Get a Leg Up
From Jillian Michaels
Are you tired of
covering up your legs with baggy pants and toe-skimming skirts? Of
course you are! You need to learn about your leg muscles and which
exercises effectively target those areas! Once you do, you'll be on
your way to flaunting a fabulous pair of gams! Let's take a good look
at the upper and lower legs:
Upper Legs
The two main muscle groups of your upper legs -- more
commonly known as
the thighs -- are the hamstrings and quadriceps.
- The hamstrings are located on the back of your upper
legs. This
muscle group is responsible for knee flexion. Knee flexion is the
movement that brings your heels toward your buttocks and hips.
- The quadriceps are the muscles on the front of your
upper
thighs. The main function of the quadriceps is knee extension. Knee
extension is the movement that straightens the legs.
Lower Legs
The two major muscle groups in your lower legs are the calves and dorsi
flexors.
- The calves are located on the back of your lower
legs. They are
involved in plantar flexion. Plantar flexion allows us to extend our
ankles and point our toes.
- Dorsi flexors are located on the front of your lower
legs and are
primarily used for dorsi flexion, or flexing your ankles.
| JILLIAN'S TIP
OF THE DAY |
The Right Exercises
Now that you know how your
upper- and lower-leg muscles function, it's time to find exercises that
will work them properly. To train the quads, choose any squat variation
(there are tons of them!). Hamstrings get a great workout with pelvic
thrusts exercises and on leg curl machines. Want to hit both the quads
and the hamstrings with one exercise? Do any lunge variation! -- Jillian Michaels |
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