6 Exercises to Shape Your Legs for Summer

This is a challenging routine that will strengthen, tone and shape your legs for the summer. You should incorporate these exercises into your fitness routine alongside any cardio work.

Try to do each exercise for a minute. If a minute is too long, do what you can in 30 seconds. If using weights is too challenging, do the exercises without them. It is important to work at your own pace and slowly build up. You do not want to injure yourself.

If you are new to exercise, you can ask a personal trainer to show you how to perform the exercises correctly or look on YouTube so you can see how they are done.

Make sure you are warmed up before you start any exercise plan, and always stretch afterwards. It’s a good idea to do my foam roller exercises after this workout.

Walking Lunges

The Walking Lunge is a fantastic exercise for strengthening your hips and toning your glutes and thighs.

1. Start by standing tall, holding a dumbbell in each hand. I use 5kg weights; you can use more if you wish. If you prefer to do this exercise without weights, place your hands on your hips.
2. Lunge forward with your right leg, making sure that the knee on your bent leg does not touch the floor, and the knee on your front leg should not go over your foot. Your chest should be lifted and your back straight. No leaning forward.
3. Press up with the front leg and bring the back foot forward.

To work your glutes, take a wider stride. To work the front of the legs, take a smaller stride. I usually do two sets of each.

Curtsy Lunge

The Curtsy Lunge is a great exercise for the outer thighs.

1. Start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Take your right leg back behind your left in a curtsy position, bending your knees and lowering your body straight down. Your back should be straight, chest lifted, and abdominals held in tight. It is important to keep your abdominals pulled in to protect your lower back. The knee on the front leg should not go over your toe; this is to protect your knee.
3. Return to the start position and alternate from leg to leg.

Deadlift Exercise

The deadlift exercise is great for toning the back of your thighs (hamstrings).

1. Start by standing holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs, keeping the weights close to your body.
2. Bend forward at the hips, lowering the dumbbells to your shins, keeping your back straight.
3. Return to the starting position, squeezing your glutes and keeping your abs held in tight throughout the exercise.

Reverse Lunge with a Hop

The Reverse Lunge with a Hop exercise is great for runners as it improves leg strength, making a runner less prone to injury.

1. Position yourself in a lunge with your right leg back.
2. Swing your right leg forward, hopping onto your left foot and return down into a lunge position. Make sure to keep your core engaged at all times; this helps you to keep your chest lifted and not fall forward. Also, keep your knee in line with your toes.

If this exercise is too challenging, do it without the hop. I recommend 2 sets of 8.

Squat with a Side Leg Raise Exercise

1. Position yourself in a squat position and squat down, keeping your abdominals in tight, back straight, and chest lifted.
2. As you lift from the squat, raise your left leg to the side. Go as far as is comfortable for you. You do not want to injure yourself.

The important thing with this exercise is that you do not lift out of the squat too soon.

Jump Squat Exercise

The Jump Squat is one of my favourite exercises. It is so effective for toning and strengthening the lower body. You do not need any weights for this exercise; you just use your body weight.

1. Start in a squat position, remembering to keep your back straight, chest lifted, abdominals pulled in and make sure that your knees do not go over your toes.
2. Squat down and then jump up with all your force and come back down, landing in a squat position. It is important that you land softly onto your feet and make sure you use the whole foot as you jump, not just your toes.

Do not lean forward, as you do not want to hurt your back and knees.

BONUS EXERCISE!

Plié Squat on the Balls of Your Feet

If you have something left after all 6 exercises in the circuit and would like to challenge yourself further, then this plié squat exercise will help tone your inner thighs. It also works your core, glutes, thighs, ankles and calves.

1. Start by standing with feet wider than hip-width apart, with your feet pointed outwards and come onto the balls of your feet.
2. Slowly squat down in a sitting position, still on the balls of your feet.
3. Then slowly come up, bringing your arms straight up so you are stretching your entire body. Hold this position and slowly go up and down. Abs must be held in tight to engage your core.

You can do this exercise with dumbbells, but only after you have mastered the pose.

Take the Next Step in Your Health & Fitness Journey

I hope you enjoy working these leg-shaping exercises into your daily exercise routine. If you’re looking for more exercise inspiration, feel free to check out these other exercises.

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