7 Leg-Toning Tips

If one of your fitness goals is for more toned legs, you’re not alone. Many people love the idea of having strong, sexy legs, but many are too impatient to commit to a routine that will truly help them get the gams they desire. Of course, in order to see results, you have to stick to your workouts; there is only so much that you can do in a short amount of time. However, there are ways you can potentially speed up your results from leg day. If you are eager to show off your toned legs in shorts before the weather gets too cold, here are some tips for accelerating the process.

Focus on Your Lower Body

Did you know that there are more than 200 muscles in your lower body? It’s true! Because of this, there are many different ways you can tone your body, even if the moves you are doing are designed to focus exclusively on the upper body! On arm day, there are ways you can adapt your workout to tone your legs up quicker than you may have even realized. For example, while you are doing bicep curls, you could also do a squat. Rather than just having an upper body day, lower body day, and cardio day in your routine, make all of your workouts full body, and you will see the results more quickly in your legs.

Don’t Forget Your Core

Everyone knows that you need to focus on toning your core, but you may not realize that even when you are working your core, you are also working your legs! The key to this is to do core exercises that engage your legs, like bicycles or leg lifts. Get rock hard abs AND toned legs at the same time!

Go Left (or Right)

At the beginning of your workout, it isn’t as hard to push through more reps and keep your form tight. Take advantage of this by starting your sets with your left side (if you are right handed). Your non-dominant side is generally weaker, and needs more attention to strengthen up. So if you are right handed, start with your left leg, and if you are left handed, start with your right.

Jump it Up

Plyometrics is the use of jumping in fitness training, and it can be incredible for your legs. The idea is to focus on using all of your effort in short intervals, slowly increasing your power. Any exercise can be turned plyometric simply by adding in an explosive jump. Start with your squats. Once you have got the form for the regular squat down pat, add in a jump for an added challenge. After that, you can progressively try more plyometric moves.

Try Long Cardio Sessions

When it comes to toning your legs, it is all about moderate cardio for long periods of time. When you do long, moderate cardio, it is easier to burn fat around your thighs and hips. To tone your legs, do an hour of cardio three to five days a week. You can make this easy for yourself by investing in a piece of exercise equipment like a treadmill or elliptical from Fitness Specialist!

Walk or Bike to Work

Walking to work is not only a great way to tone your legs; it also allows you to save money on gas and help the environment! If you live close to your job, make a point to walk or bike to work. Ideally, you would do this every day, but you might try just biking or walking one day a week, then slowly increasing. This can help you burn more than 500 extra calories a day, and your legs will look defined more quickly.

Don’t Forget Your Diet

You might be doing 60 squats every day, but if you are eating fast food for every meal, you aren’t going to make progress towards your goal. If you want to show off your toned legs, you need to make sure that both your diet and your exercise routine are in line with that goal. Drink a lot of water and avoid processed foods so that your body will have the energy it needs to power through your workouts.

If you are willing to make some changes, you can have the toned legs you desire. In our next blog, we will continue to go over some leg toning tips so you can make the most out of your workouts. In the meantime, shop Fitness Specialist for the equipment you need!