workout gifs

Workout GIFs: How to ‘Thigh Dance’

After a series of targeted thigh exercises, this week’s set of workout moves are for hitting all the muscles in the thighs at once. Ashley Yeater of Physique 57 teaches us something called “thigh dancing,” which Miley Cyrus may not include in her dance repertoire, but will engage your heart, thigh, and abdominal muscles all at once. And Cheri Fogleman of CLAY Health Club shows us her favorite all-over thigh move. GIFs ahead.

Move 1: Start by kneeling, but do not rest your seat on your knees (meaning your butt — get it off your seat!). There should be a few inches of air between your butt and the soles of your feet. Raise your arms in a sun-salutation position. You will want to keep this position for the next series of moves.

Move 2: Bend your arms up and down, about hip-width apart. Engage your abs and swivel your hips from left to right. This move also helps to whittle your waist and is called the “thigh dance.” Repeat about fifteen times.

Move 3: Now fully engage your abs and crunch in, using your arms and rounding your back. (Yes, engaging your abs is something you actually need to do; merely copying the motion does not engage your abs.) Repeat about fifteen times.

Move 4: Punch your arms forward and direct your eye contact in the direction your hand is punching. Engage your abs to use your full upper body to punch.

Move 5: Fogleman demonstrates a modification of the common bridge. Raise your pelvis so that your shoulders to knees form one straight line. Extend each leg forward at the same time. Make sure that you do not hunch your shoulders and that the bulk of the movement is centered in your glutes and thighs.