The weather is finally cooling off, so dust off your hiking shoes and get ready for
Toned Legs . Perky Booty . Strong Core !
Let me show you how to intensify your hike and take it to the next level! How do you intensify and speed up the results and take your hike or walk to a high-level calorie burning ➕ lower body sculpting? Well, there are some exercise moves to add to your hike or walk! 💥 I’ll show you how to burn calories, melt pounds away, sculpt your legs and lift your booty! Are you ready? Great, then let me show you how with some exercise moves to add to your hike!
First, What’s in my bag? Yes, you do need to bring some items with you. Water Bottle is the most important. 💦 I love my Takeya insulated water bottle, as it keeps water cold for 24 hours (which is awesome while being outside) it also has a spill-proof drinkable spout and convenient carrying handle. A healthy snack is a must too, like fruit 🍌 and a RxBars as they are so portable to take and give you energy during your hike. A cinch bag 🎒, I use my Adidas bag due to the many zippered pockets and its very lightweight, to put your snack, water bottle, your phone (for an emergency, but also to review this workout) and keys. Also, a great pair of sunglasses 🕶, like my Ray Ban Aviator glasses. They are lightweight and excellent at blocking the bright sun. Another very important item, is comfortable and supportive hiking shoes👢. I love my Merrell hiking shoes as they are verycomfortable, sturdy, breathable and stylish for a hiking shoe! Also if you are walking instead of hiking to do this workout, then Nike Walking Shoes are excellent for durability, comfort and stylish good looks……I mean seriously, we do want to look good when working out, right? 👍
Let’s Get this Hike Started!
Now if you truly want to burn calories and sculpt your legs, glutes and calf muscles you need to hike (or walk) the hills, not just the flat trails (or roads). When you add rocky terrain, elevation and intensity, that is when you begin to torch calories. 🔥 The calories burned almost double when you hike hills with intensity versus flat terrain. When I say intensity, I mean going at a pace that challenges you. How do you know? You want to challenge yourself by incorporating a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) to your workout. How do you do that? Consider 0 being no exertion to 10 being your maximum exertion, you want to hike with intensity at about an 8 or 9 for a small duration then bring your intensity down to about a 3, 4 or maybe 5 for a longer duration. By taking the HIIT to your hikes and walks, you will begin to feel and see the changes in your cardiovascular ability, with major fat-burning and also the improved strength in your lower body!
Incorporate these ⬇️ exercise moves during your hike or walk. Then depending on your fitness level will determine how much time to hike in between each move. Determine the length (via distance or time) and then evenly distribute the exercises accordingly. For example: a 1 1/2 hour long hike with 8 exercises, I suggest you stop about every 7 to 8 minutes or so stop and do the exercise, then hike again for 7 minutes, etc, etc. Find a good rhythm that works best for you!
FULL LUNGE: Look for fairly level ground to perform this exercise. I know that the ground will not be perfectly level, but that is good, because the instability will require you to use your core muscles to keep your balance! You will be getting a core workout and improving your balance too! Stand with one foot in front of the other foot, with front knee slightly bent and back leg straightened. Keep shoulders back, core tight, and slowly lower into a lunging position. Think about the back knee lowering to the ground more than the front knee bending, as this keeps your weight off your front knee and more focused on the glutes. As you lower your knee, keep the back leg and booty muscles very tight and squeeze when you lower and slowly raise back to starting position.
Booty Tip: Really squeeze your back glute as you lower, but mostly as you begin to raise back up. This will engage your glute muscles, which helps build up and strengthen your booty!
Do: 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg
▶️Back to your hiking or walking, lean legs ahead!
PULSE LUNGE: Again, look for fairly level ground to perform this exercise. I know that the ground will not be perfectly level, but that is good, remember the instability will require you to use your core muscles once again to keep your balance! You are getting a core workout and improving your balance! Stand with one foot in front of the other foot, with front knee slightly bent and back leg straightened. Keep shoulders back, core tight, and slowly lower into a lunging position. Think about the back knee lowering to the ground more than the front knee bending, as this keep your weight off your front knee and more focused on the glutes. As you lower your knee, keep the back leg and booty muscles very tight and squeeze, then pulse by staying low to the ground. This is a small movement and the lower you are to the ground the more difficult the move.
Booty Tip: Really squeeze your back glute as you lower, but mostly as you begin to raise back up.
Do: 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg
▶️Let’s get going again, a perkier booty is just around the corner!
FULL SQUATS: Look for fairly level ground to perform this exercise, but it is not required, as you will be keeping both feet on the ground for stability. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and shoulders back and core tight. Place your hands on your hips and keep your core tight and engaged. Slowly begin to lower your booty, like you are sitting in a chair, making sure your knees do not extend past your shoes. Try to lower so that your quads (thighs) are about parallel to the ground, then slowly begin to raise up until you get back to starting position with a full extension of your legs.
Booty Tip: As you begin to raise to starting position, really tighten and squeeze your booty and keep it fully engaged the entire time.
Do: 5 sets of 20 reps
▶️Keep it going and keep it moving, you’re torching those calories!
LOW PULSE SQUAT: Ok, I know this move looks a bit awkward 🙄 and looks like I am doing something else. . . .but hey, this move is worth it for a perky booty, so who cares! Look for fairly level ground, but it does not have to be perfectly level, as the un-level terrain requires you to use more core muscles to keep yourself balanced when keeping your body in a low pulse position! Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with shoulders back and core tight. Place your hands on your hips. Slowly lower your booty so your quads (thighs) are parallel to the ground and keep it there, then slightly raise and lower in a pulsing manner. This is a very small movement, but you will feel the burning sensation in your quads. Yea, that means it’s working! Make sure you keep your weight in your heals the entire time, then you know you are using your quads and glutes for this exercise and not your knees. Tip: If you feel it more in your knees, that means your weight is forward in your toes, so shift your weight back to your heals.
Do: 5 sets of 20 reps
▶️Are you feeling those leg muscles burning yet? I bet you are!
ELEVATED LUNGE BACKWARDS: Look for a rock, log or something that is about 2 to 3 feet off of the ground. If you are walking, look for a bench or low wall. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, keeping your shoulders back and your core tight and engaged. Place your hands on your hips or by your side. Then raise your left leg up to the rock or other study item facing yourself away from the rock. The right leg will have a slight bend, but make sure your weight is central, not leaning forward. Slowly begin to lower into a lunging position, keeping your shoulders back and head elevated. As you lower make sure that your front knee does not extend past your shoe. If it does, then you need to expand your lunge, having greater distance between your feet. Then slowly begin to raise back to your starting position. Tip: You should feel this movement in your front quad, but also in your back booty, but you must squeeze each time you elevate to the starting lunge position. This will be one complete rep.
Do: 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg
🚦Stop, don’t leave this spot! This time don’t go anywhere, just turn around, face forward and do this next exercise!
ELEVATED LUNGE FORWARD: Again, look for a rock, log or something that is about 2 to 3 feet off of the ground. If you are walking, look for a bench or low wall. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, keeping your shoulders back and your core tight and engaged. Place your hands on your hips or by your side. Then raise your left leg up to the wall or other sturdy item, facing towards the rock. The left leg will have about a 90 degree bend, while the right leg will be kept fairly straight. Slowly begin to lower into a lunging position, keeping your shoulders back and head elevated. As you lower make sure that your front knee does not extend past your shoe. If it does, then you need to expand your lunge, having greater distance between your feet. Then slowly begin to raise back to your starting position. Tip: This move you should feel more in your front quads, with some strength also being used from your booty. This will be one complete rep.
Do: 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg
▶️On the road again . . . I just can’t wait to get on the road again! 🎼
KICKBACK: Look for something to hold on too, like a tree, hopefully a branch that doesn’t have thorns, ouch . . or a high level rock that you can hold onto . . .or maybe your hiking partner 👫 thank you Tom 💞! Always fun to have a partner go on this hike with you and do all these crazy lower body exercises too, trust me they will love you for it later. Stand with shoulders back, core tight and engaged (yup, I do say that a lot!) and get into a lunging position, but keeping both legs straight the entire time. Keep the front leg steady and strong and then raise the back leg keeping it straight and foot slightly flexed. Really squeeze your booty tight and do small pulses elevating your leg with each move, but never touching the ground until you finish your set. After your 3 sets of 15 reps on one leg, then do the same move on the opposite leg for 3 sets. Tip: This is a very small and controlled move that you should feel in your glutes, but also in your core! So keep it tight and think about engaging your abs, obliques (side abs) and lower back muscles (this is your core) this entire time.
▶️Almost done . . . can you still feel your legs????
SQUAT JUMP: This time, I do want you to stand on complete level ground, so this should be the last exercise (WOO HOO) probably where you started at the beginning of the trail if you are hiking or possibly your driveway if you were walking back to your home. You do not want to twist your ankle with this move so you need level ground. This is also a fantastic way to finish your workout with a blast of “give it all you got to the very end”! Get into a squat position with shoulders back, core tight, feet about shoulder width apart. Lower into a squat and then quickly accelerate into an upwards jump, returning to starting squat position. Be sure that you are landing softly on your feet, not twisting your ankles, and also keeping your weight back into your heels, in order to protect your knees. Now when I did this move (as you can see above) I thought I was jumping sooooo high🚀 ……yet it looks like my feet are barely off the ground. 😆 Tip: So, do not worry about the height of your jump, just make sure you are using your quads to lift you up and then using them again to bring you back to the squat position.
Do: as many as you can, by now your legs should be to the point of exhaustion, so it might be just a few moves, but thats ok!
YIPPEE ALL DONE . . .YOU’RE CLOSER TO TONED LEGS . PERKY BUTT . STRONGER CORE .
CONGRATS, You are done! 👏 By now your legs probably feel like jello, as you truly took your lower body to the point of exhaustion and you will definitely feel this tomorrow! 😱 NOW, make sure that you get yourself some lean protein, I prefer a great protein shake, within the next 45 to 60 minutes in order to feed your muscles the protein they need! When you tear down your muscles like this, the best thing to do is fuel up with protein and then rest the muscles for the next 24 hours, they need time to repair and build back up.
Christie, “your personal trainer to Get Fit & Stay Fit”
Amazon Hiking Finds
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GREAT! MAKES ME WANT TO GO HIKE.
Lets Go !