Using your leg strength to perform fat burning exercise is a smart way to lose weight. Your legs contain large muscle groups suitable for cardiovascular activities that burn fat effectively. You can target these specific muscle groups and build cardio-respiratory fitness to burn fat. Optimal leg exercises to burn fat include plyometric jumps, squats and lunges. These exercises target your legs and their supporting abdominal and gluteal muscle groups.
Lunges
Begin in a standing position with your feet together. Pull your shoulders back and down while tightening your abdominal muscles to support your lower back. Lunge forward with your right foot and drop your hips towards the floor while bending your back leg. Continue lowering your body until your front thigh becomes parallel with the floor and the shin bone of the right leg is leaning slightly forward. Keep your back straight and bend slightly at your hip while lunging. You may keep your arms down at your sides or raised overhead or keep your hands on your hips. Return to the starting position. Complete a set consisting of as many repetitions as possible without sacrificing the instructed form. After a 60-second rest, complete another set.
Standard Squats
Stand up straight with your knees slightly bent and your feet at hip distance apart. Be sure to keep your toes pointing forward and shoulders back, not slouched, while squatting. Maintain proper back positioning, which means that your ears, shoulders and hips are aligned. Sit back into a squat position by pretending that you are sitting in a low chair. Keep your body weight in your heels not your toes. Keep your knees directly above your ankles and try not to let them protrude past your toes. Inhale as you squat down. Exhale as you return to standing and squeeze your hamstring and buttock muscles when you stand. Complete a set consisting of as many repetitions as possible without sacrificing the instructed form. After a 60-second rest, complete another set. To increase your leg strength further using squats, perform the squats holding dumbbells.
Plyometric Scissor Jumps
The lunge scissor jump is one of several plyometric exercises that radically build lean muscle to help you burn calories fast. Use intervals of plyometric jumps alternated with a lower-impact activity, such as power walking or jogging. To do the lunge scissor jump, begin in a lunge position: right foot forward, front knee at a 90-degree angle above the ankle. With your hands on your waist, jump high, landing in the lunge position with your left foot forward. Alternate sides for a total of 10 jumps. Power walk for two minutes, then do another 10-jump interval. When you build enough strength, alternate sets of up to 20 jumps and power-walking or jogging intervals.
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