squats

By The FIRM Master Instructor Louise Smith

If you’re short on time like I sometimes am, it’s great to have a leg routine that will leave your legs burning and your workout done in a flash. I call this go-to routine my Tri-Set Lower Body Blast. It targets all the muscles of the hip and thigh — the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps — with unilateral, bilateral, single joint and multi-joint exercises. Here’s a quick how-to video we shot at the studio to show you the moves. You’ll need just one heavy set of dumbbells or a sculpting bar.

We typically think of  “swim suit season” as the time of year we all focus on our buns. But I’ve been inundated with booty questions lately, so I thought I’d write about how to firm it up!

If you ever experience joint pain when you walk, run, jog or cycle, this is a need-to-know: Ice, rest and knee supports are not your only tools to ease and prevent that pain. In fact, research suggests that lower leg injuries are often attributed to weakness in the muscles that support the hips.

“The difference between a myth and a fact is good science.” I love this phrase. You see, fitness and weight loss don’t need to be complicated, but I often overhear conversations between gym-goers discussing fitness advice that just isn’t true. We get confused from media and hearsay. Let me try to shed some light on several urban myths by looking at the science.