Summer may seem like the time to bare all, but there are lots of ways to have fun in the sun and cover up. There’s nothing like the freedom of wearing a long, lovely maxi dress to brunch or wrapping a fun beach cover around your waist.
Once fall rolls around, though, it gets harder to show off your curves in a way that is totally confident and flattering. Skinny jeans are an iconic fall fashion piece. But, they do hug every single inch of you, so it’s good to find the ones that offer the best fit and style.
Not to mention, a few extra-focused leg workouts wouldn’t hurt!
Here are the top 8 workouts you need to do to get your booty ready for fall.
1. Squats
Squats are basically the ultimate leg workouts ever created, but the trick to getting good results is knowing how to do a proper squat. Plus, sometimes it’s better to mix up the kind of squats you’re doing than to stick with the traditional form.
See how your body responds to movements like pistol squats and isolated squats. Try doing front squats or holding free weights instead of a bar, too.
All of these variations can sound like a lot of work, but they help you find what works best for your body in the long-run. They show you how to really feel the burn and get the most out of your efforts in the gym.
2. Lunges
The next leg workout to work on is lunges. Lunges are great for targeting your hamstrings and glutes. They also isolate your muscles which is good for a stronger mind to muscle connection.
You can do lunges up and down the gym with weights or without. You can also try a cardio variation of lunges where you jump from one side to the other (i.e. a right-leg lunge to a left-leg lunge back and forth).
3. Leg Kickbacks
This one is nice if you’re crunched for time and have to do a leg workout at home one day. Get on your hands and knees with your shoulders above your wrists and your hips over your knees.
Then, raise one leg so that the knee is still bent but hovering over the ground. Push up like you’re lifting something with the raised foot and come back to starting position with your knee raised just over the ground. Repeat over and over, squeezing your glutes at the top and be sure to do the other side.
4. Leg Extensions
As great as it is to do have free weight leg workouts you can do wherever, you have to know how to use the gym equipment available to you, too. One of the best machines in the gym for growing leg muscles is the leg extension.
To do a leg extension, you sit in the chair, set your weight, and create an upward motion with your shins while the upper half of your legs stay in place. This targets your quad muscles like no other. The weight you lift is actually focusing on the quad and growing those muscles, even though the lower half of your legs is what moves.
You can do these with both legs at a time or drop the weight and isolate one leg.
5. Leg Curls
If you’re going to do leg extensions to build your quads, you may as well get on the leg curl machine to work your hamstrings. Leg curls are what help create that nice defined muscle on the back of your legs. They take a lot of focus and a really good pump to get the results you’re looking for.
There are sitting leg curl machines and lying leg curls. The difference is more of a personal preference, but most people tend to opt for the lying leg curl machine as it helps them focus on the muscle being worked.
6. Deadlifts
Deadlifts aren’t just another leg workout — they’re one of the best motions you can do in the gym, period. Deadlifts target your quads, glutes, hamstrings, abs, and back. At least, that’s what happens when you do a proper, full deadlift.
These are such a great move that some people even use them as part of their back day routine or to burnout at the end of any other workout. To get your legs ready for fall, though, separate a deadlift.
Instead of going all the way from the bottom to the top of the motion, lean over and only lift the bar halfway (being careful of your back and proper alignment, of course). This helps you target the hamstrings and glutes.
7. The Stairmaster
Keep in mind that weights can’t do everything on their own. You also have to put in a good amount of cardio efforts to create the stunning legs you want to show off in your skinny jeans.
Leave time at the end of your workout to get on the Stairmaster. If you want to make this time as effective as possible, slow down and do leg kickbacks/raises while climbing up the stairs. You can also do side steps or interval sets to get more out of this incredible machine.
8. Running
Last but not least, go for a run. The few weeks when summer is turning into fall is one of the best times of the year to go running, especially at night. The sky creates amazing colors as the sun sets and the air is really refreshing after so many hot summer months.
This alone should be enough to motivate you to get outside. Plus, once you start running a few times a week, your timing and endurance improve to make it much easier!
The Ultimate Leg Workouts for Any Time of Year
The thing about getting your legs ready for fall with these leg workouts is that there’s a bigger purpose for working out. You shouldn’t be as focused on looking good in skinny jeans as you are on your overall quality of life and level of fitness.
That’s the real reason to get your butt to the gym every day and learn how to target those booty muscles. Seriously, the more you invest in your long-term fitness goals, the better you start to feel in the gym and in your own skin.
For more ways to reach the goals you’ve set for yourself, click here.