Quad press

The quad press is a particularly good quadriceps exercise for people who feel pain when they bend and straighten their knees.

Getting set
Roll up a bath towel. Sit on the floor and lean against a wall with your legs straight out in front of you. (Or bend the nonworking knee into your chest if that’s more comfortable.) Place the towel underneath the well of your right knee. See photo A.

The exercise
Squeeze your quadriceps tightly and press down on the towel. Hold for five slow counts, relax, and repeat until you complete the set. Then switch legs.
See photo B

Do’s and don’ts

• DO bend your nonworking knee into your chest if that makes the exercise more comfortable.
• DON’T tighten your face, hunch your shoulders, or round your back.

Other options
Modified quad press (easier): If you experience pain in your knee when you do this exercise, try squeezing your muscle for a shorter period of time. Start with one second and build up. Also try squeezing without the towel underneath your knee. Or to make the exercise tougher, replace the towel with a firmer object such as a tennis ball or filled water bottle. This replacement allows you to squeeze harder.
Straight leg raise (harder): Sit in the same position, but instead of pressing your thigh downward, lift your entire leg up and off the floor a few inches. Hold a moment and slowly lower to the start. You can also do this version of the exercise with an ankle weight wrapped around your ankle or draped across your thigh.

Kneeling butt blaster

The kneeling butt blaster works your butt with some emphasis on your hamstrings, too.
Make sure that you keep your abdominals pulled in on this exercise, especially if you’re prone to lower back discomfort.

Getting set
Kneel on your elbows and knees on top of a thick towel, with your knees directly under your hips and your elbows under your shoulders. Clasp your hands together or turn your palms toward the floor. Flex your right foot so it’s perpendicular to the floor. Tilt your chin slightly toward your chest, and pull your abdominals in so your back doesn’t sag toward the floor. See photo A.

The exercise
Keeping your knee bent, lift your right leg and raise your knee to hip level. Then slowly lower your leg back down. Between repetitions, your knee almost, but not quite, touches the floor. Complete all the repetitions with one leg before switching sides. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your neck still and your shoulders relaxed.
• DO move slowly.
• DON’T throw your leg up in the air.
• DON’T raise your knee above hip height.
• DON’T arch your back as you lift your leg.

Other options
Kneeling butt blaster with weight (harder): Add an ankle weight to this exercise
or squeeze a small dumbbell in the well of your knee. We love this last option because your muscles have to work even harder to hold the weight in place.
Butt blaster machine: This machine mimics the kneeling butt blaster. You kneel with one knee on a platform, place your other foot onto a foot plate, and then press back and up. This machine is fine as long as you remember to keep your abdominals pulled in and resist arching your lower back.

Leg press machine

The leg press machine covers a lot of ground, strengthening your butt, quadriceps, and hamstrings. It’s a good alternative if the squat or lunge bothers your lower back.
You may want to try the modified version if you experience pain in your hips or knees.

Getting set
Set the machine so that when you lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the foot plate, your shoulders fit snugly under the shoulder pads and your knees are bent to an inch or so below parallel to the foot plate. Place your feet as wide as your hips with your toes pointing forward and your heels directly behind your toes. Grasp the handles. Pull your abdominals in and keep your head and neck on the back pad. See photo A.

The exercise
Pressing through your heels, push against the platform until your legs are straight. Then bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the platform and the weight plates you’re lifting are hovering just above the weight stack. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO press your heels into the foot plate instead of allowing them to lift up.
• DON’T lower your thighs past parallel with the foot plate or allow your knees to shoot in front of your toes.
• DON’T arch your back off the pad to help move the weight.
• DON’T lock your knees when your legs are straight.

Other options
Different types of machines: You may run across several types of leg press machines. One has you sitting in an upright position, pressing your legs out straight. Another is called a 45-degree leg press: You lie in a reclining position and press up and out diagonally. Yet another version has you lie on your back and press your legs straight up. All these variations are acceptable. Just remember: Don’t bend your legs so far that your thighs are smooshed against your chest and your knees are hanging out there in Never-Never Land. Keep in mind that your foot position changes the emphasis of the exercise. The higher you place your feet on the foot platform, the more you emphasize your butt muscles.
Modified leg press (easier): If you have chronic knee problems, you can still do this exercise. Set the seat height so your thighs are a few inches above parallel — this position limits the distance you can bend your knees. However, this version focuses more on your front thigh muscles and less on your butt.
One-leg leg press (harder): Use the same form as with the basic version of this exercise with one foot lifted up and off the foot plate. After you complete your reps, switch legs.

Understanding Lunge

The lunge is a great overall lower body exercise: It strengthens your butt, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
If you feel pain in your hips, knees, or lower back when you do this exercise, try the split lunge version described in the “Other options” section.

Getting set
Stand with your feet as wide as your hips and your weight back a little on your heels, and place your hands on your hips. Pull your abdominals in and stand up tall with square shoulders

The exercise
Lift your right toe slightly and, leading with your heel, step your right foot forward an elongated stride’s length, as if you’re trying to step over a crack on the sidewalk. As your foot touches the floor, bend both knees until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left thigh is perpendicular to it. Your left heel will lift off the floor. Press off the ball of your foot and step back to the standing position. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your eyes focused ahead; when you look down, you have a tendency to fall forward.
• DON’T step too far forward or you’ll have trouble balancing.
• DON’T lean forward or allow your front knee to travel past your toes.

Other options
Split lunge (easier): Start with one leg a stride’s length in front of the other. Bend both knees, and lower your body so your ending position is the same as in the basic lunge. You may want to lightly grasp the back of an upright bench or a chair for support.

Lunge with weights (harder): Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down at your sides, or place a barbell behind your neck and across your shoulders. You also can do the split lunge while holding a dumbbell in each hand or by using the Smith Machine.

Backward lunge (harder): Step your right leg back about a stride’s length behind you, and bend both knees until your left thigh is parallel to the floor and your right thigh is perpendicular to it. You’ll feel this version a bit more in your hamstrings.

Traveling lunge (harder): Perform the basic lunge, alternating legs so you travel forward with each repetition. You need a good 10 yards of space to do this. Bend your arms to 90 degrees and swing them purposefully. This variation is great for skiers, hikers, and climbers as it mimics the moves that are used in those activities.

Understanding Squat

In addition to strengthening your butt muscles, the squat also does a good job of working your quadriceps and hamstrings. If you have hip, knee, or lower back problems, you may want to try the modified version.

Getting set
Hold a dumbbell in each hand or place your hands on your hips or on the tops of your thighs, or allow them to hang comfortably down at your sides. Stand with your feet as wide as your hips and with your weight slightly back on your heels. Pull your abdominals in and stand up tall with square shoulders.
See photo A

The exercise
Sit back and down, as if you’re sitting into a chair. Lower as far as you can without leaning your upper body more than a few inches forward. Don’t lower any farther than the point at which your thighs are parallel to the floor, and don’t allow your knees to shoot out in front of your toes. When you feel your upper body fold forward over your thighs, straighten your legs and stand back up. Take care not to lock your knees at the top of the movement. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DON’T allow your knees to travel beyond your toes. We know we said this before, but it bears repeating.
• DON’T look down. Your body tends to follow your eyes. So if you’re staring at the ground, you’re more likely to fall forward. Instead, keep your head up and your eyes focused on an object directly in front of you.
• DON’T shift your body weight forward so your heels lift up off the floor. When you push back up to the standing position, concentrate on pushing through your heels.
• DON’T arch your back as you stand back up.

Other options

Weightless squat (easier): If you have trouble balancing or completing at least eight repetitions of the squat with good form, skip the weights. Instead place your hands on your hips or the tops of your thighs as you do the exercise.

Bench squat (easier): Place the end of a bench behind you and allow your buttocks to lightly touch the top of it as you sit downward. This placement helps you guide your movement and perfect your form.

Plié squat: To add emphasis to the inner and outer thighs, place your feet out a little wider apart and angle your toes outward. Most people lower farther in this position because they feel more stable. Still, don’t travel any lower than the point at which your thighs are parallel to the floor, and don’t let your knees shoot out past your toes.

Barbell squat (harder): When you’ve mastered the squat, progress to the barbell squat for even greater challenges. Place a weighted bar in a power cage so when you stand underneath it, the bar rests gently across the top of your shoulders. Stand with your feet as wide as your hips, weight shifted slightly back on your heels, and hold on to either side of the bar with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Pull your abdominals in and stand up tall with square shoulders.

Sit back and down, as if you’re sitting into a chair. Lower as far as you can without leaning your upper body more than a few inches forward. Don’t lower any farther than the point at which your thighs are parallel to the floor, and don’t allow your knees to shoot out in front of your toes. When you feel your upper body fold forward over your thighs, straighten your legs and stand back up.

Avoiding Mistakes When Working Your Lower Body

Here are the most common pitfalls to watch out for when training your butt and legs:

• Don’t play favorites. In other words, don’t work your butt muscles and neglect your thighs just because you want to fill out the back of your jeans. Strive for balance. If one lower body muscle group is monstrously strong compared to the others, it pulls your posture out of alignment and you may end up with an injury.
• Don’t put your knees in jeopardy. Avoid locking your knees when you’re lifting a weight, and don’t allow your knees to shoot out past your toes in the squat, lunge, or leg press. If you feel knee pain during an exercise, stop immediately. Try another exercise and return to the one that gave you trouble after you’ve been training for a few weeks. Or perform a simpler version of the exercise, restricting the distance you move the weight.
• Don’t perform more than 15 repetitions for any leg exercise for strength training. Some people, afraid of developing bulky legs, use extremely light weights and perform 40 repetitions. You’re not going to build much strength this way, and you’ll probably fall asleep in the middle of a set. You also increase your chance of injury from placing too much repetitive stress on your joints.

Work Out with Lower Body Muscles

Here are some tips for working specific lower body muscle groups:

• Glutes: It’s tough to isolate your butt muscles because nearly every butt exercise also involves the front and/or rear thigh muscles. However, you can maximize the emphasis on your maximus with a few simple technique tricks. For instance, when you’re doing the leg press or the squat, keep your toes pointed straight ahead as much as possible and your weight shifted slightly back onto your heels, especially as you press back up into the straight-leg position. The more weight you shift onto your toes, the more your quadriceps become involved. Also, when you stand up, squeeze your cheeks to make sure your glutes are really working and aren’t just going along for the ride.
• Quadriceps: The leg extension — an exercise in which you straighten your legs from a bent position — may give you a twinge of pain in your kneecap as you near the fully extended position. In this case, stop just before your legs are straight. Many leg extension machines have a device that stops the lever of the machine from going past the point you set. The machine may also let you start from a higher position than normal if you feel pain when you’re initiating the movement.
• Hamstrings: The most popular way to work the hamstrings is with a leg curl machine; you start with your legs straight and curl your heels toward your butt. You typically find this machine in three varieties: lying, seated, and standing. In this chapter we show you how to use the lying leg curl because it’s the one you see most often and the one we generally like best (although our opinions vary from brand to brand). With some leg curl machines, you lie flat on your stomach; others have a severe bend in the support pad. Our favorite variety has you lying at an angle with your hips above your head. Try all the hamstring machines available to you, and use any of the machines that feel comfortable.
• Calves: When you perform the standing calf raise, experiment with the angle of your toes to find the position that’s most comfortable. But don’t angle your toes too much outward or inward or you’ll place too much stress on your knees and ankles. And perform calf exercises slowly. Bouncing your heels up and down causes your calf muscles to tighten and uses momentum to power the movement instead of maximally challenging your muscles.

Expect to feel sore and walk a little stiffly for a day or two after your first few lower body workouts. Of course, any muscle that’s new to weight training is likely to be sore after the first few sessions, but leg muscles seem particularly prone to this phenomenon. Start out with just your own body weight or light weights; otherwise, you may find yourself walking like Herman Munster or wincing in agony when you get up from the breakfast table.