How many guys have you seen working out at the gym and showing off those huge biceps and big chest, but wearing long sweat pants in every season of the year, including the hot summer? They look hot until they strip down at the locker room to change and then …Surprise! You knew it!  They suffer from a popular condition, CLS (chicken legs syndrome), I call it the lollipop syndrome, because as yummy as they look, after a few licks the only thing left is the stick, but that’s another steamy story…

Feeling afraid of wearing shorts, or swimsuits is also an excuse to avoid working out the legs, you may think that there is no point of exercising your legs if nobody is looking a them, and that’s right, our legs are not usually visible to others and that’s why we forget about exercising them or we just skip a leg workout. The reality is that working out every part of our body helps to develop flexibility, endurance and performance in our everyday activities, and also prevents muscle imbalance and avoids the risk of injury. Lets start working out our legs, and because the only chicken legs you should have are the one that go into your mouth…well, among other things …haha

Before we start this leg workout, remember that is very important to warm up the body and also do some core work out before any exercise. A strong core makes any exercise easier and it’s the center of your body strength. Check my previous articles for warm up, core and workout tips.

Ready!

SQUATS, there are many variations of squats and some of them target some muscles more than others. To follow the proper way to do a regular squat, follow this instructions. To execute a good body weight squat, put your feet wide apart, arms extended out front for balance, neutral spine or flat back posture, now push your hips back and lower your body as comfortably as you feel, go up and back down in the same way. Be sure that your heels don’t come off the floor and your knees stay aligned with your toes in your down position. If you want to target the inner tights, perform a WIDE STANCE SQUAT.  Take a wider stance than a regular squat, toes out just slightly, you can extend your arms for balance or do a prisoner squat variation with your hands behind the head, squat nice and slowly, you can add some weight to your workout by holding a dumbbell between your legs and squat, dropping the dumbbell as low you can go. This exercise targets the quads, hamstrings, gluteus and lower back. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 Rep.
BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT. Splits squats are great work out for those who have one leg weaker than the other, because you perform a squat with one leg this exercise target the thigh and the butt. To perform a correct split squat, take a larger than a normal step with right leg, (not directly underneath your hips) lift you left heel up and position it on a bench or a step (about 15 or 16 inches high) or a little bit below knee level. Drop your hip down until your knee almost touches the ground than push the butt up. Body weight is good for beginners but you can also use dumbbells on each hand or a barbell behind you neck. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 Rep.
SWISS-BALL HIP RAISE AND LEG CURL. Lie face up on the floor and place your legs and heels on a Swiss ball, Push your hips up so that your body forms and straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Without pausing, pull your heels toward you and roll the ball as close as possible to your butt. Pause for 2 seconds and reverse the motion, by rolling back the ball back until your body is in a straight line, and lower your hips to the floor. If rolling the ball back and forth becomes difficult for you, don’t worry. Just place your legs on the Swiss Ball on a bridge position, this is just pulling your heels toward you once and raise your hips up tighten up your hamstrings and gluteus and then bring them down. Perform 3 sets of 10 to 12 Rep.
FARMER’S WALK ON TOES. Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells that allows you to perform this workout and hold them at your sides at arm’s length. Raise your heels and walk forward for 1 min. This exercise works on yours calves and also improves your cardiovascular fitness. Perform 3 sets of 1 min or longer.
Note: Not all exercises are suitable for everybody, if you suffer from a knee injure, lower back or any other type of injuries, please consult your Physician before starting any type of exercise, remember listen to your body and let it be your best friend. Don’t let your ego take over, know your limits. Enjoy your workout!