Lower body bodyweight exercises are really easy to do at home. And they’re perfect for getting in a strength workout that’s both functional and effective.
You don’t need lots of equipment to be able to do them and they’re especially good if you do anything like running or play sports.
Do this lower body workout for at least three days a week:
Squat :
The squat is the starting and ending point for working the lower body. The squat activates every muscle in the body, from the bottom to the small of the back, while focusing on the glutes. It's also one of humanity's most iconic movements. That doesn't make it any easier to avoid making a mistake. A good squat strengthens all of those muscles, but a bad one leaves them imbalanced and vulnerable to injury. Place your knees shoulder-width apart, keep your back straight, and lower your hips until they're parallel to your knees, with your knees over your toes, to accomplish the classic squat. Consider sitting in a chair, or use the corner of a box to imitate the experience.
Push off the floor, keeping your knees over your toes and thrusting your hips forward until you reach parallel. The squat is also one of the most adaptable exercises. Consider adding weights for strength or a faster interval for explosiveness once you've mastered 20 bodyweight squat sets. Whatever option you choose, don't let the numbers game get in the way of your form. Allowing your technique to lapse may result in short-term advantages, but you'll pay a lower ceiling for those gains, even if the increased injury risk doesn't come back to bother you.
Lunges:
The lunge is one of the few exercises that can help with lower-body stability. Lunges are an amplification of the act of stepping that reinforces stability.Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward, lowering your hips until both knees are parallel to your hips and your quads are perpendicular to your shins. Return to the original position by pushing off with your forward foot, or bring the back leg parallel to the front. Replace the other leg and repeat the process. Put a dumbbell in each hand once you've mastered the unweighted version for a challenge that will pay off with every step you take.
Deadlift :
If squats are the most basic kind of lower-body training, the deadlift is the most primitive: something heavy is on the ground; go pick it up. And whether it's a friend's couch, a scrimmage line, or a person on the bench,a deadlift can get it moved .Grip the weight on the floor with your feet hip-width apart to do a classic deadlift. Push through the floor with your feet, rising with the weight until you're standing tall with the weight at waist level, keeping your back completely straight. (Warning: the deadlift attacks your back's susceptible structures more than any other lower-body exercise; poor form is not only ineffective, but also potentially devastating.)
If you're using an Olympic barbell, consider adopting a mixed grip (knuckles of each hand facing opposite directions) or letting the weight hang after your last rep as a negative rep for your forearms.The deadlift may be tweaked using a variety of bars and postures to target whatever muscle you want to strengthen.
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