Monday: Leg day!
For me Monday isn't the start of the week, Sunday is, but Sunday is more of a fun day for me; I do lots of cardio and try out new machines at the gym I don't usually use. This week it was the bike, but that is a whole different story...Lets just say my bum is a little tender. *cough*Anyway...
SQUATS!
Monday is usually leg day for me, unless something is happening in my everyday life.
Now leg day for me usually consists of:
- Uphill treadmill walking, at 11% gradient at 7.5 mph
- A mix of the stepper machine or Rowing
- and then the most important part...Weights! Usually (3x)15 reps of each move is recommended.
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| Correct form |
But the most important thing to remember is use correct form; this is so crucial for so many reasons. If you aren't doing the squats correctly you have a risk of injury, and you're working less of your body.
Here is a picture of the correct form you should be using, you need to squat like there is a chair underneath you and you want to sit down on it, but lone behold...no chair. So stick your bum out behind you whilst you squat!
If you need more of a visual aid explaining it in a bit more detail I recommend this one by popsugar fitness:
Now along with squats I do Lunges, a few leg machines and I've incorporated some pilates movement into my regime, all for those perfect legs and bum for summer! I will do a post on these moves at a later date.
I don't know about you but the summer season with the bikinis, shorts and tank tops coming out scares the life out of me..and especially if you're set to go on your holidays too!
But remembering to eat healthy and workout now will benefit you sooner rather than later, remember most summer bodies are created in the winter, so work hard all year long!
The hardest thing to remember is not to compare yourself to others when working out, which is a lot easier said than done- everyone's body shapes are different.
Recovery after leg day is of course another crucial aspect...
In most cases you will build up water retention around the muscles as your body has worked a lot harder than usual in a focused area, don't worry about this! A good nights sleep will usually counteract this, but if you want an immediate remedy I've heard that concentrated cherry juice is a miracle cure, the only place I know of so far that stocks it is Holland & Barratts.
Make sure to eat healthy with lots of protein to build and repair that muscle you've just torn and in no time you will have strong lean legs and hopefully that round bum!
and remember to...
Have a great day!
