Health & Fitness
How to get a curvy and toned lower body
Friday, October 22, 2021
Reverse lunges during his training session at Avi Fitness on October 21, 2021. PHOTO | FILE | NMG
Summary
- An Active Virgin fitness trainer says that having a lean and toned lower body requires a combination of cardio and strength exercises.
- The founder of Eveal Health and Fitness explains that the glutes are the largest muscle group in the posterior chain that provides strength to the lower body.
- In order for one to show off an improved, toned and firm butt and thighs, then there is a combination of exercises that are required to achieve the look.
Having a slim, perfectly toned lower body is every woman’s dream. Exercises that target your lower body muscles can help you do this.
Evelyn Sally Kamau, a physical trainer at Active Virgin (AV) Fitness in Kilimani, Nairobi, says that having a lean and toned lower body requires a combination of cardio and strength exercises.
She explains that the hamstrings, quadriceps (quadriceps), and glutes are the main muscles found in the lower body, especially in the gluteal and thigh area.
Evelyn Okinyi Owala, founder of Eveal Health and Fitness, explains that the glutes are the largest muscle group in the posterior chain that provides strength to the lower body.
The glutes are made up of three muscles: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus, and all three muscles work together to provide mobility to the lower body, improving hip extension and rotation.
In order for one to show off an improved, toned and firm butt and thighs, then there is a combination of exercises that are required to achieve the look.
Evelyn advocates balancing cardio and strength training that since cardio is important for fat loss, to make sure this doesn’t leave you with sagging skin, strength training is crucial as it will make you grow the muscles to give one a slimmer look because the muscles are more compact and take up less space.
“We have demystified that weight training makes a woman look like a man. Many women do cardio for fear that lifting weights will make them masculine. Losing fat without replacing it with muscle leads to excess skin known as cellulite that women suffer from. “
Squats
A squat is the king of lower body exercises because it targets the glutes and quads better than many other movements.
The exercise, he says, sculpts the back of your thighs while lifting and toning your butt at the same time. The squat primarily works the two important muscles while strengthening the core by breathing and holding it while performing the movements in the core, commonly known as the abdominal muscles.
“For anyone aiming to grow and tone their thighs and butt, there is no way they can escape squats,” says Ms. Kamau.
There are different types of squats, such as the front, back, barbell, and Bulgarian squat, each of which targets specific muscles.
The front squat works the areas of the anterior chain that include the quadriceps; Back squats target the posterior chain that works the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, while the Bulgarian is quad dominant.
“Technique is important. Put your thighs parallel to the floor, core reinforced, chest out, back straight, and face forward, and push your weight toward your heels. Stand upright while lifting the weight up and up. Repeat 15 times, ”says Ms. Kamau.
“When squatting without weight, 10 to 15 reps is enough for a beginner and once you perfect the technique, you can move to use weights, which will mean reduced reps of 8 to 10 reps,” he adds.
Butt kickback
Exercise completely isolates the gluteus maximus muscle that is dominant in the gluteal area, helping to grow and tone it.
This exercise constantly puts pressure on the gluteus maximus muscle isolating it as one lifts the weight on the machine using the legs while in the prone position.
“Ladies, if you want your butt, not to say you should train your gluteal muscle. Like any other muscle, you can grow it like men grow their biceps and triceps.”
Hip thrusts
Evelyn says that hip thrusts work both the gluteal and hamstring muscles as the weight is lifted, but they can also be performed without weight.
When performing the exercise, he explains that one can find a high place to rest the shoulders up, then in that position, raise the hips to table level while squeezing the glute muscles that work the butt.
“Do 12 to 15 reps with manageable weights. If you want to lift more weight, you add more weight but with fewer repetitions, ”he says.
Romanian or stiff-legged deadlift
This is also an exercise aimed at the glutes, as lifting weights while the legs are stiff means that one will be completely dependent on the gluteal muscle to drive the weight.
According to Evelyn, the deadlift is the most compound movement in the gym and has several variations, but the most common are the conventional and Romanian deadlifts.
“You can stop doing anything in the gym, but not the deadlift. It’s key because when you deadlift, you focus on your quads, hamstrings, and lower back, ”says Ms. Kamau.
Ms Owala adds that the deadlift is a weight training exercise in which a loaded barbell or bar is lifted off the ground to hip level, with the torso perpendicular to the ground, before being placed back on the ground. .
Leg extension
The exercise involves using a leg extension machine to lift the weight while sitting. This works the thighs by isolating the entire quad muscle firming the thighs in the process as one lifts the weight.
Choose a manageable weight for high reps. Start with a weight that allows you to do about 20 repetitions, “he recommends.
Lunges
Lunges have variations and are key as it not only trains the thighs and butt, but also tests core strength because they require an individual to have a very strong core to perform them.
Ms. Kamau explains that the front lunge works the quads, the reverse lunge the glutes and the hamstrings, and if you want to isolate the gluteal muscle, step back further.
“Bring your knee almost to the ground, but it should not touch the ground while throwing.”
Leg press
Ms. Owala explains that the leg press is a compound weight training exercise in which the individual pushes a weight or resistance with the legs.
The exercise primarily focuses on the hamstring muscle as one pushes the weight using the muscle. It also places a demand on the quad, but is primarily concerned with the hamstring.
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