Legs

Quadriceps stretching.  

The quadricepces are the muscles located in front of the leg, the thigh.  Imitate the pictures paying attention to the next details. 

⦁ You can support yourself on something if you do not have the balance. 

⦁ Do it for each leg and approximately for 10 seconds. 

⦁ It is better if you do it with your legs a little bit together. 

⦁ The leg that is bent you should hold it from the instep and pull it upwards.

⦁ You can bend your trunk a little to the front while you pull the bent leg even more backwards, to increase the intensity of the stretching.  

Quadriceps stretching 

Femorals stretching.  

The femoral or femoral biceps, as are more formally known, are the muscles located in the rear of the leg.  Imitate the pictures paying attention to the next details:

⦁ This stretching is made of three stages; this is because it can be a little intense for the muscles. 

⦁ You must do it with both legs, for each stage you must hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds. 

⦁ You can alternate legs, this is, you can perform the stage 1 with the right leg, then the stage 1 but with the left leg, the stage 2 with the right leg, then with the left one and so on.  

⦁ Place yourself on the edge of your bed or a bench, with a leg out and the other one extended over the shore. 

⦁ For the first stage, in fact, you must have your knee bent and try to touch it with your chin, curving your back as less as possible. 

⦁ For the second stage try to extend the leg thoroughly but push forward your tiptoes. Go as low as you can with your body not so curved; now your goal is to place your forehead in the center of your shin. Go down little by little; a good technique is to hold 5 seconds per advance, until you are not longer capable of keep going down, as time will pass by your muscles are going to give in to flexibility.  

⦁ The third stage obviously is the toughest, now, besides being in the maximum position of stage 2, you must also pull backwards your tiptoes with your hands, make sure at the same time that your leg is thoroughly extended and not bent by the knee.

 

⦁ IN THIS POINT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POSITION AND REPEAT THE STRETCHING FOR THE LOWER BACK AND BUTTOCKS, NOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT ANYWAYS -

Stage 1 

Stage 2 

Stage 3

Abductors stretching.  

This are the inner leg muscles.  Imitate the picture paying attention to the next details:

⦁ Just like in the previous stretching, it is also probably that you will need to go down little by little; approximately 5 seconds per advance, until definitely you cannot go down anymore, when you reach this position try to hold it for 10 to 30 seconds. 

⦁ Do it over a flat surface that will not hurt your knees, such as your bed or yoga mattress, for example.  

⦁ Support on your knees opening your legs as much as possible, push your body forward, but mostly to keep the balance. 

⦁ At the beginning do it with your legs well bent by your knees, meaning, with your talons moved inwards, then move them outwards trying not to close the distance in between knees, like performing the famous split of the people who practices karate, but without separating the knees from the floor  , in the meantime, pull backwards the body as well.  Immediately you will feel the increase of tension in your abductor muscles.  

⦁ As time passes by, push yourself to go lower and lower, with the goal of becoming more flexible, too. 

 

Abductors stretching, with bent legs

Legs training

(Some of lower back is also performed with some of these exercises, keep reading to better understand).

22 th Multiposes squat  

This exercise is another creation of mine as well, since I have never seen it to be taught in any gym.  In this exercise you will work effectively the buttocks, quadriceps, femoral biceps and abductors; all at the same time.  It is excellent to warm your muscles up as well.  This exercise is a little bit complicated to follow, so pay attention to the details shown in the pictures and video, imitate them and pay attention also to the next details.  

⦁ For this exercise, I will show you first how to perform a traditional squat with no weight and with your arms to the front, this is NOT the exercise that you must do, but it is good as a base to be able to perform properly the other one, which requires of a knowledge and more advanced practices that come from the traditional squat.  Once you get this, which  is not that complicated, you will be able to perform the multiposes squad with no complications: 

⦁ First place both your legs straight and aligned, separated at the same distance of your elbow bones one.

⦁ Both your feet tips must be pointing forward.

⦁ Pick a point at your eyes level and in front of you at that moment, at the beginning it will be key that you don’t withdraw the sight from that point at all throughout the exercise. 

⦁ The lower back always goes straight.

⦁ Basically the movement locomotion from that point is simple for explaining and running: Pretend that you’re going to seat on a bench that is behind you and at your knees height. 

⦁ For doing this you must pull your buttocks backwards all that you can, do not move the talons from the ground at all, this is key. 

⦁ Go down until there is a straight angle (90°), (square), in between your thigh and shin or until the line that would go through your thigh by the half all along of it is parallel to the ground. 

⦁ Raise again taking strength out of your talons, I repeat, do not move them from the ground at all and do it until your legs are semi – extended. 

⦁ While you run the locomotion of this movement put both your arms together and extended pointing forward and at your shoulders level.  This will help you to keep the balance. 

⦁ Notice also that when you go down your knees should point in the same direction of the tip of your feet at all moment with the goal of avoiding injuries.

⦁ For the Multi-poses squat place yourself just in front of the rear part of a chair, tree, post or something similar.  

⦁ The legs go wide open, as much as you are still able to support properly and comfortably your talons to the ground. 

⦁ To get the starting position place one of the legs with the feet tip pointing forward and slightly raised, you can put something underneath, like a rock or a little piece of wood to help you out; for the other leg open the feet tip at 45°.  Remember always to go down with the knee always pointing in the same direction as your feet tip.  

⦁ Go down just as told to the traditional squat but now respecting the new leg positions and the object that is in front of you will be for you to hold of, but more as a pivot than as a point of strength. 

⦁ After you perform a series with this position combination you must switch legs then, this is, to reverse the roles in the legs position. 

⦁ In both leg positions you work the buttocks and the quadriceps; in the leg that has the feet tip raised you work also the femoral, in the leg that has the feet tip opened you work also the abductors.  

⦁ Perform, for each leg, for each position, 5 sets of 10 to 20 repetitions, as you resist.  It is not as long as it reads, because whilst you run one position in a leg you are running the other position in the other one, simultaneously. 

⦁ It is also probably that you are capable of non-stopping in between sets; I encourage you to do so, even if for the next series you are no longer capable of performing the same amount of repetitions than for the previous one but that you are able to keep yourself within the range of 10 to 20 repetitions per series. 

Multi-poses squat.  With the feet tip raised

Multi-poses squat.  With the feet tip facing outwards

         

The link for the video is:

Multi-poses squat

23 th Leg circuit.  

Each one of the exercises in this circuit, as indicated for other circuits, must be ran in a row, meaning, when you finish one series of the first one with no resting you should start immediately to run one series of the second one, then one of the third and finally one of the fourth ones. I tell you upfront that you are going to have to perform 4 sets of each, of 6 to 15 repetitions as you resist, since I also encourage you to do them non-stop, this is, when finishing one series of the fourth exercise try not to rest to start the first exercise again, if in such case you cannot resist it then rest up to 2 minutes.  However, I recommend you to lower the weight and the number of repetitions set by set, as long you keep within the range of 6 to 15 repetitions per series.  I can perform this exercises with dumbbells of 5 to 30 pounds (2.3 kg to 13.6 kg), you asses yourself as long as you are able to keep the strictness of the exercise. 

Don't perform the circuit until you have read all of the instructions for each of the exercises below.  

The link for such video is:   Leg circuit

 23.1  Russians.

This exercise is not that taught in gyms as it is in sports, but it is very effective to work the buttocks, quadriceps and abductors, mostly if done in an explosive way such as is going to be mentioned later on.  Pay attention to the exercise in the video, it is the first one shown there, imitate it and pay attention to the next details:

⦁ This is the only exercise of the circuit performed with no weight.

⦁ It is the same principle of the squat previously taught, it is just that in this case you will do it with both legs wide opened and with the tip of your feet pointing outwards. 

⦁ Remember the safety norms to be able to perform these exercises regarding the knees, the posture of the lower back and all the rest mentioned previously, too. 

⦁ Here the exercise is like you were doing this opened squats, it is just that you must swap positions each time you are raising, just as shown in the video, whilst you are doing it try to launch as explosively as possible, as if you were trying to jump as high as possible, and in the air swap position. This is very good to stimulate the muscle fibers and in this particular exercise it even can help you to jump higher. 

⦁ When launching explosively remember always to keep strict of the exercise locomotion, it is for effectiveness and to avoid injuries. 

⦁ When falling down cushion the blow descending slowly immediately after touching the ground. 

23.2  Scissors.

This exercise is good for the quadriceps, femoral biceps and for the buttocks, it is tough, mostly if performed as shown in the video, alternating legs, but if it is resistible for you, imitate what is in the video, this exercise is the second one shown, pay attention to the next details:

⦁ It is very important the respiration in this exercise, that is why my stomach looks swelled when I perform the exercise.  Once you are at the top you hold your breath, you go down slowly and then you raise up again until getting to the top; there expel the air and then inhale another deep breath just to repeat the whole procedure.  If you do not perform the breathing you run the risk of getting dizzy and you can also pre conceive mentally to feel as if you were more tired than what you really are and all because of the way your heart is going to beat and because of the way in which you will be breathing. 

⦁ The position and locomotion of the front leg is the same as for the traditional squat, basically in what you have to focus is in not moving your talon from the ground and that the strength to raise you back up comes from this one as well. 

⦁ Now talking about the rear leg: This only works as a pivot, the strength does not come from this leg, try not to bump the knee with the ground when going down, but descend as low as almost touching it, since it is very important for the effectiveness of the same, this goes supported on the foot ball and the separation distance you must keep with the front leg is a comfortable distance, yet separated. 

⦁ Remember to keep a fixed point for the sight that is in front of you and at your eyes level when stood up, it will be of great importance to keep the balance.

23.3  Opened squats with weight in the front.

This exercise is good for the buttocks, quadriceps, lower back and abductors.  The way of performing it is the same as in for the “Russians”, it is just that you do not jump and that you have weight held at the center with your hands, so Imitate the shown guide in the third exercise of the circuit video and pay attention to the next details:

⦁ Hold 2 dumbbells of the same weight at the center as shown in the video, I can perform it with 30 pounds dumbbells (13.6 kg) according to my fatigue level, you asses yourself, but pay attention to perform it strictly and most of all to hold your back well straight to avoid injuries at the same time that you add intensity to the exercise. 

⦁ When you are reaching the top, slightly lessen the speed and squeeze your lower back while “hiding” your buttocks when getting to the maximal position for 1 to 2 seconds, this way you will also work the lower back in the exercise.  Do it as long as you can handle it, when you can't no more just skip this last step for the rest of your reps in the series.  

 23.4  Dead lift.

This exercise is for the buttocks, femoral biceps and lower back.  Imitate the shown guide in the fourth exercise of the circuit video and pay attention to the next details: 

⦁ Stand up straight with the legs separated at the level of your shoulder bones.

⦁ Hold two dumbbells of the same weight in front of you as shown in the video, I can do it with dumbbells of up to 30 pounds (13.6 kg) according to my fatigue level, you asses yourself, but pay attention on performing it strictly and most of all to hold your back straight to avoid injuries at the same time you add intensity to the exercise. 

⦁ When you begin to reach to the top, slightly lessen the speed and squeeze the lower back like you were “hiding” your buttocks when reached the maximal superior position for 1 or 2 seconds, this way you will work out also the lower back in the exercise. Do it as long as you can handle it, when you can't no more just skip this step for the rest of your reps in the series.

⦁ Never stretch your legs totally, but it is important to keep the same bent during all the exercise locomotion. 

⦁ Descend as much as you can, I can descend all of that in the video because I already am a little stretched myself, maybe you will not be able to descend that much at the beginning, do not worry, with the time you may be able, remember, I insist, in holding straight all of your back during the whole exercise. 

⦁ When descending hold your head straight as well. 

The link for such video is:

Leg circuit

⦁ AT THIS POINT YOU MUST PERFORM AGAIN THE EXERCISES FOR STRETCHING YOUR LOWER BACK, QUADRICEPS, FEMORAL BICEPS AND ABDUCTORS -