To work your outer thighs, set the pulley at the lowest level, stand with your left side facing the machine and put the cuff around your right ankle. Hold on to the machine with your left hand and, keeping your right leg straight, bring your right foot directly out to the side as high as you can. (To hit extra muscle fibers in your hips, start with your right foot pigeon-toed and turn it outward as you lift.) Do all your reps, then work your inner left thigh.
**Perform between 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps on each leg
-Adjust the machine lever to fit your height and lie face down on the leg curl machine with the pad of the lever on the back of your legs (just a few inches under the calves). Tip: Preferably use a leg curl machine that is angled as opposed to flat since an angled position is more favorable for hamstrings recruitment.
-Keeping the torso flat on the bench, ensure your legs are fully stretched and grab the side handles of the machine. Position your toes straight. (You can use different variations/toes in, toes out to hit different parts of the hamstring.) This will be your starting position.
-As you exhale, curl your legs up as far as possible without lifting the upper legs from the pad. Once you hit the fully contracted position, hold it for a second. As you exhale bring your legs Slowly back to the starting position.
**Perform between 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps
It is known as one of the best total body exercises for strength, building muscle, and fat loss. Bend at hips and knees, and grab a loaded barbell with an overhand grip about twice as wide as shoulder-width. Without allowing your lower back to round, stand up and thrust your hips forward as you squeeze your glutes.
**Perform between 3-4 sets of 15-8reps work your way up in weight, don’t be afraid to go heavier as you get stronger. PUSH yourself!
-Lie face down on a hyperextension bench, tucking your ankles securely under the footpads.
-Adjust the upper pad if possible so your upper thighs lie flat across the wide pad, leaving enough room for you to bend at the waist without any restriction.
-With your body straight, cross your arms in front of you (my preference) or behind your head. This will be your starting position. Tip: You can also hold a weight plate for extra resistance in front of you under your crossed arms.
-Start bending forward slowly at the waist as far as you can while keeping your back flat. Inhale as you perform this movement. Keep moving forward until you feel a nice stretch on the hamstrings and you can no longer keep going without a rounding of the back. Tip: Never round the back as you perform this exercise. Also, some people can go farther than others. The key thing is that you go as far as your body allows you to without rounding the back.
-Slowly raise your torso back to the initial position as you inhale. Tip: Avoid the temptation to arch your back past a straight line. Also, do not swing the torso at any time in order to protect the back from injury.
**Perform between 3-4 sets of 20 reps if you add weight, stick between 12-15 reps
-Begin on the floor laying on your back with your feet on top of the ball.
-Position the ball so that when your legs are extended your ankles are on top of the ball. This will be your starting position.
-Raise your hips off of the ground, keeping your weight on the shoulder blades and your feet.
-Bend the knees, pulling the ball as close to you as you can, contracting the hamstrings.
-After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
**Perform between 3-4 sets of 20 reps
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