|
IF YOU’VE NEVER WORKED LEGS
before, this routine is
just what you need for a good start. Created around machine
moves, it allows your body to gradually adapt to the new
muscle stimulus you’re giving it.
>> Don’t go overboard
on your weight selection. As a beginner, lighter is better;
it’s more vital that you learn good form early. Once you
teach yourself bad habits, they’re very difficult to break.
|
|
#1 |
|
EXERCISE |
SETS
|
REPS
|
|
Smith-Machine Squat
|
3
|
15, 12, 12 |
|
Leg Extension |
2 |
10–12 |
| Lying Leg Curl |
2 |
10–12 |
|
Standing Calf Raise |
2 |
15 |
|
 |
|
SMITH-MACHINE
SQUAT
START:
Stand with the bar across your shoulders and traps,
grasping it just outside your shoulders. Twist the
bar to unrack it.
MOVE: With
your chest high, head up and back slightly arched,
bend your knees and hips as if you’re sitting back
in a chair until your thighs are parallel to the
floor. Reverse the motion by driving through your
heels and pressing your hips forward to return to
the starting position.
|
|
_ |
 |
|
LEG EXTENSION
START: Adjust
the seat backrest (if so equipped) and footpad so
your knees are at the edge of the bench and your
ankles are just below the footpad/rollers. Sit back
against the backrest, if applicable.
MOVE: Grasp
the handles or the bench edges behind your hips and
keep your upper body stable as you straighten your
legs in a smooth movement until fully extended.
Contract your quads at the top and lower under
control. For full benefits, don’t let the weight
touch down between repetitions. Keep the motion
fluid and concentrate on feeling the muscle work.
|
 |
|
|
LYING
LEG CURL
START:
Lie face down on a leg-curl machine and position your
Achilles’ tendons below the padded lever, your knees just
off the edge of the bench. Grasp the bench or the handles
for stability. Make sure your knees are slightly bent to
protect them from over extension.
MOVE: Raise your feet
toward your glutes in a strong but deliberate motion,
squeezing the muscles at the top, then lower to the start
position. Keep your hips down on the bench; letting them
rise to get more leverage will take emphasis away from the
hams. A good mental trick on hamstring moves is to think of
them like the biceps of your arm; on each rep, you want to
flex them into a tight ball, then release.
|
|
 |
|
STANDING
CALF RAISE
START: Stand squarely beneath the
shoulder pads of the calf-raise machine, with the
balls of your feet at the edge of the foot rest.
(Note: The exercise is shown on the Smith machine
here.)
MOVE: With
your legs straight, lower yourself to stretch your
calves, then rise as high as you can, squeezing the
muscles.
|
 |
|
| |
Source:
One
of the
magazines of MUSCLE
& FITNESS
|
| |
|
|
