Toning your Leggs at home?

Anyone have any suggestions besides lunges and squats. I do both regularly with hand weights but am starting to feel knee pain. I need something that I can do at home without all that fancy machinery.

When you do squats and lunges does your knee go over your toes? Try to keep your knee above your heel. This puts less strain on you knees.

The only thing other than that is to try those rubber bands. Maybe you can do a version of a leg extension with those.

3 sets of ten JUMPS
my trainer makes me do these at the gym and I laugh b/c I think it makes me look like a frog but the next day
your legs will burn!


cross your arms over your chest like you would to do crunches,
squat all the way down and jump as high as you can and repeat ten times
for three sets
dont rest --- as soon as you come to the ground go right back up

ETA: it is considered cardio too b/c your heart rate will go up al ot as you do them

Im working on my legs because of a bad knee I have (workers comp). I am in physical therapy. Says I need to strengthen my hip and thigh muscles to help support my knee. After surgery my knee never correctly re-adhered to this original position. This is non-operable and uncomfy.

Heres my regiment so far (went to my first day on Wednesday.. still feeling it today)

I lay flat, bend both knees put the towel under my bad knee’s foot then straighten it out slowly. Like kicking out. Then raise up the straighten leg far enough to feel the stretch behind your knee. Hold 20 seconds and repeat 3 times.

Lay flat and flex your feet so the toes are pointing straight up. Bend one knee, then raise the other leg straight up, no bending, about 45 degrees (usually the knees are about even at the top) and told it for two second, then lower it and do this 10 times, rest and repeat. (total of 3 reps)

Lay on your side, feet together and still pointing straight (like before only on your side now so they point straight out) then lift your outside leg up around 45 degrees, hold 2 seconds and slowly lower. Do that 10 times, rest and repeat (total of 3 reps)

Here’s where it gets a little weird. This is there I flip over (since I’m only working on one leg right now) with my bad leg on bottom and me on my side (toes still stiff). I bend the top leg so the foot is near the knee (its hard to describe). My leg closest to the ground/table lift up maybe four-six inches underneath my bent knee. I hold it for 2 seconds and slowly release 10 times, rest and repeat (total of 3 times).

To be honest I had to do mine with light weights on my legs and my hip was so sore the next day. But I guess that was the point.

Last, but not least, I was told to use a flat smooth surface like a wall. Told I could use a towel to give better slip action (smooth). Feet shoulder length apart and out in front of me lean against the wall (at the gym they give me a big ball to use to make this easier). I bend down to not quite a 90 degrees in angle. My knees should NOT come over my feet. I can look down to check and move my feet out further if I need to, but when doing this you need your back straight, hands on hips, looking straight forward, head up.

Hope it helps.

If you want, I’ll add in any new stuff they abuse me with. heh.

THis is great...THANK YOU...yea add any more you learn!!

with a 42 inch hip measurement, my thighs are my target area. No more muscle just tone, tone, tone.

Share any I missed.

I think I need to remeasure myself. Those ladies measured me in Jeans and a T-shirt that went past my hips. Didnt move up the shirt either..maybe (haha wishful thinking) Im not a 42.

Its just so out of porportion from the other numbers!!!