Featured Exercise #1

Squat Set (Wide / Narrow / 1-Leg):
Set Position: Feet Shoulder width apart. Tighten abdomen and roll shoulders back and down away from your ears. You can hold dumbbells at your shoulders, or hold a medicine ball in front of your chest. When you lower into the squat, keep your knees over your ankles and your body as tall as possible. It helps to face a mirror and keep looking at it throughout the movement.

Wide:
Stand tall with feet wider than shoulder width. Roll your shoulders back and tighten your abdomen. Lower into a squat so your knees are over your ankles. Push through your heels to straighten your legs.

Narrow:
Bring feet together. Roll your shoulders back and tighten your abdomen. Lower into a squat so your knees are over your ankles. Push through your heels to straighten your legs.

1-Leg:
Lift one foot slightly off of the floor. Roll your shoulders back and tighten your abdomen. Lower into a squat so your knee is over your ankles. Push through your heel to straighten your legs.

Repetitions: 12 - 18, Sets: 2 - 4
(with a series like the above set, you want to perform 12 - 18 of one position then immediately move into the next position).

So whats so good about this series? Well it works a lot of large muscles - and since we burn calories in our muscles we burn a LOT of calories with this set. You also sculpt the entire thigh/hip complex - working 360 degrees of thigh - who doesn't want that?

Everyone can benefit from this set. Those new to fitness will recruit large muscles to burn calories. Those who have been working out for a while will shock start their large muscle groups into burning maximum amount of calories. For those with knee or hip issues, performing squats will allow them to re-train the brain in recruiting the affected area; once again learning to recruit the larger muscles for movement.