Benefits of Essentrics Leg-Focused Workouts
Written by Gail Garceau, Essentrics Master Trainer
Essentrics leg-focused workouts are a great way to challenge your overall fitness level and keep you feeling young and energetic. Instead of making you feel heavy or stiff, our leg exercises will boost your metabolism, elongate your muscles, and put a bounce in your step.
BOOST YOUR METABOLISM
Leg workouts are one of the most effective ways to boost your heart rate without having to step on the treadmill. Because our legs are comprised of the largest muscle groups in the body, it takes a lot of effort to get them moving. The more you lunge, kick, plié, and lift your legs–the faster you are going to feel your heart rate pick up. Strengthening these large muscle groups is one of the best ways to speed up your metabolism so that you are burning more calories throughout the day.
Recommended Exercise – “Plies”
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DEVELOP LONG & LEAN LEGS
Essentrics workouts target the legs in a way that develops long, lean and defined muscles. Learning to work deeper throughout your range of motion will help you to target your muscles at more effective angles and tone your legs in their elongated position. Challenging yourself to keep your knee straight, lift your leg higher, or reach further during kicks and side leg lifts – takes an enormous amount of strength and flexibility and will transform the shape of your legs.
Recommended Exercise – “Side Leg Lifts”
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IMPROVE YOUR POWER & ENDURANCE
This isn’t just for athletes! One of the first things that people notice when they start strengthening their legs with Essentrics - is how easy it is to run up the stairs or enjoy their favorite activities without getting tired so quickly. Our workouts combine exercises that strengthen your power (how quickly you can recruit your muscles) and endurance (how long you can use your muscles for). Leg exercises that challenge your speed, like Squash Lunges, will improve your Power. Leg exercises that challenge you to repeat an exercise for a sustained period of time, like doing additional repetitions or holding a position, will challenge your endurance.
Recommended Exercise – “Squash Lunges”
Featured in Leg Activation Workout with Amanda Cyr
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