Legs

The legs are made up of 3 different muscles. These are the different muscles, and also how you train them.

Thighs: A term given to the upper leg made up of a combination of Quadriceps and Hamstrings.                                                                                           

Quadriceps: The Quadriceps are the front leg muscle in the thigh.                                                   To train the Quadriceps you can do:-                                                                                                                                                                                           Leg Extensions, (your target zone are your thighs (Quadriceps). Sit on a leg extension machine and place the tops of your feet under the foot pads. With your lower back firmly against the seat, slowly lift your lower legs until your knee joint reach the locked position. Pause for a contraction, then slowly return to the starting position. Leg extensions, ideal for isolating the quads, are an effective warm up for the squats that follow), Squats (start by placing the barbell on your upper back and while standing with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders. Check your balance to make sure your feet remain flat on the ground. Now squat down slowly until your upper thighs are about parallel to the floor. If your legs and knees are not quite warmed up yet, do your first few squats a little less deeply. At first, you will feel like you need to lean forward to keep your balance. This can be altered by leaning your head back and keeping your lower back straight. Maintain your body weight on your heels and mid-foot. Resist going up on your toes to maintain balance. Do approximately 10 to 12 reps on your first set to make sure you are getting the movement down. The lower spine must remain straight and inflexible. Barbell Squats build the muscles of the frontal thigh (Quads) and the posterior hip region (Gluts). You will also feel the effect on the muscles of the lower back and the Hamstrings), Lunges (Smith Machine) (the basic purpose of lunges on the Smith Machine is to develop and separate the muscles in the thigh and shape the muscles in the glutes. Step into the Smith machine and place the bar across your shoulders / traps as you would to squat. Put your right foot two feet in front of you. stretch your left leg back as far as you can with little or not weight on it. Lower with the weight until your thigh is parallel with the floor and your left knee almost touches the floor. Now drive the weight back up using your right leg only, pushing hard from the heel. Finish your set with one leg and then repeat with the other).

Hamstrings: A set of muscles in the back of the upper leg designed to curl your foot towards your butt and to provide stability when squatting down.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     To train this muscle you can do:-                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Leg Curls (your target zone with leg curls are your hamstrings, also known as your leg biceps. Lie prone (face down) on the bench of a leg curl machine and hook your heels under the support pads. Keeping your body flat against the bench, raise your heels toward your butt until you can't lift the weight any farther. Lower the weight slowly to the starting position and repeat. Don't rush through the exercise; feel the hamstrings contracting and stretching as you lift and lower the weight).                                                                                                    

Calf: A set of two muscles located in the back of the lower leg. Its function is to control foot motion and to provide overall support to the entire body.                                                                       To train this muscle you can do:-                                                                                                     Calf Raise (Standing) (stand on a calf-raise machine with your shoulders under the pads. Place the balls of your feet on the foot platform so that your heels are free to move through a full range of motion. Keep your toes pointed straight or slightly out to the sides. Straighten your legs completely and extend your body so that you feet, hips and shoulders are in alignment. Lower your heels at a moderate speed until you feel a strong stretch in your Achilles tendon and calf muscles. As you reach the bottom position, inhale slightly more than usual and hold your breath as you push off vigorously to rise as high as possible. Hold the top position for up to two seconds to ensure maximum muscle contraction. Relax slightly, lower your heels under control and exhale. Don't pause in the bottom position unless you are trying to increase your ankle flexibility. Don't bend your knees. Don't bounce in the bottom position), Calf Raise (Leg Press) (sit in an incline leg press machine with your glutes and lower back in firm contact with the seat pads. Place the balls of your feet a comfortable width apart at the bottom edge of the resistance platform so that your heels are free to move. Keep your toes pointed straight or slight tilt out. Your legs should be straight of very slightly bent but never locked. Grip the machines side handles to stabilize your upper body after your release the platform. Inhale and hold your breath as you extend your feet at a slow to moderate rate of speed through an approximate 30-45 degree range of motion. Hold the fully extended position for 1-2 seconds to maximize the contraction. Exhale as your return under control till you feel a slight stretch in your calves. Pause momentarily and then repeat. To prevent your feet from slipping, wear shoes with good traction and be sure the surface of the resistance platform is not slippery. The balls of your feet should stay in firm contact at all times).

Abdominals

Abdominal (abs), A set of eight small muscles located in the stomach region that help you crunch forward and twist from side to side. Everyone has all eight of this muscles- but you can't see all these muscles unless your body fat is low. The exercises underneth are the best for training them:-Crunches (your target zone is the Upper Abdominal. Lie on the floor and you can put your lower legs up on a bench if you prefer, with your knees bent and pointing to the ceiling. This position ensures that your lower back is flat against the floor. Place your hands behind your head and curl your upper torso forward, bringing your rib cage toward your pelvis until you feel a contraction in your abs. Pause for the contraction and slowly return to the starting position. Exhale on the contraction, this breathing advice applies to all abdominal exercises. If these get easy put a weight on your chest and put your arms across it making an X shape. Do 20 - 45 reps), Leg raises (you do this by laying on the floor and lifhting legs up as hight as they can go, hold them there for 3 seconds then lower them but don't let them touch the floor, keep pn doing this for 15 reps and for four sets), and sit ups.