Strengthen your lower body using ankle weights and your kitchen counter as workout equipment
In the quest for a fitter and stronger body, Coach Kel's kitchen workout offers a unique and convenient solution. This innovative workout utilises your kitchen countertop as a barre and ankle weights to provide resistance, making it possible to strengthen your lower body from the comfort of your own home.
Ankle weights are versatile strength training tools that can be attached to ankles or wrists. Each ankle weight typically weighs between 1-3 pounds, with the Gaiam 5lb set available on Amazon for just $17.98. Each Gaiam ankle weight weighs 2.5lbs, with a 5lb option also available.
Coach Kel recommends doing three or four rounds of her kitchen workout, with the option to add more rounds for increased difficulty. The workout includes exercises such as plies, heel drops, booty lifts, and assisted push-ups. The repetition numbers for each exercise can be found in the video.
Strapping ankle weights onto ankles during a workout can make the glutes, hip flexors, quads, and calves work harder. Exercising the lower body helps to build functional strength for everyday movements, making activities like walking, running, climbing stairs, and getting out of a chair easier.
For building muscle, strength training should be done at least three times a week. Improvements in mobility and flexibility may also be noticed within the 12-week timeframe, during which noticeable strength gains can appear quite quickly, often within 2 to 3 weeks due to neural adaptations improving muscle recruitment. Visible muscle tone improvements usually show up within 4 to 6 weeks, while significant muscle growth (hypertrophy) typically takes 8 to 12 weeks of consistent, properly loaded training and recovery.
Key tips for using ankle weights in barre workouts include starting with lighter weights to master form and prevent strain, using ankle weights dynamically during exercises that target glutes, hamstrings, and calves, such as leg lifts, extension pulses, and small squats or pliés, incorporating ankle weights to add resistance at the extremities, increasing muscle activation without compromising alignment, and progressively increasing weight or duration as your strength improves, but always prioritising control and endurance.
When using ankle weights, it's crucial to maintain proper form and alignment while using moderate weight that you can sustain throughout the exercises without breaking tension on the muscles. This approach enhances endurance and strength more efficiently than using heavy weights that force you to break form or stop frequently.
Incorporating Coach Kel's kitchen workout into your fitness routine, along with a guide to beginner bodyweight workouts and full-body workouts with dumbbells, can help you achieve your lower-body strength goals effectively and safely.
- The unique kitchen workout by Coach Kel, using ankle weights as resistance, not only offers strength training for the lower body at home, but also contributes to building functional strength for daily activities and improving mobility and flexibility.
- To make the most of the kitchen workout, it's important to start with low-weight ankle weights to master form and prevent strain, and to gradually increase weight or duration as strength improves, ensuring control and endurance throughout the exercises.
- In addition to Coach Kel's kitchen workout, incorporating a guide to beginner bodyweight workouts, full-body workouts with dumbbells, and understanding the science of strength training can help individuals achieve their overall health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise goals effectively and safely.
