She’s got legs, and she knows how to use them. For Jennifer Lopez, who stole the show last year at the Super Bowl halftime show, it’s dancing the night away. For Jennifer Aniston, continuously touted for having the sexiest legs in Hollywood, it’s causing the world to drool every time she flashes her stems in short skirts and sexy stilettos. And for country sweetheart Carrie Underwood, it’s stealing the show while sashaying her tanned and toned legs across the stage anywhere and everywhere.
But how do you get sexy, curvaceous legs like these celebrity A-listers? These ladies may seemingly have genetics on their side, but trust us, they have to work for their gorgeous gams, too. Believe it or not, you can, too.
And with summer coming when hemlines go into shrink mode and pool parties pop up, there’s no time like the present to get ready to strut your stuff. Here is a hardcore workout to get your legs worthy of headlines of your own in no time:
Walking Lunges
Stand with feet about hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides and step forward with one foot. Lean forward so your front leg is 90-degrees to the floor (kneed directly above your foot) and your other leg stretched behind you, knee just a few inches from the floor. Then step the next foot forward and continue to walk forward, alternating legs. Count for 30 steps (15 lunges per leg) and do 3 sets.
Step-Ups
Using a plyo box or a flat bench, put one foot flat on the box (or bench) and the other foot flat on the floor. Push off from the foot that’s on the floor and using the quad muscle of the leg on the box, push yourself straight up. Lower foot back to floor and repeat step-ups. Do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps on each leg.
Stability Ball Squats
Place a stability ball against the wall at the height of your back, lean your body back onto the ball, feet shoulder-width apart in front of you. Then lower your body into a squat position with your weight against the ball, allowing the stability ball to glide up and down the wall doing as many reps as possible in 30 seconds at a fast pace to really sculpt those thighs. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat again. Do 3 sets and really feel the burn.
Side Steps
Using an exercise band around both ankles and starting with feet shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in your knees, step to the side and then bring the opposite foot back to shoulder width-apart, always keeping tension on the band. Step 10 to 12 steps to the right and then 10 to 12 steps to the left for 3 sets.
Leg Extensions Superset w/ Leg Hamstring Curl
Use a leg extension machine with a lightweight at a moderate pace for 12-15 reps, then move immediately to leg hamstring curls for another 12-15 reps. Do this superset three times.
Butt Blasters
Start on your hands and knees. Doing one side at a time, drive the knee forward towards your chest, then drive it straight back and up with heel pointing to the sky. Squeeze glutes tight throughout the exercise. Do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps per leg.
Leg Presses
Sit on a leg press machine with feet shoulder-width apart. Without altering the position of your hips, bend knees to a 45-degree angle while lowering the weight, then push back up, straightening legs but always keeping a slight bend in the knees. Note: keep weight low and work at a semi-fast pace. Do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Step Calf Raises
Holding dumbbells at your sides, stand on a step, positioning feet so heels are slightly off the edge of the step. Then push up on toes and return to start position. Do 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions (reps).
– By LaRue Gillespie
