POPSUGAR

The Look-Good-in-Your-Leggings Workout

Nov 25 2015 - 12:55pm

There's not much to hate about leggings, a wardrobe staple both in and out of the gym. While they cover up, these skintight pants leave little room for forgiveness. The good news: we can assure you that this 20-minute workout will help you rock the tights with confidence. Grab a stability ball, and give it a whirl!

Instructions: After completing the five-minute cardio warmup, perform the workout moving from one exercise directly to the next. Repeat the strength-training circuit two times, then cool down with the lower-body stretches.

Related: 1 Move to Transform Your Entire Body [1]

Warmup: 5 Minutes

To prevent injury and loosen up your muscles, begin with this warmup series.

Cycle through this series at your own pace for five minutes.

Plié Squat: 15 Reps

Widening your stance while doing squats will target your glutes differently and will also tone your inner and outer thighs.

Standing Dirty Dog: 15 Reps Each Leg

Similar to the clam series [2], this move targets the outer thigh while testing your balance, too.

Plié Squat Jump: 15 Reps

Plié squat jumps offer a new take on the traditional — one that you're definitely going to feel in your quads and deep glutes.

Pulsing Plié Squat: 20 Pulses Up and 20 Back

Now go for the burn and add pulses at the bottom of your plié squat to target glutes and inner thighs.

Plank Leg Lifts: 10 Reps

Doing these plank leg lifts on an exercise ball further challenges your balance to help strengthen your core while you work your backside.

Bridge: 20 Reps and 20 Squeezes

Adding an inner-thigh squeeze to your basic bridge will tone your inner thighs.

Superman Ball Lift: 15 Reps

The Superman ball lift is a butt-challenging variation on your standard Superman.

Cooldown Stretches: 5 Minutes

Stretch your legs and hips to keep flexible and lengthen your hard-worked muscles.


Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Leg-Sculpting-Workout-31859960