Exercises for toned legs, knees,thighs

Have you always dreamt of having perfectly toned legs but didn’t know how to attain your goal? Kris Gethin,Hrithik Roshan and John Abraham’s trainer in his book ‘The Bodybuilding.com: Guide to Your Best Body’ demonstrates a number of exercises for your legs that can help you shape them while also making them stronger.

 Standing Calf Raises

Place your shoulders under the pads of a standing calf press machine and position your toes facing forward. The balls of your feet should be secured on top of the block with your heels extending off of it. Push the lever up by extending your hips and knees until you can stand up straight. This will be your starting position. Now exhale as you raise your heels by extending your ankles as high as possible while flexing your calves. Hold the contracted position for a brief moment, then inhale and slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.

Trainer Tip: Your knees should always keep a slight bend and should never be locked.

 Seated Calf Raises

Sit down on a seated calf press machine and place your toes on the lower portion of the platform with your heels extending off it. Place your lower thighs under the lever pad, adjusting the pad to fit snugly against your thighs. Place your hands on top of the lever pad to prevent it from slipping forward. Lift the lever slightly by pushing your heels up and release the safety bar. Inhale as you slowly lower your heels by bending your ankles until your calves are fully stretched. This will be your starting position. Exhale as you raise your heels by extending your ankles as high as possible while contracting your calves. Hold the top contraction for a brief moment and then slowly return to the starting position.

Squats

Set a barbell on a rack that best matches your height. Once it is loaded with your desired weight, step under the barbell and place the back of your shoulders under it. Lift the barbell from the rack by simultaneously pushing with your legs and straightening your torso. Step away from the rack and position your legs shoulder width apart with your toes slightly pointed out. This will be your starting position. Inhale as you slowly lower the bar, sitting back with your hips as though you were going to sit on a chair. Maintain the arch in your back. Continue lowering the weight until your hips and knees form a line parallel to the floor. Exhale as you lift the bar to the starting position, leading the movement with your head.

Trainer Tip: As you squat, don’t let your knees drift forward over your toes; keep them in line with your ankles throughout the movement.

Leg Press

Sit down at a leg press machine and place your feet on the platform directly in front of you shoulder width apart. Lower the safety bar holding the weighted platform in place and press the platform up until your legs are almost fully extended in front of you; do not lock your knees. This will be your starting position. Inhale as you slowly lower the platform until your upper and lower legs form a 90-degree angle. Driving mainly though the heel of the foot, exhale as you push the platform back to the starting position.

Lying Leg Curls

Adjust a leg curl machine to fit your height and lie facedown on it. The pad of the lever should be on the back of your legs, a couple inches below the fullest part of your calves. Keep your torso flat on the bench and ensure that your legs are fully stretched. This will be your starting position. Exhale as you curl your legs up as far as possible without lifting your upper legs from the pad. Once you reach the fully contracted position, hold for a brief moment, then inhale and bring the legs back to the starting position.

Leg Extensions

Choose your weight and sit on a leg extension machine with your legs under the pad, your hands holding the sidebars. This will be your starting position. Make sure your legs form a 90-degree angle between the lower and upper leg. Using your quadriceps, exhale and extend your legs while the rest of your body remains stationary on the seat. Pause a second in the contracted position, then inhale as you slowly lower the weight back to the original position, stopping right before the weight load touches the weight stack.

All content from:- http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/how-to-get-toned-legs-exercises-by-kris-gethin/

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Exercises for your biceps, triceps and forearms

The arms or guns as they are called in bodybuilder lingo are the most noticeable part of the anatomy and the first ones you are ever going to work out when you start weight training. You need to exercise them not just to bulk up but to actually add to your upper body strength.

The exercises we list here are as important for women as they are for men. Our ladies need strong well-toned arms too (it won’t cause women to bulk up like men do as they don’t have as much testosterone as men).

Before we start, you need to understand the muscles of the arms – biceps, triceps and forearms. Each of these has what are called extensors (muscles which help extend the arm and increase the angle of the joint) and flexors (muscles which help flex the arm and decrease the angle of the joint).

Things to keep in mind before you start

If you’re performing the these exercises for the first time it would be a good idea to take seek help from a gym trainer so that he can show you the proper form and posture. If you don’t have a personal trainer, don’t fret. Just seek out the floor trainer (all gyms have them) for guidance in the early days. Make sure you are always in control of the motion and you’re not lifting those weights with a jerking motion or breaking your form because this could damage your elbows. Also, you should begin with lightweights to learn the proper technique before you move on to heavier weights. Looking at your form and posture in the mirror while performing these exercises help.

Here are some exercises for different parts of the arm – biceps, triceps and forearms.

Biceps exercises

Hammer

The hammer curl is a classic exercise and quite simple to boot. It can be performed either with alternate arms or with both arms at the same time using two dumbbells.

Weight, sets and reps: If this is the first time you’re doing this exercise begin with 7.5 or 10 pounds in each arm. You should aim to do three sets of 15 reps each (15×3).

How to do it: Stand straight while holding a dumbbell in each of your arms. Your palms should be facing in. Slowly raise the dumbbell until the forearm is completely vertical and then lower your arm to the original position. Do the lifting with your elbows and not your wrists. Keep the wrist as firm as possible.

Barbell Curl

The barbell curl is another standard exercise which is great for the biceps.

Weight, sets and reps:  If it’s your first time, begin with the 20 pound barbell. You should aim to do three sets of 15 reps each (15×3).

How to do it: Stand straight with your legs wide as you hold a shoulder-wide grip with palms facing up. With your elbows side by side raise the barbell until your forearms are vertical and then lower until your arms are fully extended. 

Triceps exercises

Cable Pushdowns

The exercise is done with the cable pulley machine – the one with the weights and lots of ropes and pulleys.

Weights, sets and reps: If it’s your first time begin put the weights stack at around 30 pounds and do three sets of 15 reps each (15×3).

How to do it: This exercise can either be done with a horizontal bar or a rope handle but the movement remains similar. Stand upright while facing the machine and pull the bar down until your forearm is completely parallel to the ground and repeat this movement. If you’re using a rope handle bring your wrists back, at least until your arms are completely straight. Make sure your elbows remain steady while doing this exercise.

                                                                               Close-grip bench press

This exercise is similar to the normal bench press but the close-grip makes it an exercise which targets your triceps more than your chest.

Weights, sets and reps: The bench press bar is usually 40 pounds and if it’s your first time don’t add additional weights. However, if you feel that it’s too light you can start by adding 5 pound plates on each side. Don’t be in a hurry to increase the weight and instead concentrate on proper form and posture.

How to do: Lie on bench and grasp the bar with a narrow grip (arms six inches apart). Lower the weight to your chest with your elbows close to your body and then push the barbell up until your arms are completely straight. Make sure you’ve a strong grip while doing this exercise and don’t let your wrists bend.

Forearms

Reverse barbell curl

Weights, sets and reps: Start with the 20 pound barbell and try to do three sets of 15 reps each (15×3).

The reverse barbell curl is similar to the classic barbell curl; the only difference being that instead of up, your palms are facing down.

How to do: Stand straight with your legs as wide as you hold a shoulder-wide grip with palms facing down. With your elbows side by side raise the barbell as high as you can and then lower until your arms are fully extended.  This exercise can also be done while sitting down. The thing to keep in mind is that you should always be in control of the motion without which you could injure your wrists or damage your shoulders.

There are more intense exercises to bulk up the muscles in your arms but you should only start doing them once you’re comfortable with the ones mentioned here. 

All content from:- http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/weight-training-exercises-for-your-biceps-triceps-and-forearms/

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