Our everlasting quest for an amazing butt and legs stops here! Trainer to the stars and our very own butt-kicker, Kendra Coppey of Barefoot Tiger, weighs in on a killer leg and lower-half workout for the coming summer. And Army Gents listen up, this isn’t your Auntie Pussy’s workout – you can do it too.
Start off with a 5 to 10 minute warm-up on the treadmill, elliptical or jumping rope. Make sure you’re working at a pace that’s comfortable, at which you can talk, but not sing (nobody wants to hear that anyway.) Then do the following workout, with very little rest between each exercise.
– Burpees (aka jumpbacks to jumpsquats and yes, they’re really called Burpees) –
Start from standing, bring your hands to the floor in front of your feet and shoot both legs back into a plank position with slightly bent elbows. Don’t lock your elbows here, it’s too much pressure on your joints. Immediately jump the feet back to the hands, then shoot off the ground, jumping as high as you can. When you land, bring your hands to the floor and begin again – try to keep it a continuous motion. Go for one set of 10. Feel your power!
– Prisoner squats (yes, they’re really called that too)-
Stand with your hands behind your head, elbows out, feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart. Keeping your back as straight as possible, sit back into a squat as if someone was pulling a chair out from under you. Try to bring your thighs parallel to the floor, sit back into your heels and drive through your heels as you stand up. Go for one set of 20. Yowza, that’s the burn!
– Split squats with twist –
Holding a 6-12lb. medicine ball at your chest, take a split-squat stance – one foot forward, one back, both legs straight. Take the medicine ball behind your head as if you were going to throw it. As you bend your knees, exhale and bring the ball forward and twist your torso toward your front knee, bringing the ball toward your front-leg hip. Inhale and drive through the front heel as you straighten both legs and bring the ball back over your head, elbows in. Tips: Try to keep your torso upright as you twist to work your obliques, and make sure your front knee stays over the front ankle and your back knee can come close to the floor when you bend your knees. Stay on the same leg for 15 reps, then switch legs. Keep going, girl, you can do it!
– One-arm squat –
Grab a weight (just one) that would be heavy enough to allow you only 2 reps of bicep curls. For most women it will be between 12 – 20lbs, men 15 – 40lbs. Take a wide stance with your feet, toes pointing slightly out. With the weight in one hand in front of your hips, sit back into a squat, bringing the weight toward, but not all the way to, the floor. Drive through your heels to come up to straight legs. Make sure your back stays flat (use those abs!), your sit bones point way back (really stick out that bum!) and you’re squeezing your gluteals (aka your butt) to come up. Go for a set of 15 with each arm forward. Take that, Angela Bassett!
– Walking lunges with weights –
Grab the second weight from the one-arm squat set, so you have one in each hand. Starting from feet together, step forward with one foot and come into a lunge, stepping far forward enough to keep the front knee over the ankle, but short enough so the back knee can come close to the floor. Drive through the front heel as you bring your back leg forward to meet the front leg. Alternate legs, walking forward as you lunge. Tips: Make sure your back stays super straight – you should have a straight line from your back knee to hip to shoulder when you’re lunging. Also, don’t use the weights to help you stand up – they should remain motionless by your sides. If you can’t do it without moving your arms, try a lighter weight. Go for a set of 20 lunges. You are already looking foxier and stronger.
– Jump squats –
Starting with your feet hip distance apart, squat down to bring your fingers to the floor. Press through your heels and shoot off the ground, jumping as high as you can. When you land, bring your hands to the floor again and then spring right back, jumping as high as you can. Do a set of 10 – 20. Reward yourself with a nice hot shower.
**Your legs should feel like jelly right now — if they don’t, do one more set of walking lunges and jump squats and really put some power behind it!
Kendra Coppey is the Founder of Barefoot Tiger (www.barefoottiger.com), an in-home personal training, yoga, nutrition and massage therapy company in New York, New Jersey and coming soon to Philadelphia. She is a certified yoga teacher, personal trainer and nutrition coach, and is infatuated with all things sweet…including her three rescued kitties Emma , Dusty, and Sabrina!