4 Squats to Love Your Legs This Summer

Alex Palombo/Fitness Magazine
Alex Palombo/Fitness Magazine

Workout by Brad Schoenfeld

Sculpt strong, toned legs and thighs with these exercises that work the muscle fibers you're probably overlooking.

Related: Our Testers Try This Workout-See the Results!

Split Squat
Targets butt and quads
• Stand with back facing a chair (about 2 feet away), hands on hips, and bend left leg behind you to place top of foot on chair seat.
• Squat, bending right leg 90 degrees with knee over ankle. Make it harder: After each full squat, do a half squat, bending just 45 degrees.
• Do 15 to 20 reps. Switch legs and repeat. Do 2 to 3 sets.


Alex Palombo/Fitness Magazine
Alex Palombo/Fitness Magazine

Sissy Squat
Targets quads, hamstrings, and calves
• Stand with feet hip-width apart with right side next to a chair, right hand holding seat back.
• Rise up onto toes (heels off floor) and bend knees 90 degrees as you lean torso back 45 degrees (so that body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders, abs tight.)
• Return to standing on toes. Do 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps.


Related: The Top 10 Thigh Toning Exercises


Alex Palombo/Fitness Magazine
Alex Palombo/Fitness Magazine

Pistol Squat
Targets butt and quads
• Stand with feet hip-width apart, fists in front of chest with elbows bent; lift right foot forward a few inches off floor, foot flexed.
• Squat, bending left knee 90 degrees, as you lift right leg to hip level in front of you. Make it easier: Let right heel hover close to floor.
• Do 15 to 20 reps, then switch sides and repeat. Do 2 to 3 sets.




Related: Look Sexy in Shorts: The Workout


Alex Palombo/Fitness Magazine
Alex Palombo/Fitness Magazine

Goblet Squat
Targets butt, quads, inner thighs, and hamstrings
• Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out, holding handle of a single dumbbell vertically with both hands in front of chest (like a goblet), elbows bent out to sides.
• Squat, bending knees 90 degrees. Make it harder: Holding weight in place, jump up slightly as you rise out of squat, landing with knees soft.
• Do 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps.


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