The most common areas I get asked about are how to tone "flabby thighs", "saggy butt" and "my little belly". Now, you cannot spot reduce fat so doing squats until your butt is numb will not actually make it smaller! What you CAN do is build lean muscle in the legs and butt, which makes you look stronger, tauter and enables you to burn more energy 24/7. Muscle uses up a lot of calories JUST to exist!

And, mind you, for every woman who has complained to me about her saggy this, or flabby that, I have looked at her and seen a fabulous, healthy body. Before tackling these moves - remember that you're working out to build strength, look and FEEL better. Your body is beautiful when it can do what you need and want it to do.

Sumo Squat to Calf Raise

Sumo squat to calf raise

Stand with your heels outside hips and toes turned out (plie position in dance-speak)
Pull your belly button in and up, engaging the pelvic floor and deep abdominals
Hands on hips for balance and keep your chin parallel to the ground, eyes ahead
Squat down as low as you comfortably can, but NEVER let your hips be lower than knees!
Raise onto the balls of your feet, hold for 2 counts, drop your heels and raise to standing
Repeat 10 - 12 times, rest for 30 seconds and do 3 sets.

Advanced: add a dumbbell or hold a weighted medicine ball out at chest height

Four Point Squat

Four point squat

Stand with your heels directly under hips
Pull your belly button in and up, engaging the pelvic floor and deep abdominals
Bend your left leg and rest the ankle ABOVE the right knee
Keep your chin level with the ground, eyes ahead and extend arms out as if holding a beach ball
Squat down as low as you comfortably can, but NEVER let your hips be lower than knees!
Hold for 2 counts then slowly rise to starting position
Repeat 10 - 12 times, rest for 30 seconds and do 3 sets.