I’m here to tell you that your inflexibility actually makes it easier to feel the stretch – which is what we are going for in yoga class! The fact that you’re not very flexible means you’re feeling the stretch much more quickly! It’s important to understand that in yoga, unlike many other athletic endeavours, the goal is not to do
Squats and lunges are some of the best bodyweight exercises. They both target and tone your entire lower body and are staples in leg and butt toning. But, your body can get used to them if you do them a lot—so mixing it up with some variations is a great idea! Squats and lunges are tough, they make you sore,
If your thighs never look sculpted, no matter how hard you work out, you may be making the common mistake of over-relying on lunges and squats. These classic moves directly hit the large quad muscles and neglect all the other, smaller ones. Strengthening the quad is not a bad thing, but when you overdevelop it, your hip flexibility can suffer,
When it comes to longevity in the weight room and on the field, not getting hurt is key. And while it's mostly anecdotal evidence, the athletes and clients of mine who perform dedicated stretches – especially the hip flexor stretch – prior to training and competition tend to not get hurt. Sure, we know that stretching is important to give
We all know and love the basic squat. Although it’s a legit way to work that back, this move alone won’t get you to your dream butt. Of course, squats engage the glutes. But compound movements such as squats and lunges train more of the quads, lower back, and hamstrings, so they won’t automatically result in greater glutes. To achieve
Doing leg exercises at home is probably a lot easier than you realise. You don't need a leg press machine or a stair climber, or a squat bar to fire up those lower-body muscles. All you need is your body weight, maybe a chair, and the motivation to put some burn in your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and inner thighs.
The gluteus maximus gets a lot of attention, not only because it’s a prime mover for exercises like squatting, hip hinging and running, but because of its derriere-shaping effects. There is, however, another often-overlooked gluteal muscle deserving of your attention. The gluteus medius is responsible for abduction, internal and external rotation of the hip, and stabilisation of the hip and
In our eyes those who love the squat are 100 percent correct, so we’ll save you the suspense: It’s No. 1 in this ranking. However, we contend that the nine other moves featured here are great in their own right. They’re all proven muscle builders and should be rotated through a proper leg-training program over the course of a training
Chances are you already know all about the benefits of foam rolling for your workouts. But if you just use a foam roller to rehab injured muscles, you’re not getting the most out of it. The foam roller may be one of the best training tools at your disposal. When you know how to foam roll properly, you’re not only providing
You likely know that improving your strength calls for targeting three major lower-body muscle groups—quads,glutes, and hamstrings. But they’re not the only players in the game. Despite their smaller size, your calf and ankle muscles are just as important for improving strength and pushing shape. Why won’t my calves get bigger? A question always on the mind of your average
