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The 20-minute body makeover
Not ready to slip into that sexy summer dress yet? Follow these steps and you'll be toned in no time!
By Natalie Bahadur
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Check out our spring fitness special!
20-minute leg circuit
1. Dumbbell back lunge with knee up
• Hold the dumbbells beside you with palms in, feet hip distance apart, both feet and knee facing the front.
• Take a giant step back with the right foot. Make sure to land on the ball of your right foot, heel off the ground. (Both knee and feet should be facing the front)
• Drop the right knee down almost 1 inch off the floor.
• Make sure to not let the left knee pass your left toe.
• Be sure to have your hips, knee and ankle are place in a straight line coming down your body. You should not see the right side of your pelvis drop, nor should your pelvis rotate out.
• Push up with your right leg and bring your right knee up in front to 90 degrees at the knees.
• Repeat same leg and change legs.
2. One leg squat
• Stand with right knee up to 90 degrees at the knees in front, arms in front for counterbalance and chin slightly up. (If you look down, your body will follow where your head is looking). NOTE: When you bring your knee up, do not let your hip drop.
• Slowly squat down with the left leg, keeping the right knee up.
• Do not tuck your glutes in. Keep your spine in a neutral position.
• Left knee should not be passing your toe, keeping your hip, knee and ankle in a straight line down your body.
• Slowly push back up to start position and repeat.
• Repeat for the right leg.
3. Dumbbell dead lift
• Hold your dumbbell in front of your body with your arms straight, dumbbells touching each other. Feet should be hip distance apart, feet and knees facing the front.
• Keep your spine in neutral position, chin slightly up, and slowly squat down to 90 degrees at the knees with the weight still in front of your body.
• Knees should not pass your toes. Hips, knees and ankle should be in a straight line down your body.
• Slowly squeeze your glutes and legs to come back up to the starting position.
• NOTE: Do not lift the weight with your arms. Keep the weight close to your body at all times and do not lock your knees between reps.
4. One leg dumbbell pick-up
• Stand on right leg, left leg bent back, dumbbell in your left hand and right arm extended out in front to counterbalance. Do not let your pelvis drop when you lift the left leg off the floor.
• Slowly come down to a squat position to about 45 degree at the right knee. Same time, lower the dumbbell with your left arm in front as if to put the weight down. Your right leg should not be overlapping behind your Left leg.
• Just before touching the ground with your dumbbell, slowly bring the weight back up and stand up with the right leg and go back up to start position.
• Repeat with same leg, and then switch to the left leg, with the dumbbell in your right hand.
5. Walking dumbbell lunge with rear leg extension
• Stand with feet straight ahead, weights by your side.
• Take a giant step forward with your right foot (heel-to-toe landing) and slowly drop the back knee down almost to the floor.
• Do not twist out the left foot and come right up with left foot heel up onto the ball of your foot.
• Do not let your pelvis drop. Hips, knee and ankle should be in line down your body. (Right knee should be facing the same direction as your right foot.)
• Pull up your body with your right leg, maintaining alignment and extend the left leg off the floor behind you. Make sure to lean slightly forward, as to not hyperextend the lower back, and keep your left leg flexed straight, using the left glute to pull the left leg up.
• Bring your left leg back down with your feet together and continue traveling forward, alternating your steps.
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