What's the best lower body workout?

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by Rebecca_Daw, Jun 30, 2016.

  1. Rebecca_Daw

    Rebecca_Daw New Member

    I'm not able to tone my lower body. I don't know what's the best workout for lower body. Can someone suggest?
     
  2. SWC Sifu Ben

    SWC Sifu Ben I am the law

    Okay first off "tone" doesn't really exist. There's gaining muscle and there's losing fat. You need to clearly define your objectives.

    As far as exercises:
    Squats
    Deadlifts
    Lunges
    Hill sprints
    Cycling steep hill climbs
     
  3. Knee Rider

    Knee Rider Valued Member Supporter

    Everything stated above by SWSB

    Plus - Hindu squats.
     
  4. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    I'm not disagreeing with your advice, but muscle tone does exist; it is the resting resistance to the stretching of muscles. I don't know if they still do, but physiotherapists used to talk of "low tone" and "high tone" people, and then you get into pathology such as spasms, ataxia etc..
     
  5. flaming

    flaming Valued Member

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cwGRCnmgag"]FMS Unplugged: Ep 2 - Cook - ing the Deadlift - YouTube[/ame]

    You might find that video useful.

    I would also recommend this article:

    https://www.t-nation.com/training/goblet-squats-101

    I have no qualifications. Just suggestions.
     
  6. Mushroom

    Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

    "Tone" as in aesthetic definition also includes diet. As you can be strong but yet look overweight.
    So if you're not already...then look at your diet. Otherwise, everything above.

    Box jumps are good for explosiveness (especially good for MA).

    Which reminds me, neglected my leg workout for a couple weeks. Need to bring that back up!
     
  7. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    Deep squats, deadlifts, some sort of leg raise and some sort of unilateral exercise (lunges, step-ups, etc).

    Re: "Tone": muscle tonus is how contracted a muscle is when you're not using it. It's a physiology term that was co-opted by the fitness industry where it is essentially a meaningless fad word, possibly adopted because a contracted muscle generally looks better than a flaccid one. You can make muscles bigger or smaller, and you can increase or decrease the amount of fat that covers them. Those two things combined with the shape and proportions of your bones, with where each muscle inserts, and with how long each muscle is vs how long its tendons are will determine the final shape of your silhouette and how your body looks and feels. Additionally, strength, while related to muscle size, is a separate issue (you can get stronger without significant muscle growth, and while significant growth will make you stronger, it will mostly increase your potential strength, which may require more specialized training to manifest in full). Unless you fancy learning about strength training programming, it's advisable to get in touch with a personal trainer or lifting coach, but as far as selecting exercises, those falling into the four categories I listed at the beginning are the basis of complete leg and hip development.
     
  8. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

    My leg workout is
    Squats
    Lunges
    Step Ups
    Calf Raises
    Deadlifts.
     
  9. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    Worth noting that muscles involved in hip flexion, and thus involved in effective kicking, are not adequately developed by normal leg exercises, hence my including leg raises in the list in my previous post. Compare the thighs of a lifter with those of an experienced ballet dancer (who tend to develop really strong legs, contrary to what the lay person might think) and the differences are immediately apparent, with very notable development of the rectus femoris and sartorius in the dancers.
     
  10. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

    I have a separate workout for my kicking muscles.
     
  11. Fish Of Doom

    Fish Of Doom Will : Mind : Motion Supporter

    But do they look like these? :p

    [​IMG]
     
  12. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    I reckon it's the hip abduction work that ballet dancers do well, and many martial artists forget about:

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dwDzO7juyU"]Hip Abductor Workout - YouTube[/ame]
     
  13. flaming

    flaming Valued Member

    I used be able to do this pose:
    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PjcQJjOvBc"]Yoga Pose: the Warrior 3 - YouTube[/ame]

    It's incredibly difficult and beneficial in my opinion.
     
  14. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

    It's always fun when we do yoga in class and fit young guys really struggle to do warrior 3.
     
  15. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    Other than finding out my legs are stiff this morning and feeling it in my hamstrings, what other benefits do you guys feel you get from warrior 3? How long would you normally hold it for?
     
  16. flaming

    flaming Valued Member

    Hmm

    I think its mainly because to not fall over you have to contract your glutes. And most people myself included need more glute activation.

    Also the muscles in the ankle have to work very hard to stop you from falling over.

    My heart rate also increases significantly while attempting them so it probably benefits the cardiovascular system as well.

    I think it improves proprioception

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception

    and balance.
     
  17. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    I was surprised that I found it quite easy, other than being a good reminder to work on my hamstring flexibility.

    Here's level 2 though, which really does work proprioception and the calves as stabiliser muscles (felt in the ankles): get into the pose with your eyes closed! :)
     
  18. flaming

    flaming Valued Member

    Welldone

    Did you have to touch a chair?

    I used video myself doing them to check that my foot stayed pointed downwards. There are lots of ways the pose can be done wrong from a posture perspective. I saw a website once that compared good and bad form.

    I think this video by dan john covers most of the problems:

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34saz57cxjs"]Dan John: The Hinge and the Hinge Assessment Tool - YouTube[/ame]
     
  19. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    No chair, but I've been doing slow motion kicking routines without placing my foot on the floor for years, so my balance is pretty good. I also do ballet type leg raises unsupported a lot.

    I'm sure my form was terrible though, as I've never been instructed in this yoga pose and none of the big mirrors in my flat are low enough to check for myself :)
     
  20. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    for an informed opinion not based on any science or knowledge ( but you have fish for that anyway).

    My personal experience. Buy a bicycle. Peddle everywhere. Use an easy to peddle gear (many reps less strength).

    Stretch. - having flexible muscles is as important as having strong ones. Yoga is good. Pysio stretches are good.
     

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