The Body Sculpting Bible for Women (36 page)

Lift your right leg up behind you, keeping it bent at a 90-degree angle. If the machine has a platform, place the sole of the right foot against the platform.

Keep your abdominals pulled in and your back flat it’s important that you keep your bark as flat as a table throughout the entire range of motion to avoid injuring your lower back.

TECHNIQUE AND FORM

Once you are in the starting position, exhale and press your right leg up as you simultaneously squeeze your gluteal muscles.

When you reach the top position, hold for a count or two before lowering almost to the start position.

Do not allow the platform to come entirely down to the starting position. This makes sure you are maintaining tension in your muscles as you begin your next repetition.

If you feel any pain in your lower back, lighten up on the weight or select a different exercise for the gluteals.

Repeat for the recommended number of repetitions, then switch the working leg and repeat.

Lying Leg Curl

The lying leg curl is an exercise that focuses on the hamstrings located on the back of the upper leg. It also affects the gluteal muscles and the muscles of the lower back (erector spinae).

There are two ways to perform this exercise: one leg at a time or both legs at the same time. In this book we will discuss the more common two-legged version. However, the execution for the exercise remains the same for both versions. Note: Please make sure not to attempt to use very heavy weights if you decide to try the one-legged version of the exercise. VARIATION: Some gyms will not have a lying leg curl machine, but they do have a seated leg curl machine. You can use this machine instead.

PROPER ALIGNMENT

There are several machines for training the hamstring muscles, but we recommend the lying leg curl machine. If you prefer, you may use the seated leg curl machine instead. Both are good; however, we believe the lying machine is superior. No matter which machine you choose, the alignment will basically be the same.

Position yourself on the machine and, as always, begin the alignment of your body starting with your feet.

Lock your pelvis into place by contracting your abdominal muscles.

Try to focus only on the hamstring muscles.

When you’re lying down, relax your upper body. (Allowing your body to stay tense during the exercise will only negatively affect hamstring stimulation.) If you like, you can hold on to the set of handles, which are usually supplied. Just make sure you do so with a very light grip. Squeezing too hard can change the focus of resistance in the hamstring muscles, causing this exercise to be less beneficial. Holding too tight can also cause leverage to do the work for you instead of working the muscle. Remember, don’t sell yourself short trying to find the easy way of exercising. You are here to work, not to make things easy. Besides, work is what produces results.