Downsize Your Thighs in Five Moves

Fit-ZoneTop Levelfalsefalsetruefalse3Downsize Your Thighs in Five MovesDownsize Your Thighs in Five MovesDownsize Your Thighs in Five MovesGet ready to meet your thigh expectations.Five great exercises for stronger, sleeker legs./48/486738B93F965A65D52EBE67AC14A14.jpg122016000false#000000P1By Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & FitnessMSN Health & Fitness Exclusive/74/743391E6E4CEF7F605DD4D2A8D5270.gif1044000false#000000© MSNPfalseThe good news is that great legs are made, not born. Even if yours had the genetic good fortune to bloom long and slender, it’s a lift in the rear, a curve in the thigh, and a sculpted calf that make a leg worthy of stares. Firm, shapely legs are the result of putting in some legwork to get them.We picked five sculpting moves to target your quads, hamstrings, glutes, inner thighs and calves. These moves won’t just shape your legs—they’ll strengthen them so you can walk, run, jump and dance with more power. Generally, sculpting moves alone aren’t vigorous enough to burn enough calories to achieve significant body fat reduction. So adding higher calorie-burning cardio activities into your weekly routine is the key to optimizing your results because you’ll decrease fat as you firm up. By mixing these strength moves every other day with a daily dose of moderate-to-high intensity cardio, you can see slimmer, sleeker legs in just six weeks! HOW TO DO IT:Start with dumbbells that are at least 3 to 5 pounds and gradually work up to using 8 to 15 pounds, depending on the exercise.Start by performing one set of one to 12 repetitions of each exercise, and work up to doing three sets of 10 to 12 reps. Do this workout two to three times a week with a rest day in between.Move slowly during the first set of repetitions. For the second and third sets, move more quickly, but with control so that you do not swing through the motions.Fit in 30 to 90 minutes of cardio activities per day, such as walking, running, cycling, swimming and dancing. You can break this up into shorter bouts throughout the day.What you need: weights and a stability ballWant to downsize your thighs? Click here to get the moves.left/24/2450FEFFEFF19BE574E0107DCE6C195A.jpg120020000leftfalse#000000Photo by Lynda Churilla for MSN Health & FitnessPFind More Workouts in the Fit Zone:Downsize Your ThighsTone Your Thighs, Tummy & BunsSo Long, Muffin TopWake Up, Work OutLook Better in Your BikiniYour Best Butt Ever!Martica is a Manhattan-based exercise physiologist and nutritionist and an award-winning fitness instructor. She has written for a variety of publications including Self, Health, Prevention, The New York Times and others. Martica is the author of seven books, including her latest, Cross-training for Dummies. (Read her full bio.)This diet and exercise program should not be followed without first consulting a health care professional. If you have any special health conditions requiring attention, you should consult with your health care professional regularly regarding possible modification of this program.Keywords/Diet and Fitness/Fitness/Lower Body18falsefalsefalse197truefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1