C. Knee to Knee
Bend your standing (left) knee and turn your right hip toward the floor as you lower your right knee to touch your left knee. Then lift the right leg and hip back up to starting position. Be sure to keep your toes pointed the entire time.
C.
D.
Leg Circles
Keeping your toes pointed, draw a circle the size of a tennis ball with your right knee. Don’t twist your torso while you do this—keep your rib cage lifting toward the ceiling.
ADVANCED:
Place and squeeze the ball behind your bent knee throughout the exercise
.
Note: When you’re first starting out, or if you have hip issues, it’s fine to keep your working leg lower (but still out to the side)
.
P
HYSIQUE
57 T
IP
The extent to which you contract your abs is the extent to which you will feel your seat muscles working and changing.
FOLDED L
Our Folded L series takes the concept of weight-bearing exercise to the next level. When you fold your body into an L shape, you rely less on arms and upper body strength and place a deeper focus on your core and standing leg. Don’t be concerned if that leg starts to shake—you
will
build your stamina and endurance!
MUSCLES TARGETED:
Gluteus minimus and maximus, hamstrings, core
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
A waist-high, sturdy piece of furniture
The Setup
Facing your furniture, place one forearm over the other, leaning forward to let your head rest down on top (this should feel nice for a second!).
Walk your feet back so that they’re right underneath your hips, about hip-width apart—from the side, you should look like a capital letter L.
Soften both knees and then draw the right heel up toward your right seat muscle (in the workouts, we’ll do both sides). Keep your toes pointed and engage your abs. This is your starting position.
VARIATIONS
A. Pulses Up
Keeping your toes pointed, lift and lower your right leg about 2 or 3 inches in small, controlled movements. Concentrate on working from your seat and not letting anything move in your core.
B. Knee to Chest
With your toes pointed, bring your right knee in toward your chest and then press it back to the starting position. As you press the leg back, make sure to cinch your abs and keep the spine straight—you want to avoid any arching.
