Excerpts from VFT's Newsletter:
#1 IN FAT BURNING, FUN, HEALTH AND FITNESS

LEAN, SHAPELY, KICK-BUTT SEXY LEGS!

By Mandy Gibbons

Over the past couple of months I've had bucket loads of emails from women wanting a leg workout that's challenging, gets the heart rate up and that hits different areas of their muscles that they don't get to tap into - so to speak - with their usual leg workout. The good news is I've finally decided that it's time to answer your request with a workout that's not only going to help shape and sculpt your thighs and butt but assist in breaking your leg training plateau PLUS help kick start your results for killer legs!

NOTE: I've refrained from doing this until now because I didn't want people who aren't experienced with weights, or resistance workouts, to go jumping in at the deep end and attempting to use such a workout. So if you're a beginner please DON'T even consider trying this workout.

Only perform this workout if you're experienced with weights, don't have any knee injuries and are of a medium / advanced to advanced fitness level. This workout isn't for beginners or for anyone with medical conditions, of any kind, that are affected by high intensity exercise.

Please perform a couple of test runs first - practising strict technique - before attempting the full workout.

HERE WE GO...

1.Reverse Lunge Knee Ups (ranging from 10-20+ reps per leg)
Stand, with both feet, on an aerobics step - no higher than 8 inches. Keep your midsection firm, chest out and shoulders back. If you've never performed this exercise before you can either place your hands on your hips or use very light dumbbells (one in each hand at arms length by your sides). Now step back with your left foot, bending both legs, to perform a reverse lunge. Your right knee, shin and ankle should be inline with each other and your knee should never go forward beyond your right toe line. Your left leg (that you stepped back with) should be bent with your knee a few inches from floor - believe me you don't want to touch the floor with your left knee because you'd feel like you were doing the splits!! Now push yourself back up again using your left leg, bringing your left knee forward and up to perform a knee-up. Your left knee shouldn't go higher than hip level. At this point you will be standing on your right leg on the step with your left knee raised in front of you. Now swap legs repeat the same sequence on the opposite leg.

2. Single Leg Fitball Squat (12-20+ reps per leg)
Place a fitball between your lower back and the wall. Place your feet out in front of you as if you were going to perform a squat. Have the right foot flat on the floor. Have the heel of the left foot off the floor (up on it's toes). Lower yourself downwards to around 90 degrees slightly raising your left knee up so that the toes of your left foot are raised off the floor. Using your right leg push yourself back up again. Once you're in standing position lower your left knee and toes. This is to ensure that your right leg is doing the work. Now swap legs and repeat this process.


3. Wide Stance Jumping Squats (up to 15 reps)
Start in a wide stance squat position and your hands on your hips eg... with your legs wider than shoulder width apart, toes pointing outwards, squatting into your heels. Now jump up, with your toes pointing outwards, then landing again into a wide stance squat position. Make sure when squatting that your knees don't go beyond your toes and that you don't squat below a 90 degree angle. Keep the exercise flowing until you've completed your set.


4. Fitball Hammy Press (up to 15 reps)
Lie on your back on the floor with your heels on the top front of your fitball. Place your arms by your sides with your palms flat on the floor. Have your legs bent and positioned just past a 90 degree angle - knees slightly closer towards your upper body - only a small amount though. Point your toes forward just a little bit. Now drive your hips up pushing as hard as you can with your heels into the fitball. Squeeze your butt and hammies while doing this for a count of 2 then lower yourself back to starting position. Throughout the exercise keep your midsection firm and the movement slow and controlled.

5. Box Jumps (3 box jumps = 1 rep. Up to 5-6 reps, depending on your fitness level)
You will need 3 aerobic steps at different heights. You will need to adjust these to the correct height for your body height and fitness capability. Line the 3 steps up spacing them out sufficiently so that you can comfortably jump over one step and then straight over the next one and then the next one. You may need to do a couple of practice runs at this to get the spacing correct. The first step should be the highest step. Then second step should be medium height and the third should be quite low. For example: 10, 8 and 6 inches high. I recommend starting with quite low step heights until you get the distance between the steps correct and you've become accustomed to using this exercise.

Stand in front of the first step, with your chest out, knees soft, midsection firm. Jump up, bringing your knees up high, over the first step, land with your knees soft, then jump over the second step, landing with your knees soft then straight over again for the third step. The object of this is to keep the jumps continuous and flowing. Do not stop'n'start between each jump as this will jar your back and joints. Once you've jumped over the steps walk back and start again.

When you are first learning this exercise you may find it difficult to perform. However once you get the momentum going and have performed a few sessions you will find them very effective for your leg training and increasing your fitness level.

6. Fitball Hammy Curl (up to 15 reps)
Lie on your back on the floor with your legs extended straight out in front of you and your heels on the top front of your fitball. Place your arms by your sides with your palms flat on the floor. Have your hips raised off the floor so that only your upper back, shoulders, arms and head are on the floor. Now roll the ball towards your butt bending your knees so that the soles of your feet are on the fitball. Your aim is to ensure that your hips and butt don't sag or drop - they must stay in the raised position. Hold this position for a count of two squeezing your butt and hammies. Then roll the fitball back out again. Continue to curl / roll the ball in and out until you complete your set.

How many sets?

The first time you perform this workout 1-2 sets of each exercise will be sufficient to get you used to using these exercises. Once you're confident then you can perform up to 4 sets of each one. Obviously I don't recommend this workout to be performed all year round. Throw this workout in here n there when you need something different to help spice things up. Use it for 6 (no more than 8) weeks at a time.

If there's an exercise that you want to use more often then you can incorporate it into your own current workout. Outside of the above 6-8 week workout the Wide stance jumping squats and the box jumps should be kept for "now and then" only as they are hard yakka and you don't want to play havoc on your joints.

Other stuff...

Let me warn you that you will feel stiff and sore so please ensure that you get plenty of sleep, stick with your eating plan and supplements to support the repair and development of your leg muscles during this kick-butt regime`.

ALWAYS, warm up before your workout. A cool down is essential - at least 10 minutes of gentle cardio then straight onto your stretches. After this particular workout pay special attention to stretching your hammies and quads.