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Great leg Workouts For Beautiful Legs!

As the leg muscles are the largest in the body, building these muscles is a good idea as it raises the metabolism. Here are a few great leg workouts.

The thighs and legs include some of the biggest and strongest muscles in the body. These include the front thigh muscles (the Quadriceps or Quads), the back thigh muscles ( Hamstrings), the inner thigh muscles (Adductors), the outer thigh muscles (Abductors) and the calf muscles (the Gastrocnemius).

Leg muscles support body weight when doing most activities, like walking, running and jogging. Building the leg muscles will strengthen the body and build endurance. Because the leg muscles are the largest in the body, building these muscles raises the metabolism.

A raised metabolism means the body burns more calories even when resting and so benefits weight loss. All aerobic exercises improve leg muscles. Aerobic activities like walking, running, jogging, skiing, tennis, football and most ball games build and tone leg muscles. Exercises like lunges, squats and leg extensions target specific muscles and should be included as part of an overall exercise workout. Normal daily activity requires the use of leg muscles. Unless you are very active, 3-4 overall body workouts each week is sufficient and about 15 minutes per session doing specific leg exercises.

Lunge

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Inhale and take a large step backward with the left foot to a point where your left knee is a few inches above the floor (or as close as you can comfortably go) and your right knee does not extend past the toes of your right foot. Your hands, with or without dumbbells, remain at your sides; your gaze is forward. Exhale and step forward with the left leg returning to the starting position. Finish all reps with the left leg before repeating with the right. To make the movement less difficult, alternate legs. Repeat to muscle fatigue (in the range of 12 to 20 reps).

Step-Ups

Place your right foot flat on the step and your left foot flat on the floor. Exhale and push off as little as possible with the left foot as you bring both feet up to step level (you'll now have two feet on the step). Inhale and lower your left foot back down to the floor. Work with body weight only, and repeat to muscle fatigue regardless of the number of reps. Repeat with the legs reversed. While step-ups are a great toning exercise, they also serve as a warm up for squats and lunges, and should therefore be done in a higher rep range with no added resistance.

Ideal Diet before and after a Workout

What you eat before and after a workout is as important as the regimen itself...

An effective workout depends on many factors - the most important one being your diet. What you eat before a workout prepares your body for the stress and the meal after that is responsible for muscle building and body repair. Here's what you must keep in mind so as to tailor your meals and maximise your workout.

PRE WORKOUT:

Get the carbs

Give your body a dose of carbohydrates one hour before you hit the gym. Eat a fruit ( apple would be ideal). You may also have toast, cornflakes or idlis. You could also just eat a banana for the complex carbohydrates it provides. These foods need comparatively little time to digest, are easy on the body and provide you with maximum energy during the workout. Also, ensure that you drink a glass of water before the workout, so that your body is well hydrated.

Never go hungry

Do not hit the gym on an empty stomach. The stress that exercise has on the body, combined with the lack of sugar (energy) will lead to hypoglycemia, a condition that will make you prone to fatigue.

After a heavy meal

For a diabetic, it is very important to workout soon after a heavy meal. However, normal individuals must maintain a gap of two to three hours between a heavy meal and the workout. The logic is to allow the sugar level in the body to reach an optimum level.

POST WORKOUT:

Use the window

During a workout, the level of cortisol (also known as the destructive hormone) in the body increases, thereby making it prone to infections. That's precisely why the hour just after a workout is known as the 'window period', as it allows for infections to enter the body. Use this opportunity and eat as soon as possible.

Get a drink

The body loses salt due to sweating. That is why it's very important to compensate via a rich source of electrolyte such as ORT.

Have proteins, but...

Do not rely completely on proteins for your supply of energy, as they are far more difficult to digest and take a toll on your kidneys. To aid digestion, make sure you include lots of greens in your meal, as they are rich in fibre.

Create supplements

The body needs a high-protein diet for muscle building. However, relying on supplements is not the answer. The best option for a post workout DIY supplement is to take the watery part of curd (that is very rich in proteins), chop a banana and apple into it and put it in the blender. It's a perfect combination of proteins and carbohydrates. Not to forget, the apple is rich in fibre.

Top Female Fitness Models Of The World

Hot female fitness models photo gallerys, featuring the sexiest fitness babes in the world.

Amelia Powers

Karen Ficarelli

Marzia Prince

Samantha Baker

Rachele Brooke Smith

Rachele was born November 7 to Tracy and Dr. Kris Smith. She is the second oldest of five children. Growing up in Arizona, Rachele developed a wide variety of interests including skiing, tennis, break dancing and teaching. She graduated from high school in 2006 and continued her education in Utah. Currently, she is majoring in Psychology and is pursuing a Masters in Human Services and Management.

Since her arrival in Hollywood less than five years ago, Rachele has been featured as a dancer in the Robert Zemekis adaptation of A Christmas Carol, the Zac Efron comedy 17 Again and in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. Rachele also danced as an Ironette in Iron Man 2, and most recently was a featured dancer in the new musical Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aguilera.

IFBB Figure Pro Jodie Minear

The last time I did an entry on the gorgeous Jodie Minear, she was a fitness model and NPC figure competitor.
Now she is a fitness model and IFBB Figure Pro.
I think Jodie is one of the most beautiful women competing today.
She's the perfect blend of size, symmetry, sultriness, sexiness and I think I just ran out of adjectives that start with a S.

And since the last entry on her, Jodie has been pretty busy in competition....

2008 NPC National Bodybuilding & Figure Championships - 4th Place
2008 NPC XII Annual Ronnie Coleman Classic Bodybuilding Fitness & Figure - 1st Place
2009 NPC Junior National Bodybuilding, Fitness & Figure Championships - 1st Place
2010 IFBB Phoenix Pro - 5th Place
2010 IFBB Pittsburgh Pro Figure & Bikini - 16th Place

IFBB Bikini Pro - Jaime Baird

Here's an IFBB Bikini Pro that's not your usual fitness competitor.
Jaime Baird is not only gorgeous, but she's also a marketing expert in brand strategy and research.
She has worked for Universal Orlando, Nike, House of Blues, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Kroger.

As far as competition goes....
2008 NPC Southern States Championships - 1st Place
2009 NPC USA Bodybuilding & Figure Championships - 1st Place