Lower Body Toning Exercises For Women
Women’s problem areas are predominantly located in the lower body because fat tends to accumulate in the thighs, glutes, lower abdomen and hamstrings.
The most effective way to address these problem areas is to design a workout routine that features the best exercises for toning the lower body.
The best exercises for women are those that allow a deep stretch, require more stability and utilise various muscle groups in the lower body.
These are compound exercises which have been proven to be more effective in toning muscle and burning off body fat.
Here is a outline of 7 of the best exercises to trim the fat off your legs and reveal shapely, well-toned muscles:
1. Squats
If you only had time for 1 exercise in your routine, it should be Squats. This exercise hits every single muscle in your lower body: thighs, hamstrings, calves and glutes plus it strengthens your lower back and abs. Squats also make you work harder which means you burn more calories and shed more body fat.
Recommended Volume: 4 sets x 10 reps
2. Romanian Deadlift
Unlike the traditional Deadlift, the Romanian Deadlift puts more emphasis on your glutes, hamstrings and lower back. If you want a nice curve on your lower back that cantilevers to a tight, toned derriere and firm hamstrings, this is the best exercise you can do. Romanian Deadlift has the added benefit of shaping your shoulders, upper back and arms.
Recommended Volume: 4 sets x 10 reps
3. Bulgarian Split Squat
Bulgarian Split Squat is a unilateral exercise that allows you to put 100% focus on each leg so you can get balanced development. This exercise is great for adding shape to your thighs, hamstrings, calves and glutes. Because you are training 1 leg at a time, you will have to tighten your abs and lower back to maintain upper body stability. With Bulgarian Split Squat you can use a barbell, a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells for resistance.
Recommended Volume: 2 sets x 15 reps
4. Overhead Lunges
Lunges are a favourite exercise of many women to firm up their legs and glutes. But Overhead Lunges not only tones your legs and glutes. It also builds abs, strengthens your lower back and shapes up your shoulders. You can use a barbell plate that is equivalent to 20% of your bodyweight or a pair of kettlebells as overhead resistance. A challenging variation is to walk for 20m to 30m while doing Overhead Lunges.
Recommended Volume: 2 sets x 10 reps
5. Glute Ham Raise
Glute Ham Raise is a dynamic bodyweight exercise that focuses on the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. Remember to get a good stretch at the bottom and to hold the top position for a count of “one-thousand one” for a strong contraction. You can use this as a warm up before Squats and Romanian Deadlift.
Recommended Volume: 2 sets x 20 reps
6. Barbell Glute Bridge
Sitting for prolonged hours can strain your lower back. You need strong hips to distribute compression forces away from your lower back when you’re working in an office or studying for hours. Barbell Glute Bridge is an effective exercise for strengthening the hips as well as toning the glutes, hamstrings, calves and thighs. Comedian Chelsea Handler routinely handles 180kgs in Barbell Glute Bridge. You can’t argue with the results!
Recommended Volume: 2 sets x 8 reps
7. Kettlebell Swing
Kettlebell Swing is an excellent exercise for toning the legs, glutes, lower back, shoulders and upper back. It requires you to keep your core tight throughout the exercise which helps build a nice, tight set of abs. Kettlebell Swing can also be used as part of an interval program to improve conditioning and burn off body fat.
Recommended Volume: 2 sets x 15 reps
You don’t have to perform all of these exercises in 1 workout. You can train your lower body twice a week with each workout incorporating 3 of the exercises.
If you want a challenge, train your lower body 3 times a week with each workout using 2 of these exercises. In 6 weeks, you should be noticing fabulous results!
