Ankle weights are one of the most vital tools in producing toned, lean legs as well as a lifted butt. The added weight on your ankles allow the muscles to activate and work just sufficiently hard to become prominent without breaking down as well as bulking. As a result, you will feel muscles that you normally keep dormant.
When you’re doing your workout routine, and you want to raise the stakes easily, adding in some wearable ankle weights to your routine is perhaps one of the top ideas for increasing your overall body strength and calorie burn.
It’s quite straightforward. Slip them on and then carry on with your workout. If you’re walking, jogging, running, or jumping you simply add some weights and this makes your muscles work harder. In addition, it adds changes to the mechanics of your gait. This is what makes this type of exercise equipment highly popular and ankle weights have been incorporated into numerous exercises throughout the years – especially aerobics.
The Versatility Of Ankle Weights
Part of the reason why ankle weights are so fantastic is that they’re versatile. You are able to bring them anywhere, strap them to your feet while you’re travelling. Utilise them on your ankles or in your hands as weights if you’re stuck at a gym-less hotel.
When utilised correctly, ankle weights are also able to target and isolate muscles which grow weak (the glutes, which are not active all day from sitting, for instance). They can be very useful in a physical therapy setting, if you’re suffering from something such as injured or weak hamstrings or knee issues.
Free Movement
They allow you to move freely as well as perform movements you can’t with traditional weight equipment. Ankle weights give you the opportunity to move in nearly every direction and rotation imaginable, This is particularly important for hip work as it is a ‘ball joint’ which moves in all directions. It’s important that you strengthen the numerous movement patterns and large and small muscles which are at play.
Even just walking around with them on your feet may make a difference. Wearing ankle weights can include impact forces, which may assist with maintaining bone density.
Using Ankle Weights
Ankle weights can be utilised in a number of different ways in order to achieve various results. Changing up the weight with several different exercises makes you feel things differently by using different muscles as well as engaging those hard-to-reach areas.
Attempt to use your ankle in order to activate the hips by means of propulsion or to activate specific parts of the butt in the process of accelerating and decelerating the motion. Depending on if you are on the mat doing glute lifts, or standing up doing legs lifts, the weight which you use makes a difference in where you are able to feel it.
For exercises which have a big range of motion, for example a leg lift that is at the end range, make sure that you keep the weight light in order to allow you to reach the correct muscles and assist with balance. With glute lifts, utilise a medium weight in order to really make your butt work without putting undue strain on your back.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
Want to become a master exercise practitioner? If you do then you should do our Personal Training Course. Read more here.
