Tone Your Lower Body With Gate Swings
If you're looking for one move that will whip your lower body into shape, it's time to try gate swings.
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This deep inner-thigh stretch tones your glutes, quads, and both your outer and inner thighs, and it also gets your heart rate up! The cardio element comes from a little plyometric jump that helps you transition between the two positions of this move. The directions seem straightforward, but trust me, you'll feel the burn with this one.
- Start with your feet in a wide, second-position stance with your toes pointed slightly outward. Bend your knees and lower into a squat, using your hands to help push your knees wide apart to deepen the inner-thigh stretch.
- Push off your knees to get leverage, and jump your right leg in front of your left, landing in a standing "cross-legged" stance.
- Immediately jump your legs back out to a wide squat with your hands at your knees.
- Push off your knees and jump your legs together, crossing your left leg in front of your right.
- Repeat as many times as possible for at least 40 seconds.
This move is great to use as a dynamic warmup before strength training.