TOP LEG WORKOUT TIPS

Learn the best leg exercise advice for toning your lower-half.

Written by Lena Johannesen

• Your legs are a huge muscle group and can take almost a full week to recover after a good weight workout. To lose fat on your thighs and bring out nice shape, train them hard once a week and try plyometrics or sprint training another day on top of your usual cardio.
• When I work on my routine, my legs naturally get harder. The same with sprint training. Just look at sprinters - they're the leanest of all athletes with the most muscle. That tells you something. But you can't just go out there and run hard. I tore my hamstring when I started sprinting because I hadn't warmed up and stretched properly. You learn from mistakes: Always stretch.
• I do a lot of reverse lunges on the Smith machine, which I believe is the best for the glutes and inner thighs. The Smith is also great for beginners because it's easier to handle the weight and you just have to lock it in when you're done.
• Last year, I felt I lost some size in my legs, so I went back to heavy basics. But now I do more plyometrics, like jumping on boxes and jumping stairs, to get the speed, muscular endurance and explosive power I need for my routine.
• I sometimes do unilateral exercises for legs, which allows me to work each side with equal intensity. Your stronger leg doesn't take over the work and it's also good if you're coming back from an injury.
• Doing too many reps for legs won't build the curves that look good onstage; I keep my rep range between 10 and 15, mostly toward the lower end. If you aren't looking to add much size but instead to develop some shape, work toward the higher end of the rep range at a faster pace, with practically no rest between sets.
• I do intervals on the treadmill, starting off with sprints, then slowing the pace for a minute. It helps build my endurance for my two-minute routine.
• Training alone won't build great legs and glutes or, for that matter, other bodyparts. To see your shape, you need to follow a strict diet and do cardio. You can't just go in and do a few sets and expect results. It doesn't come easy.

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