I competed in gymnastics for nearly ten years as a child/teenager. I went to city and state-wide competitions and earned a gold medal several times. Being a gymnast requires not only flexibility, but a lot of strength training, too. As a gymnast, I used the muscles in my legs quite often – I needed them to support my body weight, jumps and flips, and relied on them for balance. I have always had very muscular legs, and I often worried that they looked too “thick” or “big.” After trying to work on more confidence and self-love, I’ve realized that my legs have gotten me many places, and it’s pretty awesome to have such strength, so it’s time to start accepting them and taking care of them!
Since my gym has closed, I’ve been trying to come up with different circuits to work my muscles in new ways. I miss being able to use a squat rack and do heavier deadlifts, but I also realize that the different kinds of kicks, jumps, and squeezes I’m doing are creating a different kind of toning to my body, and I think I’m getting even stronger than when I was focusing purely on weights! I feel sore pretty often, so I’m always looking forward to my yoga days. Here’s a circuit I created that can be done at home with no equipment (or you can use dumbbells or resistance bands if you would like to work harder!).
I did this on Saturday and it really had my legs burning! I’ve been trying to take short 1-mile runs or jogs after these workouts as a cool down that helps me loosen up my muscles. As always, it’s super-important to stretch! I take some extra time to stretch my legs since I work them so hard.
I am looking forward to coming up with and trying more of these workouts! If you give this one a shot, let me know what you think. Have a great week!
Breeanna Living Brilliantly 