Get a Leg Up on Summer With These Moves!

Summer is around the corner, and it's just about time for shorts and skirts. Aren't you tired of covering up your legs with baggy pants and toe-skimming skirts? Of course you are — it's hot under all those clothes! To gain the confidence to flaunt a fabulous pair of gams, you need to learn about your leg muscles and which exercises effectively target them. Let's take a good look at the upper and lower legs:

Upper Legs
The two main muscle groups of your upper legs are the hamstrings and quadriceps.

*The hamstrings, located on the backs of your thighs, are responsible for knee flexion. Knee flexion is the movement that brings your heel back up toward your buttock.
*The quadriceps are the muscles on the front of your thighs. Their main function is knee extension, the movement that straightens the legs.

Lower Legs
The two major muscle groups in your lower legs are the calf muscles, which include the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, and the dorsiflexors.

*The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles are located on the back of your lower legs. They are involved in plantar flexion, which allows us to extend our ankles and point our toes.
*The dorsiflexors are located on the front of your lower legs and are primarily used for dorsiflexion, in which your bring your toes up toward your shins.