SHAPE UP - The Ultimate Hip and Thigh Blaster

LEGS WORKOUT

The Ultimate Hip and Thigh Blaster

Tone your legs in record time

PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 4, 2009

To lose fat and firm your thighs, there may be no better exercise than the multidimensional lunge. 

This five-part exercise is one of McClellan’s favorite tools because it hits legs and hips from every angle—helping eliminate muscle imbalances—while blasting fat and boosting cardiovascular fitness. 

Do four to five rounds, rest 60 seconds, and repeat one time. 

How to do it: Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart. (This exercise is tough, so you may want to try it without weights at first.) 

MOVE 1Lunge Forward

Keeping your torso upright, step forward with your right leg and lower your body until your front knee is bent at least 90 degrees and your back knee almost touches the floor. Push yourself back to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. Now move immediately to Part 2.

MOVE 2Lunge Forward--Diagonal

Instead of stepping straight forward into a lunge, step out at a 45-degree angle. Do a rep with both legs, then move on to Part 3.

MOVE 3Lunge to the Side

Take a big step to the side with your right leg, then push your hips back, bend your right knee and lower your body until your right knee is bent at least 90 degrees. Push yourself back to the start and repeat with your left leg. Move to Part 4.

MOVE 4Lunge Backward--Diagonal

Instead of stepping straight forward into a lunge, step back at a 45-degree angle. Do a rep with both legs, then move on to Part 5.

MOVE 5Lunge Backward

Instead of stepping forward into a lunge, step back into the lunge. Do a rep with both legs. That’s one round. 

Source: http://www.womenshealthmag.com