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Get a leg up - and down

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Paolo Loriggio

March brought the first hints of shorts weather, and it won't be long until bare legs are a de rigueur.

Both sexes can benefit from toning up their legs, says Daniela Nahas, co-founder of the Best Body Boot Camp, a coed four-week training program based on military-style workouts. After all, legs are among the first body parts we unveil in the spring.

Nahas focuses on high-intensity moves that use the body's own weight as resistance with no special equipment required. She recommends the one-legged chair lunge, a tougher version of the basic lunge that can be done at home, in the gym or even outside.

"Since you really have to tighten your abs to hold your balance, it helps build core stability as well as really target the quads, hamstrings and the glutes," the trainer says.

One-legged chair lunge

1. Stand with your back to a chair or bench, a few feet from the seat.

2. Put your right foot on the edge of the chair, keeping your hips square.

3. With your abdominals tight and your back straight, sink into a deep lunge. Make sure your left knee doesn't go past your foot.

4. Do 20 to 25 repetitions on each side, at least once a week, as part of a strength training program.

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