Favorite 5: moves using ankle weights

Hi, everyone. Have you ever woken up from such a terrible dream that you wake up feeling really bad–maybe even angry to the point you just want to punch and scream??? That was me this morning…I was wanting to throw a huge tantrum but it would just piss me off even more (not to mention it is childish…) so I decided to go out for a walk but it started drizzling outside. Checked my weather app and it says “chance of rain is 47%”–utterly huge for So Cal so I ended up going back and now I’m here blogging.

But alas, I have been meaning to write about this as a follow-up to my previous post. I am not an advocate of doing your workouts solely from home or the gym. By all means, you can do it anywhere and everywhere as long as you get one in! Lol! I personally prefer doing my workouts from home when I do them by myself, which is most of the time, as I do not have good experience being in the gym by myself. But when I do have a gym partner, I’m always happy to use the facility.

I have essentials in my home gym and the ankle weights fall in that category. I have been training with them for over a year now and never looked back. Ankle weights did not only add variety to my workouts, it made them more challenging. I started of with a pair of 5lbs and bought another 10lb pair. I will definitely be adding more but for now, using them all in one leg works for me. Making use of these babies helped me discover muscles that my previous workouts didn’t touch as much which is wonderful because now I know my lower body has more potential in growth and development! 🙂

Do give these exercises a try and enjoy the satisfying ‘pain’ it gives you but most of all, the transformation you’ll love forever.

My 5 Favorite Moves Using Ankle Weights:

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1. Back Leg Extensions – if you read my previous post, you will find this in my favorite leg exercises. My glute muscles always feel amazing when I add this to my workout. You can do this exercise standing up with the assistance of something sturdy to hold on to, or even use cables at the gym. However, I personally prefer doing these on my knees as it allows me to perform it in full range of motion. Try adding 15 reps of 3 set each leg and feel the burn!
   
2. Donkey Kicks – Every exercise on here is just too much fun for me. If you are only starting, you can do this without the weights. But trust me when I say you will love this even more with them on! Start on your knees and lift one leg to the side while bent at the knees. Kick that leg straight out 15-20 reps for 3 sets! You will fall inlove with your glutes once again 😉
   
3. Fire Hydrants – Another uh-mazing move. I enjoy doing this as a superset (back to back, no rest) with Donkey Kicks. Start once again on your knees, lift one leg to the side as high as you can while bent at the knees. Do 15-20 reps once again for 3 sets. Or do a superset, like me, for a good challenge! 🙂
   
4. Kneeling Leg Ups– This one is very similar with the Back Leg Extensions. The only difference is, you have your legs bent at the knees. You definitely feel the burnon your upper glute muscles with this exercise. I do this in a superset with Back Leg Extension sometimes or do this in a pulse motion. Either way, it’s another goody. Do 15-20 once again for 3 sets!
   
5. Side Leg Extension/Raises – This is, for me the most challenging compared to the other exercises mentioned. I always find myself lowering the weights or the reps when I perform this–but I love how my legs feel after and I love how it looks when I do them! Start by laying on your side, place your arms comfortably for support. You can keep the other leg that you’re not using straight or curled then lift the other leg with the weights up as high as you can and repeat 10-15 times for 3 sets.
   

Let me know how it goes for you if you guys ever try it out! And if you have any other moves with the ankle weights, please do share, I’d love to add more to my exercise bank 🙂