Foxes, who wants toned legs, a firmer backside and an added spring to one’s step?

Uh, why did I even bother asking – I’m pretty sure the answer will be yes, yes and yes.:)

Split squats are a great exercise to do, with or without weights!

This is a bit more of an advanced exercise compared with squats so if you’re not experienced with standard squats I recommend doing these without weights. Otherwise feel free to grab a pair of dumbbells or for you truly bad ass Foxes, a barbell. Keep the reps low if you do these weighted, treat it as a strength stretch.

Primarily, it works your glutes and quads, with a nice effect on your lower back strength as well. You’ll also get a most satisfying stretch on your rectus femoris – one of your quadriceps – which will typically be short and tight, especially if you are deskbound.

Key points are

• Keep balance. Have your feet shoulder width apart and if you elevate the rear foot, make sure you don’t fall over!
• On the front leg, always keep the knee behind the toes.
• Keep your spine tall, chest up and lower back neutral

The simplest way to try these out is check out the photos

Here’s the split squat with both feet on the ground. Remember to do the same drill on both sides. You can do these with or without weights.

Here’s a split squat you can cheekily do whilst in the office 🙂

And finally, the elevated split squat with weights

I would add these in after a squat session as an accessory exercise, 2 or 3 sets of 8 – 12 reps on both legs would be plenty!