{"id":70805,"date":"2012-05-12T07:00:19","date_gmt":"2012-05-12T12:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/?p=70805"},"modified":"2012-05-11T15:51:38","modified_gmt":"2012-05-11T20:51:38","slug":"saturday-morning-drills-sculpted-sexy-thighs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/05\/saturday-morning-drills-sculpted-sexy-thighs\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturday Morning Drills: Sculpted Sexy Thighs"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there was a part of my body that I wish would just magically look the way I want them to I would have to choose my thighs. Like other women who are pear shaped<\/a><\/strong>, slimming and firming the lower part of my body is very challenging.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You would think the best way to fix this problem is to eat better and exercise<\/a><\/strong> right? Not exactly. If those are the only things you do, you will be disappointed with the results. So what in the world can you do? The answer is strength training<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

You may be thinking I want to slim down my thighs, not make them bulky! Then you probably believe strength training will end up making women look like body builders on steroids. We advise you need to stop thinking that immediately. Women have no need to worry about looking that way because we lack the high testosterone levels found in men (unless you actually are taking steroids, which is another issue entirely). For women, strength training can help you transform your body into a lean, fat-burning machine by increasing sexy muscle tone and reducing body fat.<\/p>\n

When you have more muscle than fat, your body is burning more calories which in turn helps you burn even more fat, helping you get those sleek and firm thighs.<\/p>\n

The best way to get these results is to use “complexes.” Complexes are a type of circuit training<\/a><\/strong> consisting of body sculpting moves (such as squats and lunges) done back to back in a circuit format. The goal is to do one exercise for 12-20 repetitions and then go directly into the next exercise with as little rest as possible. Doing it this way will keep your heart rate up, revving metabolism, while simultaneously shaping and defining lean, beautiful thighs.<\/p>\n

GETTING STARTED:<\/strong><\/p>\n

No equipment is required for these exercises, but if you do have some you can definitely include them to get an even more challenging workout. Dumbbells and an exercise ball can be added to some of the exercises, you also might want a mat to use for the stretches. Do the entire circuit 2-3 times, 3-4 times a week to get those sizzling thighs.<\/p>\n

WARM UP:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jog in place or do jumping jacks for 1-2 minutes.<\/p>\n

Something different:<\/strong> If you are alone or not shy around others, put on your favorite fast song and dance like crazy. Good or bad dancing is allowed as long as you are increasing your heart rate!<\/p>\n

THE CIRCUIT MOVES:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Squats<\/strong><\/p>\n

Standing with feet shoulder width apart and staring straight ahead, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your knees are at a ninety degree angle. If you are not sure if you are going far enough down, grab a standard sized chair and squat down like you are going to sit but only at the very edge of the chair. Once you touch with your tush, lift yourself back up. Also make sure your knees are not extending over your toes. 12-20 reps.<\/p>\n

Make it a challenge:<\/strong> While squatting hold a dumbbell in each hand.<\/p>\n

Even more challenging:<\/strong> If you have an exercise ball put it between the wall and your back and lean against it. Slowly lower down into the squat position, stay in this position for as long as you can handle, and slowly raise back up. Repeat as many times as you can.<\/p>\n

Split Jumps<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stand with one foot in front of the other in a lunge position. Jump up high and switch legs. Land softly in the opposite lunge and repeat on the other side. Do for 30 seconds.<\/p>\n

Leg Circles<\/strong><\/p>\n

Begin by laying flat on your back, your hands resting at your side, palms downward, and toes pointed. Lift your left leg, keeping both legs straight, and slightly turn your lifted leg out. Breathe in deeply and draw a circle with your toe, using your whole leg and hips firmly on the ground. Do 12-20 clockwise reps, then switch directions. Switch to the right leg and repeat.<\/p>\n

Make it a challenge:<\/strong> Try to write the entire alphabet with one leg before switching to the other.<\/p>\n

Mountain Climbers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Start in the push up position, with your back flat and hips low with weight over your shoulders. Jump one foot up toward your hands, keeping your knee between your arms. Swap your feet forward and back as fast as you can, while maintaining proper form. Do this for 1 minute.<\/p>\n

\"\"Lunges<\/strong><\/p>\n

Begin standing with shoulders pulled back, chest forward and eyes facing forward. Take a step forward with the right leg and slowly bend your knees, lowering toward the floor until your left knee is almost touching the ground. Your right knee should be lined up with your right toes to prevent knee damage. Take a larger or smaller step next time if this isn’t the case. Slowly return to a standing position and repeat the motion 12 to 20 times, then switch legs.<\/p>\n

Hops<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Bend knees and come up on the balls of your feet. Jump forward and backward in a quick, small movement. Do for 30 seconds.<\/p>\n

COOL DOWN:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lying Quad Stretch<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sitting on your butt, bring one foot behind you to feel the stretch in the front of your thigh. Lean back as far as you can. Switch sides half way through. 1 minute for each side.<\/p>\n

Note: Make sure you are taking long, deep breaths<\/a><\/strong> during all the stretches.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"Standing Hamstring Stretch<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step your right foot forward with the heel on the floor and toes pointing up. Shifting your weight back as you reach forward for the right foot, feeling the stretch in the back of your right leg. Switch legs. 1 minute for each side.<\/p>\n

Lower Back Stretch<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lie on your back with one leg straight and the other raised with bent knee. Bring the raised leg across the straight leg until it touches the floor, keeping your shoulders on the ground if you can. Switch legs. 1 minute for each side.<\/p>\n

Now smile because you are now closer to getting those sexy sculpted thighs, keep it up and don’t quit!<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday Morning Drills: Yoga Slim Down<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Post-Workout Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

5 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If there was a part of my body that I wish would just magically look the way I want them to I would have to choose my thighs. Like other women who are pear shaped, slimming and firming the lower … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,58],"tags":[8440,846,9610,1943,9804],"class_list":["post-70805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness","category-womens-health","tag-homepage","tag-legs","tag-saturday-morning-drills","tag-strength-training","tag-thighs"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70805"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70809,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70805\/revisions\/70809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}