some great butt/leg blasting moves..great for beginners

no time to hit the gym? need a great workout that hits those legs? here's an easy do it yourself workout that you can do in your living room, with little equipment.

chair squats


Squats are one of the best lower body exercises you can do. Why? One reason is that squats are multi-joint exercises which target all the muscles of the hips, glutes and thighs. This version, which requires no weights or equipment (other than a chair) is great for beginners. It's also great for anyone wanting to add more functionality into their lives because it mimics the movements we do each time we sit down or stand up.

1. Place a chair just behind you and stand in front of it with feet about hip- or shoulder-width apart.
2. Contract the abs and keep them tight as you bend the knees and slowly squat towards the chair.
3. Keep the knees behind the toes as you sit down on the chair for a few seconds.
4. Contract the glutes and hamstrings to lift up out of the chair and begin extending the legs.
5. Fully extend the legs until you're back to standing position.
6. Repeat this for 1-3 sets of 10-16 repetitions.
7. To progress, squat down until you're just hovering over the chair, but not sitting all the way down.
8. Always keep the knees in line with the toes!


squats with one dumbbell


Once you're able to do more than 16 Chair Squats, it's time to progress and add some challenge to your squats. One option is to hold a dumbbell as you squat, which is a great way to add intensity without putting any extra load onto the spine.
1. Stand with feet hip- or shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a medium-heavy dumbbell in front of your body with arms straight and elbows slightly bent.
3. Bend the knees and lower into a squat. Stop when your knees are at 90 degree angles OR before you lose the natural arch of your back.
4. Contract the glutes and legs while stabilizing your body with a strong torso.
5. Slowly stand back up without locking the knees and repeat for 1-3 sets of 10-16 repetitions.
6. Always keep the knees in line with the toes!


squats with dumbbells (2 dumbbells)

1. Stand with feet hip- or shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold medium to heavy dumbbells in each hand just outside the thighs or with arms bent above the shoulders.
3. Bend the knees and lower into a squat. Stop when your knees are at 90-degree angles OR before you lose the natural arch of your back.
4. Contract the glutes and legs while stabilizing your body with a strong torso.
5. Slowly stand back up without locking the knees and repeat for 1-3 sets of 10-16 repetitions.
6. Always keep the knees in line with the toes!

plie squats


The Plie Squat involves a variation on foot placement that helps target your leg muscles in different ways. In a plie squat, you incorporate a bit more inner thigh than in traditional squats. Just take care when lowering down and only go as far as your flexibility will allow.

1. Begin in a wide stance with toes out at a comfortable angle. Your knees will need to stay alined with your toes, so don't go out too far.
2. To add weight you can hold dumbbells on the upper thighs, a single dumbbell in front or a barbell on the shoulders or behind the head.
3. Bend the knees and lower down into a squat, keeping knees in line with toes, abs contracted and back straight.
4. Only go down as low as you can without compromising your flexibility or your balance.
5. Push back to start without locking the knees.

wall squats

The wall squat is a bit different from typical squats since you're holding a static position for a certain period of time, rather than working through an entire range of motion. It will help you build endurance in the lower body.

1. Stand in front of a wall (about 2 feet in front of it) and lean against it.
2. Slide down until your knees are at about 90-degree angles and hold, keeping the abs contracted, for 20-60 seconds.
3. Come back to start and repeat, holding the squat at different angles to work the lower body in different ways.
4. To add intensity, hold weights or squeeze a ball between the knees.

lunges

Lunges came out on top in targeting the gluteus medius and, to a lesser extent, the gluteus maximus and the hamstrings. There are so many versions of lunges. This drop-knee version is the most basic lunge and, surprisingly, one of the harder versions. Stand in a split stance, with feet about 3 feet apart. You want both knees to be at about 90-degree angles at the bottom of the movement, so adjust accordingly.
Hold weights in each hand for added intensity.
Bend the knees and lower the back knee toward the floor, keeping the front heel down and the knee directly over the center of the foot.
Keep the torso straight and abs in as you push through the front heel and back to starting position.
Don't lock the knees at the top of the movement.
Perform 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 reps

step ups

The trick to a successful step up is to make sure you're stepping up onto a platform that's high enough to really activate those muscle fibers, about 15 inches high should be good. Holding dumbbells can add some intensity to the movement.

Stand behind a 15-inch platform or step, weights in hand.
Place the right foot on the step, transfer the weight to the heel and push into the heel to come onto the step.
Concentrate on only using the right leg, keeping the left leg active only for balance.
Slowly step back down and repeat all reps on the right leg before switching to the left.
Perform 1 to 3 sets of 10 to 16 reps

leg lifts

Leg lifts are one of the most common exercises for the glutes and the outer thighs and a great way to strengthen the muscles supporting the knee. This move can be done while lying down, I prefer the standing version because it works both legs as well as the core while building balance and stability. If you're a beginner, you may want to practice the exercise without a resistance band or use a light ankle weight instead.

wrap a resistance band around the ankles, tying it so that you have tension on the band when standing with the feet about a foot apart (you may need to adjust the resistance to find what works best).
Hold onto a wall or chair for balance if needed.
Shift your weight to the right leg and, without tilting the torso, lift the left leg straight out the side until you feel tension on the band and a contraction in the glutes. You may only need to lift the leg a few inches.
The foot should be flexed, and your hip, knee and ankle should be in alignment and pointing in the same direction (to the front of the room).
Lower the leg without resting it on the floor and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps on each leg.


Don't turn the leg up as you lift it. Instead keep the knee pointing forward. This will shorten your range of motion, but keep the work in the outer thigh and glutes.
Avoid tipping to the side as you lift the leg. Use your abs to brace your body or hold onto a chair for added stability.

Inner thigh squeeze

The inner thigh squeeze is one of my favorite ways to work the inner thighs because it's simple and you don't need much equipment. Lie down and lift the legs off the floor, placing an exercise ball (or some other type of ball) between the knees/shins.

Squeeze the ball lightly to keep it from dropping and put the hands on the floor for more support.
Slowly squeeze the ball, contracting the inner thighs.
Release just slightly, keeping some tension on the ball.
Repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.


If you find your back arching, bend the knees more or put the feet on the floor for this exercise.
Avoid releasing all the way, but keep a light squeeze to keep the ball in place and the inner thighs engaged.

hip lifts

The hip lift is a great way to work the glutes, hamstrings and the lower back. By propping the feet on the ball, you also add a balance component which makes the exercise more dynamic and more intense.
Lie down and place the heels on the ball, keeping the legs straight.

Squeeze the glutes and lift the hips up until the body is in a straight line.
Keep the hands on the floor for more balance if needed.
Release the hips down, barely touching the floor, and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
If the exercise is too hard, re-position the ball under the calves or thighs to make it easier.

deadlifts

Deadlifts are an amazing exercise that target the lower back, glutes and hamstrings. One reason they're amazing is that, not only do they work multiple muscles, they also mimic a movement we do all day long--bending over to pick things up. This move requires perfect form in order to protect your back. If you have any back problems or feel any abnormal pain in the lower back, skip this and work on strengthening the lower back before trying it again.

Stand with feet about hip-distance apart and hold weights in front of thighs.
Keeping the shoulders back, abs in and the back straight, tip from the hips and lower the weights towards the floor.
Lower as far as your flexibility allows. You can bend the knees slightly if you need to.
Push into the heel to go back to starting position.
Do 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps.

move on to one leg deadlifts..(advanced)

Deadlifts are challenging enough on both legs...doing them on one leg will really challenge your balance as well as add intensity to the working leg.

Stand holding weights in front of thighs and place left leg out behind you with the toe lightly touching the floor (or lift it completely off the floor for more of a challenge).
Keeping the shoulders back, abs in and the back straight, tip from the hips and lower the weights towards the floor.
Lower as far as your flexibility allows. You can bend the knee slightly if you need to.
Push into the heel to go back to starting position.
Do 1-3 sets of 10-16 reps.

bent knee deadlift

This compound exercise works the lower back, glutes and the hamstrings in one powerful move. Form is key for protecting your back and knees on this move and a certain amount of flexibility is required. To keep this move safe and effective, squat as low as you can, keeping the weight in the heels and the knees behind the toes. If you can't reach the floor to pick up your weights, use no weight until you're able to squat all the way down.

Holding medium-heavy weights in front of the thighs, bend the knees and squat down until the thighs are parallel to the floor.
Keep the abs contracted and look naturally forward to keep the neck in alignment.
Place the weights on the floor and stand back up.
Squat down once again and pick up the weights, again keeping the abs in, and stand back up.
Continue to squat up and down, putting the weights on the floor and picking them up for 1-3 sets of 10-12 reps.
If this feels too difficult, hold the weights throughout the movement rather than releasing them on the floor.

seated slides

If you need to exercise from a seated position and don't have access to machines, it's tough to find ways to work the hamstrings in an effective way. Seated slides offer an option for working the hamstrings while sitting in a chair. The key to making this move effective is to use your body weight to add resistance to the exercise.

Sit tall in a chair, abs engaged, and place paper plates under each foot.
Press the right foot hard onto the plate and push it forward, engaging the front of the leg.
Continuing to press onto the plate, slide the right foot back while sliding the left foot forward.
As you pull the foot back, focus on the back of the leg and keeping even pressure on the paper plate.
Continue slow and controlled reps, alternating sides, for a total of 16 reps, repeating for 1-3 sets.