Add These 7 Exercises To Your Routine To Burn Loads of Calories

Add These 7 Exercises To Your Routine To Burn Loads of Calories

Build a stronger lower body thanks to these staple lower body exercises. If you don't have access to equipment, all of the exercises below can be modified to be bodyweight exercises. Why do lower body workouts rule? Because working your legs helps you burn loads of calories. Due to the simple fact that they're bigger muscles that require a bigger energy expenditure to move them.

Worried about getting too bulky? Don't. You won't due to the fact you're hitting different muscles and working multiple fibers. That mix is a key part of not getting too bulky, in addition to that, females have less testosterone.

How often:

Aim to do this workout roughly 2 times a week amongst your training schedule. Do each exercise one after the other with 45 seconds rest between. Do 3 rounds in total. If you haven't been doing regular workouts with leg exercises that you should start light and only do 2 rounds. You can then build from there.

• Barbell Squats 3 x 10
• Reverse Lunges 3 x 10 (each side)
• Hip Thrust 3 x 10
• Cable Pull Throughs 3 x 10
• Glute Ham Raise 3 x 4
• Lying Leg Curl 3 x 10
• Stiff Leg Deadlift 3 x 10

It's important to note that if you don't know how to do these exercises below, find a trainer that can show you how. Adelaide based PT Taylah Lee Kelly shows the exercises below from The Fitness Warehouse HQ gym. 

1) Barbell Squats

 

Barbell Squats - Talk about an exercise that burns a buttload of calories. Barbell squats are also referred to as a push exercise. They work your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves and muscles of your back.

Hip Thrusts: This exercise has become super popular in the booty era. Why do we love them so much? They really help isolate the glutes as well as teach full hip extension. 

How to (barbell hip thrust described):

• Sit on the ground with a bench behind you, bending your knees so your feet are planted on the ground and holding a barbell resting below your hips, preferably on your hips.
• Lean back so your shoulders are on the bench and position the bar above your hips.
• Drive your hips up lifting the bar. In the top position your knees should be bent at 90° and your shoulders should be near the top of the bench, with your body forming a straight line between them.
• Pause at the top of the lift and squeeze your glutes, being mindful not to over arch your lumbar spine, then lower your hips slowly back to the start position. 

4). Cable Pull Throughs

Cable Pull Throughs: Great exercise to help reinforce hip flexion and it also increased time under tension and overall muscular activation of the glutes and hamstrings.

How to:

• Make sure the rope pulley is set at the lowest setting.
• Face away from the cable machine, grab the handles of the rope pulley between your legs and take a few steps forward to create tension on the cable.
• Feet in a shoulder width position; hinge forward at the hips, knees slightly bent. Maintain a nuetral spine through the movement. 
• Brace core and tighten your glutes. Breathe in, drive hips forward and slowly straighten your legs, returning to the start position whilst maintaining a nuetral spine. 

5). Glute Ham Raises

Glute ham raises: Super popular the world over for a reason. It works knee flexion and hip extension at the same time. They can also help prevent hamstring strains and ACL injuries in women, great if you play sport. 

How to:

• Place knees either on or slightly behind the pad, place feet firmly on the platform and the back of the calves pressed lightly against the upper ankle hook.
• Begin with the body upright.
• Next, squeeze the hamstrings, glutes, brace abs, lower your body under control until parallel to the floor.
• From there, return to start position by driving toes into the foot plate, this helps activate the calves, then 'pull' up with the hamstrings. Maintain glute contraction throughout.

 6). Lying Leg Curl with DB

Lying leg curl: We love it because it works the hamstrings, quads, glutes, and hip flexors. You'll also engage your inner thighs as you squeeze the dumbbell tightly with your feet.

How to:

• Place the dumbbell on the floor, standing on one end. Lie down on the floor/bench on your stomach with your legs straight and feet close to the dumbbell. Place your feet on either side of the dumbbell's handle.
• Squeeze the dumbbell between your feet and bend your knees to lift it off the floor. The top part/edge of the dumbbell will rest on the bottom of your feet.
• Bend your knees slowly as you bring your feet up toward your butt, so you don't drop the weight keep the soles of your feet facing the ceiling throughout the movement. Slowly lower the weight back down and repeat.

 7). Stiff leg deadlift

Stiff leg deadlift: A fantastic isolation movement that specifically targets hip flexion and extension. Improves strength, size and nueromuscular control of all the muscles involved.

How to: 

• Set up the bar so it sits over the top of your shoelaces, hip width stance to begin with.
• Push your hips back and hinge forward until your torso is nearly parallel with the floor. Pretend that you're looking over the edge of a cliff without falling off.
• Reach down and grasp the bar using a shoulder width, double overhand grip.
• Maintain a neutral spine, keep your shins vertical with your hips at roughly the same height as your shoulders.
• Drive through the whole foot and think about pushing the floor away.
• Ensure the bar tracks in a straight line as you extend the knees and hips.
• Once you have locked out the hips, reverse the movement by pushing the hips back and hinging forward. Repeat for intended rep range.

So there you have a pretty awesome leg workout that you can filter into your weekly workout routine. As mentioned already, exercises involving the legs will help you burn loads of calories because they take more energy expenditure to move them. Happy training. 

   Written by Fitness Warehouse Personal Trainer, Simon Mitchell. 

Simon has a Bachelor of Human Movement, is a certified FMS trainer and has worked in the fitness industry since 2003. Simon started his fitness journey as a trainer with iNform Health and Fitness before moving into commercial radio and then back into fitness with Bodyism in the United Kingdom and Australia. A career highlight was being one of the cast trainers on Star Wars IX - The Rise Of Skywalker.