Lateral Lunge With Balance
How to: Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands at sides. Take a big step to the right, then push hips back, bending right knee and lowering until right knee is bent to 90 degrees. Push back to an upright position, lifting knee and pulling it into chest with arms. That’s one rep.
Why it rocks: Most workouts focus on forward-and-backward movements, but lateral movements are important for well-rounded fitness.
Question: How To Get Toned Knees
7 ways to lose weight around your knees. Many factors can affect the appearance of your knees. Lose weight in general. Losing weight is one of the keys to more shapely legs and may even help prevent or relieve knee pain. Run or jog. Ride a bike. Lunges. Squats. Jumping rope. Walking.
Resistance Training Of The Desired Muscle Groups
To get started with resistance training, you need to select the exercises to target your desired muscle groups.
| If you want to tone your arms: | you need to focus on both pushing and pulling exercises |
| If you want to tone your chest: | you need to focus on horizontal pushing exercises |
| If you want to tone your back: | you need to focus on horizontal and vertical pulling movements |
| If you want to tone the front of your thighs: | you need to focus on knee dominant exercises such as squats and lunges |
| If you want to tone the back of your legs and buttocks: | you need to focus on hip dominant exercises such as deadlifts and any other hip extension pattern. |
If you dont know what any of this means- check out How To Build Your Own Strength Training Workout Routine.
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Lying Lateral Leg Raise
How to: Lie on right side, resting right elbow on ground just below right shoulder, and placing left hand on the floor in front of chest for stability. Right leg should be straight on the ground, and left leg should be bent over right leg. Without moving any other part of body, slowly raise right leg as high as you can. Pause, then return to the starting position. Thats one rep.
Why it rocks: This underrated bodyweight exercise hones in on those inner thighs.
Getting Rid Of Knee Fat Is Possible
If youve been trying to figure out how to get rid of knee fat, youre not alone. Its tough, but it is possible. You just have to eat right, exercise, and pay attention to your body type. When you do, youll undoubtably see success!
Also, you can check out my 3 Steps to Lean Legs Program. Ive designed it specifically for women who struggle to lose fat in their lower body . My program will help you lose extra body fat and get lean and toned legs without adding any unwanted bulkiness! 🙂
If you have any questions, feel free to ask! xx
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I Want To Be A Better Runner
Its likely that everyday is leg day if youre a runner, but whether youre a beginner or Mo Farah, weve all had those jelly leg moments. Master Trainer and co-owner of Barrys Bootcamp London Sandy Macaskill emphasises that the key to powerful legs is in varied training:
Mixes of speed, endurance and hill runs improve your overall running capability. Mixing up your training, alongside steadily building distance in your legs by working up to longer acclimatisation runs, will help to develop cardiovascular capacity to give you stamina, and stronger muscles mean better running form and control.
This is where structured weight training and cardio bursts come in- classes like Barrys combine both to push you to a place you probably wouldnt go otherwise , but the endorphin rush and all-over gains are worth it, plus there are different workout focuses to keep things balanced and interesting. Leg day will clearly challenge lower body, but following it up with abs and arms will give legs a chance to recover without you having to stay off games due to pains . If youre afraid, we dont blame you, but Sandy stresses that Barrys is for everyone, and that instructors are specialists in turning non-runners into runners. If you are already a dedicated pacer, swapping roads for a studio every now and again could also have benefits in terms of keeping you moving:
Up for even more of a leggy challenge? Steven prescribes a simple but highly effective workout:
See you at the summit.
Changing Your Lifestyle To Strengthen Your Knees
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Is It Possible To Get Rid Of Knee Fat
Now, there are lots of types of knee fat, so people may wonder how to get rid of inner knee fat, how to get rid of side knee fat, how to get rid of above the knee fat, etc. The thing with that is, you dont choose where exactly you will lose fat. You may have heard of aspot reduction. It suggests that if you work a certain part of your body more, then you will burn fat in that particular spot faster.
It is supported by claims of people who noticed how in course of their weight loss process they slimmed down in their waist or legs, etc., faster than they did in any other part of their bodies. This is possible, but not due to the spot reduction, rather because of their genetics . Those people didnt lose weight only in that place, they lost fat from all over their body, but that particular spot happened to be the one that had the most visible result.
Four Week Miniskirt Workout
Rod Stewart’s girlfriend, Penny Lancaster, signalled the start of the miniskirt season last week with an impossibly short black number that barely seemed to cover her bottom.
But with the unusually mild spring weather, thoughts inevitably turn to the long-forgotten mini, which fashion experts believe will be the summer’s must-have.
Don’t fret if your legs aren’t as pencil-slim as the stars’, there are a few health tips you should know that can help you tone your legs by Easter.
Fitness expert Sarah Maxwell says: “Without doubt, high-intensity strengthening exercises are the surest route to fit-to-be-seen pins, and making a deal with yourself to put them to good use every day can make the difference between wanting to flaunt them or hide them.
“If your legs are short and stocky, it’s no use hankering after legs that reach up to your armpits, but on the bright side, they can be easy to get in shape if you’re prepared to work them.
“Walking, cycling and swimming are all good daily leg toners as these activities burn fat and tone the thighs and bottom without adding bulk. In-line skating is a good work-out too: muscles in the hips, thighs and shins get a better work-out on skates than from running.”
To tone your legs in as little as three weeks, add these moves to your routine three times a week. Make it more effective by working muscles until they are fatigued – as in you couldn’t possibly do another repetition – instead of striving to complete a certain number of sets.
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The Best Exercises To Target Knee Fat
Most women have excess fat right above the knees.
The muscle that sits in this area is the quadriceps. This powerful muscle group is important for extending the knee.
It is composed of four separate muscles, hence the name quadriceps.
Of the four, the vastus medialis oblique is the one we want to focus on.
Many people refer to this muscle as the tear drop muscle as it looks like a tear drop.
The good news is:
Some of the best lower body exercises are primarily knee flexion/extension based movements.
When you are doing these exercises, you should focus on feeling the contraction of the quadricep muscle, rather than the range of motion.
You should feel the muscles above your knee activating when doing the following movements.
Final Words On How To Get Toned Muscle
The only way to get toned is through increasing your lean muscle mass percentage and decreasing your body fat levels to a point where muscle definition can be seen.
Thats all there is to it.
The best way to do this? Strength training and caloric restriction.
Now we want to hear from you.
Which part of toning do you need to focus on more?
Alex Robles, MD, CPT / Brittany Robles, MD, MPH, CPT
Alex & Brittany Robles are physicians, NASM Certified Personal Trainers, and founders of The White Coat Trainer: a resource dedicated to improving the health and fitness of busy professionals using time-efficient strategies. Their advice has been featured in My Fitness Pal, Prevention, Livestrong, Readers Digest, Bustle, The Active Times, and more. Learn more about them here.
References:
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Use The Matrix For A Quick Way To Firm Up Your Knees
This type of training puts a great spin on any tired old workout. Traditional lunges are effective. But take that lunge and put it into the Matrix so that youre lunging not just at 12:00 and 6:00, but at 3:00, 9:00, 2:00, etc. So youre not only toning the glutes and thighs, but youre targeting your quadriceps and inner and outer thighs from every possible angle. All of that in one simple but multi-faceted move.
When you step into the Matrix, youre taking a major step toward tighter, toned, dynamite legs, and saying goodbye to fat knees. Try it, and see for yourself!
Start losing fat today!
FREE Fit Over 40 Program!
“I’ve lost 8 pounds in 6 days!” – Charlene
Getting bored with your workout routine and need to mix it up? Fit Over 40 is a FREE program that includes 14 days of workouts, from walking to HIIT… from barre to ab routines, and MORE!
Plus, the private Facebook community of over 40,000 other encouraging members who are doing the challenge will give you the inspiration and accountability you may need to reach your goals!
Still not convinced?
Here are 5 reasons to get started with the FREE Fit Over 40 program….
1. Noticed a slump in your energy? Fit Over 40 is a complete fitness program designed to get you on track to maintain vibrant energy throughout the day.
3. Need an accountability buddy? Fit Over 40 members receive access to a private Facebook group with likeminded individuals just like you who are looking to get back on track and stay motivated.
Squat With Heel Raise
How to: Stand with heels wider then shoulder-distance apart, toes turned out slightly. Bend knees, reach hips back, and lower down into a squat. Drop arms down in between legs. Then, drive in into heels to stand up, circling arms out to the sides. At the top, lift arms straight up overhead and press up onto toes. That’s one rep.
Why it rocks: The heel raise added here targets your calves.
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What To Do In The Gym To Get Toned
Weve talked around it, but now lets go into some detail:
The best way to change your body composition, meaning:
- how much muscle you have
- how much fat you have
- how visible and defined your muscle is
- how you look in the mirror
- how you feel about your physique
is through strength training .
Wait, doesnt cardio tone your body?
Eh. Not really.
Its GREAT for your heart, lungs, endurance, and for burning a ton of calories. Which can be a good thing for weight loss.
But it doesnt preserve muscle mass .
It usually doesnt have as much of a positive impact on your body composition as youd think.
Lifting weights has a bigger impact on your muscle to fat ratio, which is the primary driver of tone and definition.
It also boosts your metabolism so you burn more calories naturally every day.
There are SO many ways to get started in the gym with a lifting routine, more than we could possibly get into here, but in general, beginners should focus on learning and getting stronger on big, compound movements like the:
- Squat
- Rows
- And pull ups
When I first stepped foot in my gyms weights section about 2 years ago, I had NO clue what to do, except for this free guide from Nerd Fitness which helped me get down the basics.
If you want something a little more involved that also walks you through exactly how to eat and what movements to do for the physique you want, check out all of my workout program reviews.
Should you use light or heavy weights for toning?
Absolutely!
How Do I Get Rid Of Fat Around My Knees
To get rid of knee fat you must lose weight and decrease your overall body fat percentage. That is the most effective way to lose fat from any part of your body.
Unfortunately, doing knee-specific exercises probably wont help you get rid of your excess knee fat.
In fact, where you gain and lose weight largely depends on your body type and your genetics. The fat around your knee may be the last place you lose fat from or the first.
However, that doesnt mean that you shouldnt do leg exercises.
Interestingly, a study performed in 2017 divided participants into two groups of overweight women. One group only did lower body exercises in addition to cardio and the other group did upper body only exercises in addition to cardio. They found that the women in the lower body only exercise group had more fat loss compared to the women in the upper body only exercise group.
This is encouraging!
So, if you want to lose knee fat, you should do lower-body specific resistance training and eat in a way that will promote fat loss, i.e less calories.
So now lets talk about what types of exercises you can do.
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I Want To Tone My Thighs
Along with your stomach, thighs are notoriously one of the most tricky areas to target and strengthen. If the leg press machine isnt having the desired effect, try honing in on thighs more precisely. A very retro piece of home kit can help you get there- the thighmaster. The thigh sculpting fitness tool made famous in the early 90s is seeing a comeback, with the likes of Gymbox launching entire class programmes that big up the benefits of the hinged tube device. Thunder is fresh on the gyms timetable and capitalises on the resistance created by the thighmaster to build thighs of steel, alongside other quad and glute toning moves to get your lower body burning over a 45 minute period. Wondering where the glutes come into thigh whittling? Personal trainer and body transformation coach Tanya Niedzwiecki explains why toned thighs start from the bottom, so to speak:
Always start any leg workout with glute activation exercises. Our butt muscles are generally extremely lazy, since our modern day lives see us sitting on them for a lot of the time, but they’re also one of the strongest muscles in the body and need to be switched on to power the lower body exercises that create strong legs, such as squats, lunges and deadlifts. If we dont engage out glutes we can end up using our quadriceps more and becoming imbalanced. Basically, you cant have toned legs and thighs without putting work in where your bum is concerned.
Develop Lean Muscle Tissue
Building lean muscle requires three things.
The stimulus is the most important of the three. It can be accomplished through any form of progressive resistance training such as:
- weight lifting ,
- resistance bands
Now, although you cant spot reduce fat from specific parts of your body, you can certainly develop lean muscle in those areas.
So it is important that you train the muscles that you want to develop on a regular basis.
Secondly:
Recovery refers to several aspects such as rest, nutrition, and adequate sleep. I go over all the proper ways to recover from a workout here.
Thirdly:
Muscular adaptation is the process in which your muscles undergo physical changes in response to the stimulus you are giving it.
In other words- your muscles get stronger and bigger.
The key is that the stimulus has to continuously change over time. This is the principle of progressive overload.
Thats the first part of the equation.
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