• Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing out.
• Bring your arms out straight in front of you and lower into a squat.
• Go as low into the squat as you can without letting your knees move past your toes.
• Be sure to tuck your tailbone under and contract your glutes. Keep your torso tall, and don’t let your knees creep past your toes.
• Perform the exercise for 1 minute. (After about 40 seconds, pulse at the bottom of the squat for 20 seconds.)

• Standing with feet hip-width apart, step your right foot diagonally behind you and into a 7 o’clock position.
• Bend both knees so you’re in a lunge stance. Lean your torso forward 30 degrees and pulse up and down approx. 10-15 times.
• Straighten the body and pivot 180 degrees so your right foot comes to the front. Again, lower into a lunge.
• Pulse up and down 10-15 times on each side to complete a set with a short break in between. Perform 2 sets.

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a 5- or 8-pound dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
• Bend your knees 90 degrees, keeping your chest lifted as you place the dumbbells down, outside your feet. Stand up and immediately squat down again, picking up the weights at your feet.
• Be sure to go easy on your lower back by keeping your chest nice and straight throughout the moves.
• Repeat for 1 minute, alternating lowering the weights and picking them up.

• Stand with feet together, arms at the sides and with 5-to 10-pound dumbbells in each hand.

• Step the right foot out to the side and bend the left knee at a 90-degree angle to come into a side lunge.

• Push into your left foot and come to standing with the knees slightly bent. Immediately kick the left foot strongly out to the side (make sure it stays flexed). Return to starting position.

• Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps and then repeat on the opposite side.

• Lie on your right side with the upper body supported by the right elbow and tricep, which should be flat on the mat at your side. Stack the legs and hip, and bend the knees.

• Lift the top bent leg, keeping it level, and then lower it. Straighten both legs and let them fall into a small split position (with one leg split over the other).

• Hover the bottom leg about 1-2 inches from the floor with knees facing forward. Return to starting position to complete one rep.

• Perform 30-40 reps, then switch sides and repeat.

• This exercise is challenging if you can’t complete the full amount of reps perform less and work your way to 30-40 reps.

• Disconnect the pulley from the glideboard and stow handles.

• Push the glideboard halfway up the rails, straddle the rails and sit at the bottom edge facing away from the tower.

• Place the feet on the squat stand positioned shoulder width apart. Slowly lie back, ensuring the head is fully supported.

• Walk the feet to one side of the squat stand and roll on to one side.  Place the top foot on the squat stand pointing up towards the ceiling.

• Bring the bottom leg forward with a bent or extended knee.

• With neutral spine position, slowly lower the glideboard by bending the active knee and hip to around 90 degrees. Press the foot into the squat stand to return to the starting position.

• Perform 10-15 reps and repeat on the other side.

• Disconnect the pulley from the glideboard and stow handles.

• Push the glideboard halfway up the rails, straddle the rails and sit at the bottom edge facing away from the tower.

• Place the feet on the squat stand positioned shoulder width apart. Slowly lie back, ensuring the head is fully supported.

• Rest hands on the sides of the glideboard or cross arms over abdomen.

• With neutral spine position, slowly lower the glideboard by bending the active knee and hip to around 90 degrees.

• Lifting the right leg off the squat stand rapidly press the foot forcefully into the squat stand to accelerate up the rails in a jumping manner.

• Land softly on the squat stand by decelerating through the range of motion and repeat.

• Ensure the knee tracks over the feet throughout the movement and avoid bumping the glideboard at the top during the jump phase of the exercise.

• Perform 10-15 reps and repeat on the other leg.

• Disconnect pulley from glideboard and place handles aside.
• Raise the folding foot holder to an upright position.
• Facing the tower straddle rails and sit near top edge of glideboard.
• Grasp foot holder and pull glideboard up the rails while securing feet between the pads.
• Slowly lie back and ensure head is fully supported.
• Extend legs and place arms across chest.
• Pull glideboard up rails by pulling heels toward hips until knees are flexed at approx. 90 degrees.
• Maintain tension in hamstrings while controlling glideboard down the rails and repeat.
• Maintain neutral spine position throughout the exercise.
• Perform 10 to 15 reps.

• Correct Progression: Overworking your leg and thigh muscles can leave you feeling sore. Soreness usually lasts for approximately 24 to 48 hours and subsides 72 hours after working out. Rest your legs if you have increased the intensity, reps, or weight during a specific leg exercise. As an alternative, integrate a lighter leg workout into your routine by using the elliptical to work different muscle groups and allowing the leg muscles time to recover.
• Fueling the Body: Making sure to properly fuel and hydrate the body can help during and after a leg workout. Consuming a meal or snack high in protein after a challenging workout helps provide muscles the amino acids needed to repair tissue damage during exercise. Water is also essential to help avoid cramps that can often target the legs being a direct result of dehydration. Remember to drink frequently while exercising and come prepared with enough water to consume for the duration of a workout.

• Overall Lifestyle: Keep in mind how much time you may spend on your feet throughout a day when your legs and thighs may continue to get a workout. For example: do you have to go down stairs throughout your work day, possibly load and unload heavy items and packages, or move quickly at a moment’s notice?  Whatever your day may look like, just be aware of overtraining these muscle groups and scale back the exercise intensity if you may already frequently use your legs throughout the day.

Cara