Starting Position: - Hold a dumbbell in each hand and allow them to hang down at your sides. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Distribute your body weight equally between both feet. Movement: - Inhale, keeping your heels in contact with the floor at all times, slowly lower into a squat position. Exhale as you slowly straighten your legs, keeping your head and chest up, returning to the starting position. Repeat as required. 5 lb dumbbells work well, but you can start with 2 lbs and then work your way up to 5 lbs within 3-5 weeks.



Lunges: Front Thigh Exercise. Starting Position: - Assume a standing position with your feet slightly less than shoulder width apart. Grasp a barbell with a wider than shoulder width grip and place it across your shoulders. Movement: - Inhale, keeping your back vertical and slightly arched, slowly step forward with one leg making a long stride, lowering your body down slowly until your rear knee lightly touches the floor (if you cannot go as low as this, then work your way up to it over 2-3 weeks). Exhale and shift your weight backwards, taking one step (or 2-3 small steps if that sounds difficult) to return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Remember to consult your doctor before this or any other knee exercises if you have had any knee trouble!

Be sure to carry out all exercises for your thigh muscles in a slow, controlled manner to avoid injury and to ensure the effectiveness of the thigh exercises. A certified personal trainer or professional fitness instructor can teach and assist you with the proper technique and form with any of these thigh exercises.

Then set goals, be consistent, and work until you are tired. While many theories exist on the best ways to build muscle, recent research indicates that a single set of 12 repetitions with the proper weight can build muscle just as efficiently as three sets of the same exercise - good news for people trying to squeeze weight or strength training into a busy schedule. It is recommended to do a single set of exercises using a weight heavy enough to tire the muscles after a dozen repetitions. When you work a muscle to fatigue, you are releasing factors that build endurance and strength.

The truth is, toning and firming up your leg, hip and thigh area is not achieved by using all those weight machines, and heavy dumbbells and barbells that could get you all pumped up with much more muscle than you were looking to build, or cause serious, long term injuries!

Place your hands on your hips or hold them out in front of you, or out to the side. slowly, step down with your left foot & lightly touch the floor with your toes & the ball of the foot (keep your heel off the ground).

There are 3 gluteal muscles. You have heard of the gluteus maximus which is the largest muscle in your body. There is also the gluteus minimus and medius. The group is often referred to as the glutes.

The primary function of the glutes is to extend your hip but they have many other functions such as leg abduction which is moving your leg away from your body to the side.