Increasing the Strength of Your Legs

August 13, 2010 by terrydaniels09

It is a commonly known fact that women carry most of their strength in their quads, hamstrings, and calves. The benefits of strengthening this region are unlimited.

Working out and building muscle in the legs carries over into any sport that you might play. Volleyball, swimming, basketball, softball, soccer, and other recreational activities like hiking and bicycling require an immense amount of strength from the lower limbs of the body.

Running is a necessary cardiovascular workout if you are wishing to enhance leg muscles. The strength that it takes to move your leg muscles at a quick pace can, over time, make them even more powerful.

Another great alternative to working out your legs through running is hiking. If you have access to hiking trails, find one that is moderate to advanced difficulty, and it is important that the trail have at least a slight incline.

If you are unable to exercise out of doors, due to weather, your health, your schedule, or lack of time, you will need access to a gym or exercise equipment. A great machine for women to use in order in increase leg strength and muscle power is an elliptical machine.

The elliptical is a form of equipment in which your torso stays stationary, but your legs and arms are mobile. This machine offers the promise of increased leg muscle vitality and stamina while also giving you the benefits of cardiovascular exercise.

To build muscle, set the resistance on the elliptical machine at a higher level. The number of the level will vary according to the type and brand of machine you are using, but usually a resistance of five to eight is optimal for strengthening leg muscle and power.

Lower resistance levels will aid in giving you a cardio workout. This is beneficial to increasing muscle also, but a higher resistance will help aid this effort a little better.

When using an elliptical machine, it is best to pace yourself and discover which level of resistance and speed is right for you. The more you use it, the tougher you will get and the more you will be able to increase these numbers.

For an even better leg workout, also try adjusting the incline level of the machine. The incline, mixed with a higher resistance, will offer a great deal of strength training.

Weight training is also a great option to increasing the power and stamina of women's quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles. Squats are probably the most effective exercise in showing results in a short period of time.

To do a squat exercise, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Firmly grasp five to eight pound dumbbell weights in either hand, and raise your bent arms comfortably at your side, with you hands by your shoulders and palms facing forward.

Making sure to sit back in the squat, bend your knees and drop to a sitting position. Once you feel resistance straighten your legs and stand back up.

Start out doing this in three sets of eight to ten reps. Once that becomes easy for you, try to increase the number of reps to twelve or fifteen.

It is very important to understand the correct positioning of squat exercises, so as not to damage your knee or hip joints. The main thing to remember when performing this type of exercise is to keep your back straight and keep your knees aligned with your ankles.

Another type of squat exercise you can perform to increase leg strength, especially in the quadriceps, is an alternating walking lunge. Stand straight with your feet together, with five to eight pound weights in either hand.

Straighten your arms and let your weighted hands hang at your sides. Beginning with the right foot, step forward and, bending both knees, drop into a deep lunge.

When performing this exercise, do not bend at the waist and do not let your back knee, in this case the left knee, touch the ground. After you have done this on the right side, repeat it to the left.

Try to work up to three sets of fifteen reps. Leg strength is extremely important for athletes and women who simply want to look and feel as fit and they possibly can.