Kick start your leg and butt toning efforts with this two-week training program. Be ready to notch out some time from your week for this high-volume lower-body workout program. To tone muscles, you’ve got to overload and break them down by performing a high number of exercises, sets and repetitions, and then be sure to give them enough time to rest, recover and tone.
Workout Schedule
During the two weeks, you’ll work out a total of six times, including three workouts during week one and three workouts during week two. Choose a Monday, Wednesday and Friday routine or a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday routine, depending on your schedule. Be sure not to work out on consecutive days, as in order for your leg and butt muscles to develop tone, you’ve got to allow them a day of rest in between workouts.
Exercises
Complete squats, lunges, step-ups and deadlifts during each of your six workouts over the two weeks. Together, these exercises will hit your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. For squats, set your feet hip-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at your shoulders. Push your butt backward and bend your knees to lower into a squat. Lunges are performed by holding the dumbbells at your shoulders and taking a large step forward, then lowering your back knee down toward the floor. Step-ups can be completed on a box, ledge or step. With the dumbbells at your shoulders, stand in front of the box. Place one foot completely atop the box and then rise up onto the box, driving your trailing knee up toward your chest. To perform deadlifts, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with the dumbbells held down in front of your legs, palms facing your thighs. Keep your back straight and push your hips back, bending forward at the waist until your torso is parallel to the floor.
Volume
Volume is key when it comes to toning your legs and butt. You’ve got to complete enough sets and repetitions of each exercise to overload your muscles in order to stimulate them to increase tone. Complete each exercise for three sets of 12 repetitions. This means that when you’re performing single-leg exercises like lunges and step-ups, you’ll need to complete the 12 repetitions on each leg, for a total of six sets. Rest just 60 seconds in between each set.
Considerations
After two weeks of consistently following this butt and leg toning workout program, you’ll find that your muscles are tighter. But, it’s going to take about eight weeks of training to see significant increases in muscular tone. Every two weeks, increase the number of sets you’re performing of each exercise. The first two weeks, you’ll perform three sets of each. The second two weeks, you’ll perform four sets of each. The third two weeks, you’ll perform five sets of each and during the final two weeks, perform six sets of each.
References
Writer Bio
Kim Nunley has been screenwriting and working as an online health and fitness writer since 2005. She’s had multiple short screenplays produced and her feature scripts have placed at the Austin Film Festival. Prior to writing full-time, she worked as a strength coach, athletic coach and college instructor. She holds a master's degree in kinesiology from California State University, Fullerton.