My Fitness World: I'm talking legs...

by: Jillian Michaels

If you're new to exercise, working out can be intimidating. The trick is to begin with exercises you can build on. Let's start with the legs. After all, they help support our bodies in the most basic of activities — standing and walking! Try wall squats, the building block of all squat variations. Here's how to get started right now.

Wall Squat

Stand with your back about 1 1/2 feet from a wall, feet hip-width apart, your weight on your heels. Lean back until your shoulders and upper back touch the wall. Now slowly lower yourself (as if you were going to sit on a chair) until your thighs are parallel with the floor and your legs form a 90-degree angle. In the seated position, your back — from the shoulder blades to the lower rib cage — should rest lightly against the wall. Hold this position for as long as you can, stand back up, and repeat.

When you've mastered the form, kick it up a notch by adding resistance with hand weights. Once you've developed quad, glute, and hamstring strength with this beginner move, you'll be ready to tackle more advanced leg exercises.

Get a Leg Up on Summer

by: Jillian Michaels

Summer is around the corner, and it's just about time for shorts and skirts. Aren't you tired of covering up your legs with baggy pants and toe-skimming skirts? Of course you are — it's hot under all those clothes! To gain the confidence to flaunt a fabulous pair of gams, you need to learn about your leg muscles and which exercises effectively target them. Let's take a good look at the upper and lower legs:

Upper Legs

The two main muscle groups of your upper legs are the hamstrings and quadriceps.

The hamstrings, located on the backs of your thighs, are responsible for knee flexion. Knee flexion is the movement that brings your heel back up toward your buttock.
The quadriceps are the muscles on the front of your thighs. Their main function is knee extension, the movement that straightens the legs.

Lower Legs

The two major muscle groups in your lower legs are the calf muscles, which include the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, and the dorsiflexors.

The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles are located on the back of your lower legs. They are involved in plantar flexion, which allows us to extend our ankles and point our toes.
The dorsiflexors are located on the front of your lower legs and are primarily used for dorsiflexion, in which your bring your toes up toward your shins.

Try these moves to work your total legs:

Hamstring Curls on Ball

Step 1

Lie on your back with your feet on top of an exercise ball. Your heels should rest on top of the ball. Pushing your heels into the ball, lift your hips. Your head, shoulders, and arms are on the floor and your body is in one long line.

Step 2

Bend your knees and use your feet to roll the ball in toward your glutes. Use your legs to lower your body down and roll the ball back to the starting position. Repeat

Plié Hops

Step 1

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, with your feet turned out and knees slightly bent. Place your hands on your hips. Lower your hips so that your knees bend to about 45 degrees.

Step 2

Then in one explosive movement, push from your feet to straighten your legs and hop into the air. Both feet should come off the ground. Repeat.