Standing or sitting, rise on your toes with dumbbells
A good activity to improve your shin. The calf muscles develop from raising on your toes. When raised to the toes from a sitting position, the soleus muscle improves. The dumbbell calf raise is ideal for increasing said muscle size. For example, a number of exercises to improve the muscles of the lower leg:
- Holding dumbbells, stand straight, toes raised 5 cm, heels fixed to the floor. When lifting socks, use a barbell or wooden blocks. Then smoothly rise onto your toes, contracting your calf muscles. If you have good balance, you should stay for a few moments. Lower yourself down, touching your heels to the floor. Do the exercise 10 times in two approaches.
- When rising on your toes, take a deep breath, and when lowering, exhale. This exercise is good for strengthening your calf muscles. To see results, light weight dumbbells must be used. Dumbbells for men can weigh 30 kg. You need to approach the load gradually. At the end of correctly performed exercises, the calf muscle will begin to burn. Take breaks of 30 seconds between approaches.
Calf raise
- Stand on a slight elevation, take one dumbbell and press it towards you, palm facing inward. Bend one leg slightly and move it back a little.
- Rise up, standing on one toe, and slowly lower down after a short pause.
- Switch legs and repeat the exercise. Make sure that only the calf muscles are involved in the work.
Inner thigh exercises with dumbbells
Spread your lower limbs wide, with your toes turned out as far as possible. The dumbbells are held below, near the feet, then we squat until the thigh is parallel to the line. You need to feel how much the inner thigh is tense. Then we squat and push off the floor with our heels, the gluteal muscles remain tense.
Deep squat
You should try to straighten your pelvis forward; this position removes excess load from the back and allows you to keep your buttocks tense. The activity requires a straight lower back. No need to bend or round. Do not push your knees forward too much. They should bend when rising from a squat. The dumbbells are lifted by tensing the buttocks; you should not pull the weight with other parts of the body.
Exercises for the buttocks with a fitball
Basic exercises for the buttocks with this sports equipment are represented by squats. Using a fitball, you can easily train your gluteal muscles at home.
The following exercises are considered popular:
- Lean towards the ball, holding on to it. As you inhale, move your straight leg back, and as you exhale, stretch your knee to your chest. The knee of the supporting leg is slightly bent (10 times for each leg).
- Stand up straight, back straight, foot placed on the fitball. The leg is bent, then straightened, rolling the ball towards and away from you (10 times for each leg).
- Lean the fitball against the wall and lean your lower back on it. The main emphasis is on the heels.
Fitball significantly expands the choice of exercises - Start squatting as you inhale, and rise up as you exhale. Keep your legs together, knees exactly above your heels - forming a right angle. Afterwards, the legs are spread shoulder-width apart and squats continue (10-15 times for each position).
- The fitball is leaning against the wall. Lie on the floor, place your feet on the ball without bending your knees. Socks are pulled towards themselves. Then raise and lower the pelvis (15 times).
Example of a training program with dumbbells
For this program, 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions will be enough (for the abs and calves, 15-25 repetitions). Rest no more than 1 minute between sets. In our case, 1 approach is a cycle of 2, 3 and 4 exercises (superset, triset and giant set).
The program can be performed 3 or 4 times a week. If you decide to train 4 times a week: Monday - Tr.1, Tuesday - Tr.2, Wednesday - rest, Thursday - Tr.3, Friday - Tr.1, Saturday and Sunday - rest (on Monday you start Tr.2 etc). The classic three-day split is performed on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Workout #1 - Chest and Arms
Triset
- Dumbbell flyes lying on the floor
- Dumbbell floor press
- Push-ups with legs on a chair
Giant set
- French bench press with dumbbells
- Close grip dumbbell press
- Concentrated arm curl
- Hammer grip curl
Superset
- Alternating arm curls with dumbbells
- Seated French press with dumbbells
Workout #2 - Legs
Triset
- Lunges (toe press)
- Squats with dumbbells (feet shoulder-width apart)
- Squats with dumbbells (wide leg position)
Triset
- Alternating lunges (heel press)
- Deadlift on straight legs
- Leg curl with dumbbell
Triset
- Calf raises (toes pointing forward)
- Calf raises (toes turned outward)
- Single leg calf raises
Workout #3 – back, shoulders, abs
Triset
- Bent-over dumbbell rows with an overhand grip
- Reverse grip dumbbell row
- Bent-over one-arm dumbbell row
Triset
- Bent-over dumbbell lateral raises
- Seated dumbbell press
- Dumbbell lateral raises
Triset
- Lying leg raise
- Bicycle crunches
- Seated Leg Raise
- Hi all! One of the previous articles was devoted to the training of Greg Plitt, a Hollywood fitness model. We also looked at one of his unique...', 270);" onmouseout=»hidettip();»>MFT28 Program by Greg Plitt
- The training program for people with this type of build, as well as the nutrition program, must obey certain rules. Since the feature of ect...', 270);" onmouseout=»hidettip();»>Features of the training program for the ectomorph
- How long should your summer bodybuilding workouts last to get in shape? If you are a non-professional bodybuilder who spends several...', 270);" onmouseout=»hidettip();»>Summer training program
- Undoubtedly, many of us have tried various sets of exercises in the gym, in search of just the one that will help build...', 270);" onmouseout=»hidettip();»>MASSIVE training program
Basic exercises for the buttocks with dumbbells standing, sitting, lying down
Dumbbells are convenient because you can train with them both in the gym and at home.
Deadlift
- The back is straight. Feet are placed shoulder width apart. Dumbbells are squeezed in hands.
- As you inhale, bend forward, the pelvis goes back, the knees bend, but not too much. Keep your back straight, arching in the lumbar region.
- They rise slowly.
- 3-4 approaches – 15-25 times.
Technique for performing deadlifts with dumbbells
Plie squat
- The back is straight, legs spread wide, toes pointing outward. The dumbbell is held in a vertical position with both hands below
- Begin to squat slowly until the thigh line becomes parallel to the floor.
- Straining your buttocks, rise sharply from the squat.
- 2 approaches – 12 times.
Beginners often confuse deadlifts and plie squats - these two exercises work different muscles.
Lunges
- The back is straight. Hands with dumbbells are extended along the body.
- Step forward with one leg, placing the foot in front of the knee.
- Hold the lunge for 3-4 seconds.
- Take the original position.
- 3-4 approaches - 6-8 times for each leg.
Gluteal Bridge
- Lie down on a bench with your shoulders resting on it. The border should run along the lower line of the shoulder blades. The knees are bent. Place a dumbbell on the pelvis and hold it with your hands.
- Inhale - the pelvis rises and briefly fixes at the top. Buttocks squeezed. As you exhale, they are lowered.
- 3 sets of 10 times.
Dumbbells both complicate the exercise and make it more effective.
The bridge is performed not only on the bench, but also on the floor.
Don't miss the most popular article in the section: Morning exercises for those over 40, 50. Gymnastics exercises for weight loss, video lessons.
Lunges with dumbbells
Legs slightly apart, dumbbells in arms down, palms facing inward.
We take a breath and take a wide step forward, keeping our torso straight and our back straight or slightly arched. When the hip placed forward takes a horizontal position, with a powerful energetic movement (and while exhaling) we return it to its original position.
When doing lunges with dumbbells, you don’t have to step every time, but, keeping one leg in front of the other, lower and raise your torso. Then we change the leg. The negative phase, as in squats, must be performed slowly. The legs are not placed on the same line; spread them slightly to the sides to better maintain balance, with the toes pointing slightly inward. The front leg rests on the entire foot, the back leg always stands on the toe. Your position should be stable, both in the negative and in the positive phase. Thus, most of the weight is projected on the front, working leg.
But, as in squats, you should not roll onto the toe, in this case, the front, working leg. There is absolutely no need for you to overload your knees, since they will still be useful to you. When performing this exercise, you should go as low as possible and straighten your legs completely. The greater the amplitude, the better the gluteal muscles are stretched.
If in squats the main working muscle is the quadriceps, then lunges load mainly the gluteal muscles and hamstrings, and secondarily the quadriceps itself.
This exercise can be performed by taking a step with either your left or right foot, but it is better to do it alternately for each leg. To complicate this exercise, while adding effectiveness to it, you can perform lunges by placing your front leg on a slight elevation. Thus, the amplitude increases, and the gluteal muscles are stretched even more.
Beginners can use a simplified version of lunges with dumbbells. In one hand there is a dumbbell, with the other hand you hold onto a support.
We figured out how to pump up your legs at home using squats and lunges with dumbbells. These two exercises can be used in one workout, or they can be alternated. Dosage: 3-5 sets of 8-15 repetitions. For lunges, do 3-5 sets of 8-15 reps for each leg. As you train, the number of approaches, repetitions, and working weights gradually increase.
Using dumbbells for lunges
The exercise is aimed at strengthening the back and front of the thigh and gluteal muscles. Lunges are represented by walking, sometimes cross, then use a bench. The exercises are simple; light weight dumbbells are preferred.
It is important to stand straight with dumbbells in your hands, step forward with your foot, taking the starting position. The work of the buttocks depends on the width of the step; the larger, the better the effect of the exercise. If the step is narrow, a greater load goes to the quadriceps. The muscle is loaded from squats and lunges performed during the exercise.
Next you need to go down, the body is held perpendicular, a right angle is obtained. The knee of the limb located behind touches the plane of the floor, if the exercise does not prevent the body from positioning itself straight. The toe and heel of one leg should be placed in different lines to the second foot. The heel of the forelimb pushes off the floor, the tension of the gluteal muscles is felt, then return to the starting position. Repeat fifteen lunges one at a time.
Lunges with dumbbells
Leg exercises for men using dumbbells
Lunges with dumbbells are useful for men; the quadriceps, gluteal muscle, and back of the thigh are trained in a similar way. Choose dumbbells with light weight.
- Take a wide step and squat down to one leg, the second one from behind also bends. The weight is located at the toe, the knee of the second limb does not touch the floor. The body is straight, try to maintain balance. We get to the starting position using the push of the front leg.
- A good training exercise for men is to squat with dumbbells. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells. Hands are located along the line of the body. Head straight, inhale, sit down, then slightly arch your back. Hips are bent at the knees. When the hips become horizontal, the legs become straight. The movement is completed, a deep exhalation is made. This is a good exercise for the buttocks and thigh muscles.
Training when using dumbbells in men should be done after physical activity. The muscles will warm up, blood circulation will increase, and the body will prepare for the stress.
To avoid injuries, exercises with dumbbells for men are performed extremely carefully; monitor the technique of the tasks performed. It is necessary to avoid overwork and severe fatigue; using heavy dumbbell weights without prior preparation is not recommended.
Make sure that the exercises you perform do not lead to pain in the lower back or joints.
When you have finished performing an exercise designed for men, it is advisable to stretch a little. Stretching is beneficial for the muscles involved in the workout. Stretching helps to recover and relieve muscle fatigue
For men, after training it is important to restore lost energy
It is worth paying attention to foods with sufficient amounts of protein
In order for the legs to have a beautiful appearance and look good, no matter for men or women, it is worth pumping each muscle evenly. Exercises with dumbbells for legs are great
Exercises have been developed where the main muscles are involved, but not all the load is distributed evenly. Individual muscle groups account for the maximum portion, while the rest receive supplementation with minimal load. The above exercises are designed to improve the muscle structure of the legs.
Listed are well-known exercises that bring positive results, performed at home and in the gym. Such activities are used by people who are far from sports, beginners, and non-professional athletes. The differences are in the weight of the dumbbells and the level of load of the student. If constant, regular training is done for the legs, the desired goals and objectives are achieved. Exercises should be done with light weight dumbbells, then the weight is gradually added, increasing the load on the muscles. Training improves metabolism, strengthens muscle structure, and makes legs slender and beautiful.
Side lunges
- Stand up straight, take one dumbbell in each hand, place them on your sides with your palms facing inward. Or take one dumbbell and hold it in front of you.
- Take a long step to the side so that your knee rotates 90 degrees. Slowly return to the top after a short pause.
- Repeat the exercise on the other side. Keep your back straight throughout the exercise.
Using dumbbells for squats
Here is an effective exercise for training the leg muscles. Squatting with dumbbells means improving your quadriceps and glutes. Execution techniques vary; the load can shift to the buttocks or quadriceps. When doing squats, the limbs are placed narrowly, the exercise loads the quadriceps as much as possible. Standing with your feet wider than your shoulders, squats below parallel, the muscles of the buttocks are loaded to the maximum.
The exercises are great for the gluteus medius muscles. Do squats with dumbbells in your hands. Push off from the floor, using the help of your heels, jump up, and land on your knees. It is worth covering the floor surface with soft material in advance.
Squats
- Stand up straight, take one dumbbell in each hand, place them on your sides with your palms facing inward.
- Lower yourself down, bending your knees until they form a 90-degree angle with the floor. Rise to the starting position after a short pause at the lowest point.
- Keep your upper body still throughout the exercise.
Squats with dumbbells
Stand straight, holding dumbbells in your arms with your palms facing inward. The legs are shoulder-width apart, the back is straight, or better yet, slightly arched, but not like an office worker bending over another pile of documents, like a Stingy Knight over a chest of accumulated gold, but in the opposite direction. Head raised. It is advisable to immediately identify a certain point in space, just above eye level, and while performing the exercise, without stopping, look only at it. By the way, this simple technique helps you hold your back better.
Now we start squatting. As you inhale, slowly bend your knees and, continuing to hold your back, move your pelvis back, as if sitting on an imaginary bench.
As you exhale, we stand up, straightening our legs and returning to the starting position. Lifting can be done quickly, or slowly, and you can also alternate these two ways of performing the exercise in different workouts, for example, in one workout - at an average pace, in another - in a sharp, “explosive” manner, or vice versa, but you should always lower slowly, while controlling every centimeter of the trajectory traveled.
There are different opinions about the depth of the squat; in the lower phase, a decent load falls on the gluteal muscles, which does not suit everyone, but, in any case, you should squat at least until it is parallel to the floor.
The shins should be perpendicular to the floor. It may not work out the first time, but, in any case, you need to strive for this. Otherwise, you will “roll” onto your knees, which is extremely undesirable.
Dumbbell squats are a powerful exercise, but they need to be performed technically correctly. The main load should go to the heels, and not to the toes, that is, the body weight should be projected precisely on the heels. You don’t want to have knee problems and a shuffling old man’s gait instead of powerful quadriceps, do you?
Variations of squats with dumbbells - with dumbbells on your shoulders, with jumping (an excellent exercise for developing “explosive” strength), in a sumo stance (this is when your legs are wider than your shoulders), with dumbbells behind your back (a kind of analogue of Hackenschmidt squats), and finally, squats on one leg, with dumbbells in opposite hands (The right leg stands on a raised platform, with the right hand we lean on the wall or edge of the table, in the left hand there is a dumbbell, after performing a series of squats we change the leg).
Second in our ranking of home exercises for leg muscles with dumbbells are lunges with dumbbells.
Reverse lunges
- Stand up straight, take one dumbbell in each hand, place them on your sides with your palms facing inward.
- Take your leg back and begin to lower yourself down until your knees are at right angles. After a short pause, rise to the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise on the other leg. Keep your upper body still throughout the exercise.
Main part. First level
Warm-up exercises are suitable for both beginners and experienced athletes. However, the main part of the training needs to be divided. For a beginner, to make your legs slim, each exercise should be done a small number of times. You can increase the number of repetitions only after the muscles stop responding to the load.
Athlete level | Number of repetitions | Number of sets |
Beginning | 10-15 | 3 |
Experienced | 15-20 | 3 |
Exercises for unprepared people are easy to perform and light on the muscles. After completing each set, you must take a break for 1 minute. During the pause, muscles and breathing are restored.
Leg kick lunges
You need to perform these lunges on your knees. The pelvis should be on the heels. Place one leg forward, placing emphasis on the entire foot. The knee joint should be bent at an angle of 90C. Tightening your gluteal muscles, you need to rise, while simultaneously raising the other bent leg to the waist. Making movements in the opposite direction, sit on your knees. Lunges work the muscles of the lower body well.
Gluteal bridge
Lying on your back, place your feet on the floor slightly wider than your shoulders. Hands are placed at your sides, palms down. Contracting the gluteal muscles, raise the pelvis above the floor, stretching the body in one line. Hold for 5 seconds, lower to the floor.
During the bridge, the following muscles work:
- hips;
- shins;
- press;
- backs.
Glute bridge with leg raise
Exercises for slender legs involve not only the muscles of the lower body. Many exercises also strengthen the core muscles. One of them is the gluteal bridge with leg raise. When performing a regular bridge, alternately lift each leg without lowering your buttocks. The muscles should be tense.
Jumping to the sides on one leg with the torso tilted forward
To perform these jumps you need to stand up and squat slightly. The back is straight. Shift your center of gravity to your left leg and jump to the right. Landing on your right leg, place your left leg behind the shin of your supporting leg. Repeat on the other side. You need to jump out, tensing your gluteal and thigh muscles. This exercise works the legs, buttocks, and core.
Chair jump squats
You need a net on the edge of the chair. Arms down, feet shoulder-width apart, back straight. Jump up using your leg muscles. The feet should come off the floor. During the jump, the arms are raised and connected at the chest area. After landing on the floor, slowly lower yourself onto the chair. The muscles of the thigh and buttocks work here. The static load is applied to the abdominal and back muscles.
Leg exercises you can do at home
Physical inactivity is a scourge for most of the inhabitants of our planet. Women who are especially careful about their shape also fall under its negative influence. The legs suffer especially, the load on which has become exorbitant. Therefore, leg exercises are a necessity; they are included in every load.
These workouts help all body systems work in a wear-resistant mode. The beauty of toned legs for a woman, especially in the present time, is not only health and an attractive appearance, but also the favorable emotions that it evokes in others.
Moreover, during classes you should devote the main attention to the legs; this will make a tangible contribution to the future, when it will be difficult for the body to cope not only with training, but simply with basic movements. It is then that strong legs with developed muscles will support the body and help prolong youthful movements and active life. In addition, leg exercises will help strengthen the ligaments and avoid many unpleasant joint injuries.
Light warm-up
In order to perform all the desired actions efficiently and safely, you should warm up before them. By warming up your body, you prepare your muscles for heavy loads, which tend to negatively affect an untrained body. Moreover, elastic heated muscles and a dose of adrenaline will increase your resources.
To perform the following leg exercises, you can do a light warm-up:
- Ten minutes of cardio, such as jumping rope, running or brisk walking.
- Walking in place. The back is straight, the knee is raised until it is parallel to the floor. 5 minutes.
- Knee lift. We raise the knee and hold it in weight. After 30 seconds we change legs. 30 times.
- Squats. Please note - do not squat deeply, go down a maximum of 25 centimeters. Move smoothly, a little slower than usual. 20 times.
- Stretching the hips, calves and tendons. First, grab your ankle from behind your back and pull it up. Wait a little and start moving back. Switch legs. Now, with your leg forward, bend over and rest on your knee. Bend down carefully. And the last thing - when stepping forward, try not to lift your foot off the floor, but stretch your lower leg a little.
A set of exercises for legs at home
To do this exercise, you need to meet three important conditions: time (about an hour), a great desire to make your legs beautiful, and the floor.
- Climb. Performed while standing on the threshold. The main condition is a slight elevation. We stand with our toes so that our heels hang above the floor. And we begin to rise, straining our calf muscles. At a high point we stop and count to 5. We descend. 30 times.
- Squats. Not from the school curriculum, but more professional ones. Your feet should be placed wide apart, wider than your shoulders. First, the feet become parallel; in subsequent exercises, it is necessary to turn them closer with the heels. We squat shallowly, keeping our back straight. 20 times.
- Lunges. One leg in front, squat. Shallow, but slow. We try to load the muscles of the legs from behind and the buttocks. We get up and change legs. 30 times.
- "Pistol." Also included in the school curriculum. Squat on one of your legs, try to squat. Gently bend your supporting leg and bring the other one forward. Son-in-law, get up just as carefully. The exercise puts a lot of stress on the knee joints, so do it when you are confident in their healthy condition. People who are overweight are not recommended to do this exercise. To make it easier, you can hold on to a chair. 15 times.
- Lifting the pelvis. Excellent for training the buttocks and thigh muscles. By doing it correctly, you can train your intimate muscles. Lie on the floor with your feet shoulder-width apart. And, pushing off, begin to rise. At the height of the rise, stop and squeeze your buttocks. Lower yourself carefully. 20 times.
- Leg lift. The muscles of the thighs come under close attention. Lie on your side. Place one hand under your head and leave the other on your hip. Bend your lower leg, leave your upper leg straight. Slowly lift your top leg. Keep your foot perpendicular to your leg. At the height of the rise, pause and lower. If you pull up the toe, the load will go to the back surface.
- Leg lift. The upper leg must be bent at the knee, and the lower leg straight. Raise your lower leg. It is enough to tear it off by 5 cm. We also linger and lower it. 20 times.
Exercises for home
Set of exercises
Leg exercises with dumbbells
After mastering the basic exercises, you can begin to practice with weighted objects. To begin, let's take two dumbbells. We perform the movements that are familiar to us, but we must remember that now the load will be stronger
- Climb. We rise on our toes. 30 times.
- Squats. We spread our legs wide and slowly squat, spreading our arms or lowering them down.
- Lunges. We repeat the previously learned movements, carefully holding the dumbbells near the hips. 20 times.
- Jumping in place. Hands near the hips or sides, spring with the calf muscles. Cardio exercise helps strengthen the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
- Knee extension. To begin this exercise, you need a chair. We sit on it and hold the dumbbell between our feet. We begin to slowly raise our clenched legs up. Raise until your legs are parallel to the floor. 20 times.
Leg exercises with an expander
This is a new level of exercise, here the muscles grow and take on a clear relief. You can start this complex after having mastered the basic training well. It is better to choose a tape expander of medium length. With it you can train on your own, without anyone's help.
- For the first movement, you should fix the expander with one end against a wall or a heavy chair, and the other at the ankle. Turn your back to the expander and lift your leg up. The expander will stretch and create resistance, thereby enhancing the effect. 30 times.
- The pose is the same, but you need to turn sideways. We move the leg to the right and left from the fixed expander and train the thigh muscles. 30 times.
- The pose is the same, now you need to turn your face to the expander and move your leg back. The thigh muscles are trained 30 times.
- We fasten the expander so that it forms a small circle. We lie on our side and fix the resulting circle on our ankles. We begin leg lifts. The expander approximately doubles the effect of the usual exercise. Repeat 25 times.
Training Recommendations
Never neglect warm-up exercises, even if they seem frivolous to you. This will protect you from injuries that can deprive you of the ability to move and enjoy movement for a long time.
It is best to do all movements slowly; this is a very important nuance. Firstly, this way you will protect yourself from sudden movements that could harm you. And secondly, slow execution will be much more effective - especially stopping at the height of the exercise. It is static delays that consume the bulk of energy.
Work out when you have nowhere to rush. Haste is not a virtue, especially in sports. Turn on your favorite music, create your mood. Then all training will be much more successful.
Nutrition
This point should also not be forgotten. You should have a snack half an hour before starting your workout. The snack should contain protein - yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese. When classes are over, your metabolism will remain accelerated for about 2 hours. Therefore, it is not advisable to consume food at this moment.
The subsequent lunch should contain protein - for example, lamb with vegetables, or carbohydrates, but do not get carried away with sweets. It is better to eat, for example, porridge. Special mention should be made about water. You can drink water constantly, regardless of your activities.
The fluid released during training must be replenished, otherwise a dehydrated body will sound the alarm and reduce fluid consumption.
Consequently, this means fatigue and poor health.
You can read other pages of the site VashFitnes.ru
You can find other leg exercises here
Legs lose weight well with regular squats, read more here
Effective exercises for losing weight on thighs - read this article
Bottom line
These exercises will help get your legs in shape - improve their tone, relief and strength. In addition, leg exercises will have a beneficial effect on the entire body. After all, strong and healthy legs are a support and incentive to develop and improve in other areas.
An integrated approach will speed things up - eat proper and healthy food, exercise regularly, and most importantly, do not lose your desire to look young. This will help you achieve good results and also preserve your health for many years.