Summer may be well behind us at this point in the year but in no way does that mean it is time to slack off in the fitness department. In fact, some might argue that winter is the best time to tackle your fitness goals. Afterall, what else are you going to do besides work out when the weather is at or below freezing for the better part of three months? Not only will such an activity help pass the time and stay warm during the dreariest part of the year. But come next summer, you will be thanking yourself for being so intentional about your workout regimen. Especially if you incorporate those ever-so demanding Bulgarian Split Squat. What exactly are you supposed to be doing in the gym to achieve a toned lower body? To answer this question, we have five ideas below.
1. Curling, anyone?
A quick look around your gym might show you that everyone and their mother are working on their lower body in every way but with machine weights. The stair climber, free weights, treadmill. You get the picture. But do not let the fads be your guiding light. Remember the old leg curling bar that used to be the focal point of any gym? Well, there really is nothing better for toning your hamstrings. Why it has gone by the wayside remains somewhat of a mystery. But the shape of your legs after consistent use here will leave nothing to the imagination. As a bonus, your back will not be crying out in agony upon completion of a set here!
2. Squats, more than one way to go about them
To the uninformed, a squat is nothing more than the act of sinking your rear end towards the ground and then returning to a standing position. Simple enough, right? Well, squatting has been optimized to promote quick, healthy, and effective, lower body toning. For starters, consider the form you are using when squatting. There are more than a couple YouTube videos out there which could help you in this area. But more importantly some might say, is the use of weights, or a singular weight, while squatting. In terms of lower physical toning, you will struggle to find an exercise as impactful. So, if you can get your hands on a dumbbell or something similar, you might give squats a try.
3. Lunging
Who would have thought over-exaggerated steps would be one of the best exercises for lower body toning? And yet here we are discussing it. Lunging that is. As with the examples given above, there is a right and wrong way to go about practicing this workout routine. Should you fail to follow it, you could harm yourself so please use a little caution here. To get your lunging started, bring your feet together and step forward and down, until a 90-degree angle is formed with your calf and thigh. Then repeat the process. Again, and again and again. Until you are toned to perfection. But do not forget to keep your feet lined up with your shoulders. Otherwise, your efforts would be moot.
4. Romanian Deadlift
Is anyone out there interested in free weights? Well, there is some good news for you – we are here to talk about them and how they relate to lower body toning. The Romanian Deadlift and its effects especially. Who does not love a good glute and hamstring workout? Because that is just what the Romanian Deadlift is. Like any free weight exercise, the weights you use here are entirely personal discretion and contextual – you will never Romanian Deadlift more than The Rock. So please, do not even try. Instead, work your way up the weight classes on whatever is available to you. With special care given to safety and not biting off more than you can chew weight wise. One day you will max out and your lower body will shine, but the early stages of toning are not that time.
5. Walking + Lunging + Dumbbells
Speaking of free weights, you can use these in tandem with one of the exercises we covered earlier – lunging. Think of this pairing the next level above the aforementioned lunging though remember, with more potential comes more responsibility. To be blunt, with weights involved, you run a higher risk of injury when performing this activity. But assuming you took the time to perfect your lunging form before adding dumbbells to the equation, you should not have any issues whatsoever. As with all these exercises – prioritize physical safety above everything else because you only get one body.
If you are intentional about achieving a toned body, the activities above are a great place to start. Obviously, this does not account for your upper body. But more on that another day. For now, do what you can and tone your lower body.