assess the adequacy of the load - not to spare effort, but also not to bring yourself to overwork;
- To a large extent, the success of training depends on a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, fats. During exercise, you should periodically drink good quality water.
Beautiful posture, muscular strong legs, easy gait, endurance - all this can be obtained at home if you take a break from the TV, computer, beer and start pumping up your muscles regularly.
Article design: Svetlana Ovsyanikova
How to pump up your buttocks at home: training for girls and women
- To begin, you need to kneel down and rest on your bent arms. The dumbbell is clamped under the right knee. The weighted leg must be raised so that the heel points clearly to the ceiling. Tighten your abs to keep your body straight. Make sure that your body does not bend at the waist. Repeat the same, holding the dumbbell under the second knee.
- The initial pose is the same as in the exercise above. Place the weights aside and straighten one leg. Lift it up so that your back remains straight. Then do the same number of repetitions on the other leg.
- Rise from your knees and stand straight. Hold weights in your hands. Then smoothly lean forward and move your right leg back. Do the exercise at a slow pace for both legs.
- Stand up straight, cross your legs and bring your feet together. Now lean forward as low as possible without bending at the waist. Did you stand? Now lie down on your back. Bend your knees, your feet are 20–30 centimeters apart. Tighten your buttocks and lift your pelvis as much as possible, fixing it in the upper position, bringing your knees together. Lower your pelvis.
- The starting position too. Bend one leg, leave the other straight. Now lift your pelvis. The straight leg should form one line with your body.
- The starting position too. Straighten and lift one leg. Having fixed it in the upper position, try to raise your pelvis as much as possible. Repeat the exercise, changing legs.
- We remain lying on our backs. We bend the free leg and place the foot on the knee of the second leg, which is already in a bent position. Now we raise the pelvis again.
- Roll over onto your stomach, bend your legs slightly. In this exercise, try to lift your legs while using your abdominal muscles to keep your back straight. You cannot bend at the lower back.
Tip: There are many recommendations on the Internet on how to pump up your buttocks in a few days. You shouldn't believe them. You can tone your muscles only if you exercise regularly. And the first results will appear only after 5-6 weeks.
How the gluteal muscles work
In order to understand the work of the gluteus maximus muscles, we will resort to a course of literature on anatomy.
So, in a normal state, when you and I are just standing, the gluteal muscles support the entire torso in the correct (upright) position. When bending forward, these muscles, or rather their upper section, also support the entire torso by pulling the pelvis back. And if it is necessary to bend the legs at the hip joints, the gluteus maximus muscles (lower section) also perform this function. This is to put it simply.
During leg work (squats, deadlifts, jumps, leg press on a hack machine, etc.), the gluteal muscles work in tandem (together) with other large muscles of the legs and torso - quadriceps, hamstrings, psoas, abs.
Why do I say “gluteus maximus”? You are right, there are several of them – three. But the “lion’s share” of the load during exercise falls on the gluteus maximus. And they are the ones responsible for the posture, attractiveness (bulge, shape) of the entire butt. That's why I'm speaking in general terms.
In short, all movements associated with the hip joints occur due to the muscles of the butt. But the movements occur not only because of the gluteal muscles, these muscles are “one of.”