Tone a Soft Zone
by Chris Akard
Picture an area on your body you are unhappy with; an area that has a certain
increased layer of substance known as fat. Under the fat, lies a muscle that has
seen little use and has no tone. If this sounds familiar, then you have found
the soft zone.
OK, so we all have one or two of those soft zones. I'm going to focus on the
area between the buttocks and the back of the leg (hamstring). It's an easy
target for fat accumulation and lack of muscle use.
Please consult a physician before starting this or any exercise program.
Cardiovascular Activity for the Soft Zone: Lower Buttocks
Next to nutrition, cardiovascular activity is one way to reduce body fat.
It's a great idea to identify with your soft zone when performing your
cardiovascular activity. For example, if you are walking, don't just walk
unconsciously. With every stride, try and engage that muscle back there. One way
to do this is to allow more weight to be applied to your heel and to squeeze the
buttock and hamstring muscle. Likewise, if you're riding a bike, you can focus
on the muscle and actually recruit those muscle fibers to make the pedals move.
This is a great way to burn fat and begin to tone a soft zone.
Target Exercise: Lying Glute Lift
The lying glute lift is an excellent exercise to work the lower glute and
upper hamstring area. Add this exercise to your workout routine and see the soft
zone become the hard zone!
Start with your hips in a relatively high position. Your target muscle should
already be contracted at this point. Next, with you heels pushing into the
floor, lift your hips with the contracting glute and hamstring muscles. Exhale
as you lift. Use a variety of tempos and enjoy an enhanced burn. As an added
benefit, this exercise will also stretch your hip flexors. Having flexible hip
flexors is a great benefit for a healthy lower back.
Perform the movement for 10 to 50 repetitions.
Do the reps for two to four sets.
Complete the routine two to three days per week. Always allow for a day of
rest between exercise sessions for a given muscle.
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