Welcome to Part 5 of the Simple Daily Workout series which focuses on the best isometric leg exercises to build strength and endurance from your hips to your toes. Often leg exercises are overlooked in lieu of a run or bike ride. While running and biking can be great workouts, it’s not always convenient and they tend to work the same muscles each time. And why risk an injury if you can get an efficient, effective leg workout at home, the office, or anywhere you have the time? With Activ5’s isometric leg workout, you’ll feel and see the results in everything you do.
The Ultimate Leg Workout – Lower Legs
Most leg workouts tend to focus on three muscles – hamstring, quads, and calves. Your Activ5 works these muscles, but also can isolate specific leg muscles to ensure a more complete leg workout. And since Activ5 provides zero-impact isometric leg exercises, you don’t have to worry about injuries to your ankles, knees, hips or Achilles tendon. Ailments like shin splints can also be avoided. Let’s start with your lower legs and move up.
Calf Raise
Like any Activ5 workout, make sure to warm up and stretch before starting. You can do this leg exercise seated or standing, but try it seated first.
- Place Activ5 beneath the ball of your left foot
- Press Activ5 down with the ball of your foot, like you’re pushing it into the floor
- At the same time, lift your heel and squeeze your calf
Remember to keep your back straight and your shoulders back. Repeat with your right foot.
Toe Raise
Similar to the calf raise, but this works the other side of your calf muscle group.
- Place Activ5 under your left heel
- Press your left heel into Activ5 as you squeeze your shin muscles
- Keep your left toes off the ground
Keep your back straight and shoulders back. Press Activ5 into the floor while simultaneously squeezing your calf muscles. Repeat with the right leg.
Single Leg Deadlift
This exercise engages your upper body, core, and entire leg, but focus on pressing your foot to the floor to further work your calf muscles.
- Step forward with your left foot
- Keep your back and arms straight
- Lower your hips until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees
- Place Activ5 on your left leg just above the knee
- Press Activ5 with both hands as you squeeze your leg muscles
Keep your left heel firmly on the ground. Repeat with your right side.
Inner Thigh Burn
While this exercise is about your inner thigh, it’s rooted in your calf.
- Place Activ5 sideway in between your two feet at your toes
- Press Activ5 together with both feet as you squeeze your inner thigh muscles
Keep your back straight and shoulders back. Press with the front your feet on the ball of your foot.
The Ultimate Leg Workout – Hips and Thighs
Now it’s time to work the big leg muscles, but we won’t forget about your hips. Much of your power and endurance is in your hips, so when you’re doing these exercises, think about contracting muscle groups around your hips.
Squat Crush
The squat is considered the “mother” exercise, because we’ve been doing it since we were walking on two feet. It works the entire body, but you’ll feel it more in your thighs than anywhere else.
- Place Activ5 under your left heel
- Squat back and down as if you are about to sit in a chair
- Press your left heel into Activ5 as you squeeze your glutes
- Keep your right heel firmly on the ground
Keep your knees over your ankles and behind your toes. It will feel like you’re pressing Activ5 into the floor.
Outer Thigh Squeeze
With Isometrics, you can contract and hold several different muscle groups simultaneously to maximize the efficiency of each exercise. That’s the beauty of using your own body to apply force and resistance from one muscle group to the other. The outer (and inner) thigh squeeze is a primary example of this. You’ll work both your thigh muscles, as well as your chest and shoulder muscles.
- Place your feet shoulder width apart
- Press Activ5 with your left palm into your left outer thigh on the side of your knee
- At the same time, press your outer thigh into Activ5
Keep your back straight by pushing your shoulders back. Feel it in your shoulder and chest? Repeat on the right side.
Simply by placing Activ5 on your inner thigh and reversing the resistance, you can do an inner thigh squeeze. This is a great isometric leg exercises that targets the
Leg Press
As with the outer thigh press, this exercise works several muscle groups. While this is a leg press, it also works your core.
- Place Activ5 under your left heel
- Press your heel into Activ5 as if you are trying to push Activ5 into the ground
Keep your back straight and shoulders back. Contract your stomach muscles to maximize this exercise. Repeat with the right leg.
Squat Outer Thigh Press
A variation on the squat, this works your outer thigh muscles.
- Squat back and down as if you are about to sit in a chair
- Place Activ5 on the outside of your left thigh, just above the knee
- Press Activ5 as you squeeze your leg muscles
Keep both feet firmly on the ground, with your knees over your ankles and behind your toes. Repeat with your right side.
Lunge Crush
If the squat is the mother exercise, then the lunge is her younger sister. Again, this exercise works multiple muscle groups, but the focus is on the legs.
- Hold Activ5 between both hands in prayer position
- Step forward with your let foot
- Lower your hips until both knees are bent about 90 degrees
- Press Activ5 between your palms, as you squeeze your leg and chest muscles
- Keep both feet firmly on the ground
Your right knee will be just above the ground. This exercise is also about balance, so your entire body works to maintain the pose. Repeat with your right side.
Clamshell
The clamshell focuses on your hips and glutes.
- Place Aciv5 sideways between both heels
- Press activ5 with both heels as you squeeze your outer thighs
- Point your toes out
Keep your back straight and shoulders back. Press with your heels, not your toes.
The Ultimate Leg Workout: Get a Leg Up
As with other workouts in our Ultimate Workout Series, we have a final exercise to test you, push you, and to make sure you’re getting the most out of Activ5. With the ultimate leg workout, we’re giving you not one, but two final exercises. Good luck!
Halfway Lift
Like many Activ5 exercises, this exercise engages your entire body. Start with the left side.
- Slightly bend your knees as you lean forward at the hips
- Place both hands onto your lower thighs, with Activ5 beneath your let palm
- Keep your back straight and slowly roll your shoulders back
- Press Activ5 as you squeeze your core muscles
You can make this exercise even more challenging by placing Activ5 below your knee. Repeat with the right side.
Tree Pose
The tree pose is a relaxing yoga pose that teaches balance, posture, and patience. It’s also a great way to warm down from the workout. While this exercise engages your arms and chest, the balancing component challenges all the muscles in your legs to maintain the pose without falling.
- Place the sole of your left foot on the inside of your right calf
- Squeeze your right foot into the ground as you straighten your spine
- Press Activ5 with both palms in a prayer position
Repeat with your right foot. Once you’re comfortable holding this pose, try bringing your foot to your inner thigh. That’s advanced yoga stuff!
Use Activ5 for the Best Leg Workout
This concludes the Activ5 Simple Daily Workout Series. Each workout in the series shows you just a sample of what Activ5 can do. There are over 100 exercises and the list keeps growing. You can create your own interval training circuit by mixing up exercises to work various muscle groups.
Activ5 provides the best isometric leg exercises available. Activ5 workouts will strengthen and tighten your body, giving you the results you want faster than you thought possible. But it only works with the Activ5 portable fitness device and smartphone app. Get one today, and you will understand how powerful and effective isometric exercise can be.