Fitness Friday :: Week Six

Welcome back to Fitness Friday.  I’m happy you are here and hope that many of you find this series helpful.

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This week we’ll work on the inner thigh.  The best exercise that I know for this area is riding horses.  Since I no longer have a horse and I doubt that you have one either, let’s try something a little easier and less expensive.

Start on your side with your hips stacked.  Prop yourself up on one elbow, bend your top leg and place your ankle in front of your thigh.  Hold your top leg in place with your left hand.  Flex the foot on your bottom leg so that your toe is pointing forward.
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Slowly lift your leg.
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Pause at the top and then slowly lower back down.
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At the bottom position, hold your leg above the mat so that your muscle stays engaged before you start lifting back up for the next repetition.
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Complete your desired number of repetitions, then repeat on the other side.

A second version starts in a slightly different staring position.  This time the top leg is bent and is behind the working leg with the toe in line with the body.  Flex the toe of the working leg and then slowly lift up.
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Pause at the top and then lower to the starting position being sure to keep the muscle engaged by not letting the leg rest on the mat until the set is over.

If you have a gym membership, you probably work your adductors using a machines like this.  I use this machine at the gym, but I also like doing the version that I show above for the inner thigh on days that I don’t have time for a gym visit.

Thanks for joining me.  I love feedback and will gladly take suggestions for exercises for specific body parts for future weeks of this series.  Here’s to another week of working towards being fit in 2011!

5 Comments

  1. Wow, Paula, Your Fitness Friday is such a great series. You make it all look so easy. I sure don’t look as sute and put together as you when I work out, ha ha! Great inspiration for sure.

  2. I would like to point out how unfair it is that you look so cute at the gym. 😉 I have used that machine you mentioned…your exercise looks like the perfect alternative for folks at home. 🙂

  3. Okay, I’ve been reading these every Friday and so far I don’t notice any difference.

    Wait….you mean I’ve actually got to DO this????

  4. Yeah, I usually just use the abducter/adductoer whatever machines. I haven’t done those “manual” leg lifts in ages, BUT if it will make my legs look as good as yours, I’ll add it in.

    I don’t suppose you have any exercises for making my boobs go back to where they were when I was 20, do you?

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