Shape Your Legs, Tone Your Butt and Build Strength

Shape your legs, tone your butt and build functional strength. A lean, ripped lower body is a sure sign that you are fit and strong - and something that every lifter - new and old wants to develop. Getting defined quadriceps and hamstrings, along with a lean butt is easier said that done.

Luckily, there are a few simple exercises you can work into your routine that will help build strong legs. Read on to learn these tips and tricks!

First, in order to understand how to build leg and glute strength, you need to learn the basic anatomy of the region. Knowing what actions target each muscle and what each muscle does is critical to developing strong and proportionate legs.

There are many different muscles of the leg, but they can generally be broken into five categories: the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the glutes, the hip flexors, and the muscles of the calf. The quadriceps are perhaps the biggest muscles of the legs. The are responsible for extending the knee, and are (not surprisingly) essential for activities like walking, running and biking.

The hamstring and glute muscles function to contract your knee and stabilize your pelvis. Hip flexors are responsible for raising the femur and stabilizing the hip joint; calf muscles extend and contract your foot and stabilize the knee joint.

Building strength in your legs and working these five muscle groups can be accomplished by performing a variety of different exercises. Some of the more effective ones are: squats, deadlifts, box jumps, leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls, standing calf raises and seated calf raises.

Combining these into a routine is largely dependent on your preferences and goals, however it is recommended that you start with compound exercises like the squat or deadlift and finish with isolation exercises like leg curls and leg extensions.

Perhaps one of the best exercises for overall leg development is the barbell squat. This exercise works many different muscles at the same time and can be used to lift a large amount of weight. For an effective squat routine, aim to squat at least twice a week. The first day, perform 5 set of 5 reps with your 5 rep max.

On the second day, do the same but increase the weight by 5 pounds. Don’t worry if you aren’t able to complete all 5 reps - just keep training with that weight until you can complete the required reps. Increase your weight like this until you plateau.

Add the above exercises into your routine to really blast your legs. Completing 4-5 exercises per workout will be critical to your leg development. In addition to your training, it is important to realize that a defined butt and thigh will only occur if you have a low body fat percentage. To get a low body fat percentage your diet needs to be on point.

Figure out your daily caloric intake and make a meal plan based off complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. Working hard in the gym and in the kitchen will ensure you get those strong, lean legs everyone desires. Hopefully this article has given you some ideas to incorporate into your workouts as well as shown you the value of squats. Work hard, be consistent, always challenge yourself, and you will see results in no time!

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