Build Tone in Your Core, Abs, and Legs

Hi, I’m Shannon Denton with Kbands Training, and welcome back to the Flex-to-Fit workout video series! Today I’ll be taking you through a superset of lower body and core exercises designed to build lean, toned abs and legs. Women especially will appreciate this resistance training workout, since it can help create a tight torso and a sculpted lower body line.

As you can see, I have the Kbands in place around my upper legs with the long band in the front and the short band in the back. Make sure your resistance training workout bands are secure before we begin. Ready? Let’s get started.

Sexy Abs and Legs: Core Exercises

For this first set of core exercises, lie flat on the floor with your legs straight and your arms extended above your head. Now flex your abs, raise your legs off the floor with a straight knee, and bring your arms down toward your knees, keeping your palms together. Pulse once with both legs straight, then again with legs widened in a V, then one more time with your legs together. Then return your back to the floor, bring your legs down, and raise your arms over your head again.

Complete about 15 to 20 of these core exercises for the abs and legs. Make sure you keep breathing throughout each set. As you complete each set of this resistance training workout, stretch to your full length on the floor with your arms raised and your toes pointed.

>Sexy Abs and Legs: Lunges and Squats

Now let’s move on to the next set of leg and core exercises. Stand up and begin this move with your feet shoulder width apart. Now drop your left leg back behind you into lunge position. As always, when you lunge, don’t let the knee of your forward leg push out beyond the level of your toes.

Now bring the rear leg back up to your body line so your feet are just a little wider than shoulder width apart, and drop into a squat. Then stand back up and complete another lunge, this time with your left leg in front of you. Finally, return the left leg to the starting shoulder-width position and start over. Your right foot should stay stationary through the entire exercise, while your left foot moves behind, into squat position, forward, then back to the starting point.

Got it? Watch the motion of my left leg in the video to stay on track. Complete about 15 of these moves on each side. As you complete this part of the resistance training workout, you should really feel the burn in your abs and legs, but especially your legs. Remember that when you work your legs and push them to the limit, you’re also bringing your heart rate up and strengthening your heart and lungs. Once your heart rate reaches about 40 percent of its maximum speed, your body enters fat burning mode and stays there as long as your pulse stays elevated. So try to complete the entire cycle of leg and core exercises without pausing or resting too much.

Maintain your focus by paying attention to your breathing (in through the nose, out through the mouth), but don’t stop moving. If you have trouble remembering to breathe, try counting each breath as you go. During both the abs and legs portion of this resistance training exercise, think about the muscle group you’re targeting in order to keep the pressure strong in that area.

Move through three sets of this resistance training workout with minimal breaks between each set. Before long, you’ll start feeling and seeing the effects as you build tone in your abs and legs. Share your progress by leaving a comment in the section below! Meanwhile, feel free to subscribe for more Flex-to-Fit sessions each week by subscribing through the link above. Enjoy the workout!