Lower Body Help

[furmomof6]

Originally Posted by bubbles76

I couldn't do Barlates or Margaret workouts every day lol! They are tough

True!

Originally Posted by Jane P.

If you can do body weight plies without hurting your back, I found them helpful for the inner thighs before I lost weight. If you have ankle weights, lie on your back and spread your legs in and out while wearing them. That helps too

Walking is always good as well.

Yes! I've noticed that Lucy does that move a lot for the inner thighs, lying on your back spreading the legs in and out. I like that better than plies for my knees! She also advocates walking.

Donna, so true about comparing Lucy to Slim in 6. I thought the same thing. Her workouts are like bite sized Si6!

[Tugger31]

What worked for me, was adding in more faster paced walking and then doing the Ballet Beautiful workouts and some standing leg work. I did two sections a day from the Ballet Body Total Body dvd a few times a week. I also added in the Supermodel Series Butt & Thigh dvd from Susan Orbeck, as well as Cathe's Boss Loops Glutes & Core dvd. I also have a bad back, but can actually do standing work now by doing it all with a stability ball against the wall. It really keeps my back in alignment. I don't go heavy but when I do use weights I just hold a dumbbell at chest level. Other dvds that I've gotten good results with and mix in for variety is Cathe's Great Glutes and Lean Legs & Abs dvds. I just modify them to suit my needs. Overall, I found better results with walking and doing legs with no weights or light weights more frequently/more times a week. Cutting back on carbs and drinking more water also helps.

I didn't have a set rotation but consistency and time helped with along with the above workouts.

[Terry]

For lower body strength: I was doing squats and deadlifts with 60 added pounds until I had the worst SI joint attack ever. Once that healed, I started doing A$$ to Grass Body Weight Squats and Back Knee All the Way to the Floor Body Weight Bulgarian Split Squats. These two body weight moves are harder for me than what I was doing with added weights. Go deep, go slow, aim to be able to do a good Pistol Squat.

For thigh fat, I take care of that with boot camp style work or by mixing sprints in with my steady state slow running coupled with eating well.

[Rhonda]

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful suggestions.

I have been slacking in my walking and not getting in the 10,000 steps like I used to. I think I need to get back to that. Jogging/running are hard for my knees so I seem to steer clear of that but was power walking, incline walking a lot before I shifted gears.

so I think I need to get back to doing that, along with some good leg workouts (which you all have mentioned). I actually did a warm up walk and KCM's body training workout 1 (which I have never done) and it is all body weight standing leg work. Felt good.

I know Cathe has that good ankle weight workout, and on her pure strength the nice floor routine, so am thinking about adding in those short workouts maybe once a week.

I know there is no special formula for this type of thing so will try out a routine for October and see where it gets me. This is what I am thinking:

Walking warmup, or step warmup
M - KCM body training workout 1
T - core/upper body workout
W - Cathe one of her ankle weight/loop workouts
Th - core/pilates/yoga
F - KCM Box and Barre (this uses ankle weights)
Sat and Sun are usually long power walking days with a good stretch.

[Lori_Michigan]

I think my lower body looks the best when I consistently do CS/Essentrics a few times a week along with Tracie Long's workouts. It's a build/strengthen/lengthen combo that works best for me.

And walking, good old walking! I now try to get a few thousand steps in during the work day, stepping away from my desk and just walking around the house has increased my step count when I can't get a walk in.

[Rhonda]

Originally Posted by Lori_Michigan

I think my lower body looks the best when I consistently do CS/Essentrics a few times a week along with Tracie Long's workouts. It's a build/strengthen/lengthen combo that works best for me.

And walking, good old walking! I now try to get a few thousand steps in during the work day, stepping away from my desk and just walking around the house has increased my step count when I can't get a walk in.

I have tried CS/Essentrics a lot and just cannot get into it.

Yes walking I do and a year or so ago I stopped getting my 10,000 steps a day in and I really should start to get to that number. When I work from home I definitely take those walking breaks (indoors or outdoors). At work it is easier to get steps in as I can go to the furthest bathroom and then I get out at lunch for a 20 minute walk. So back to getting that in.

[prettyinpink]

Lots and lots of walking helps, but lower body strength work is important even if it’s just to maintain the muscle we have.

There are ways of doing lower body with bodyweight that make it harder. Very slow eccentric work, and doing a lot more unilateral exercises: Bulgarian split squats, ATG split squats, pistol squats, skater squats, sissy squats, isometric wall squats, step-ups, and different types of deficit squats where you start with one foot elevated.

[AZY]

Jessica Smith Build series has a lot of slow body weight work that identifies weaknesses.

For something more rehab related check out the knees over toes guy Ben Patrick - I subscribed for a couple of months (have really bad knees) and found it helpful - you do the exercises and upload video and they give form tips and suggestions - it’s all supposed to be pain free. He also has loads of free video and information. It all starts with walking backward…..
https://www.youtube.com/c/thekneesovertoesguy