Female Bodybuilding

Female Bodybuilding

1. Front lunge: begin with your feet 6-8 inches apart, torso erect. Take a large step forward. Lower your hips and allow your trailing knee to lower to a point just before it touches the floor. Keep your head up and torso erect. Push off your forward leg to return to start, then repeat for the opposite leg. A complete lunge for the right leg, then the left leg constitutes 1 rep.

2. Reverse Lunge: Begin with your feet 6-8 inches apart, torso erect. Take a slow controlled step backward with one leg, lowering your hips so that your forward thigh becomes parallel with the floor. Your knee should be positioned directly over your ankle and foot. Your front foot should be pointed straight ahead, and you're trailing knee extended to stretch your hip flexor muscles. The exertion phase of the exercise occurs when you push off your rear foot to return to the starting position in one fluid motion.

3. Freestyle Crossover: Begin by crossing your right leg across your left leg so your foot is in a 10:00 position, bending your knees as far as your flexibility allows. Follow the movement of the right leg with your hands or Freestyle poles. Return to the start; repeat for the left leg, crossing the right to the 2:00 position.

4. Inner Thigh Lunge: Begin with your feet nearly shoulder width apart, torso erect. Take a slow, controlled step forward and out to the side with the right leg, pointing your toes slightly outward (as though they were in the two o'clock position on a clock). Your thigh should not drop further than parallel to the floor, with your knee positioned over your ankle and foot. Your trailing knee should be relatively extended to stretch your hip flexor muscles. The exertion phase of the exercise occurs when you push off your front foot and step back to return to the starting position. With a little practice you be able to perform it in one fluid motion. Repeat for the left leg (to ten o'clock position) to complete one repetition.

5. Ballet Squats: Start by standing with your legs apart, feet flat on the floor, slightly wider than your shoulders with your toes pointed out in the 10 and 2 o'clock positions. Keeping your head up and your torso as erect as possible, initiate the movement by bending your knees while keeping your torso upright holing your hands to your waist or in front of you. Your knees should travel in lines with your toes, descending as though performing a ballet pliea. Try to lower your as far as your flexibility allows. Using your legs and resisting the temptation to lean forward push out of the bottom position to return to the start.