HOT HIPS AND FABULOUS THIGHS

These eight exercise come from "Hot Hips and Fabulous Thighs" by Ellington Darden, Ph.D.
WIDE SQUAT AGAINST WALL: (thighs and buttocks) Lean back against a sturdy wall. Place heels six inches wider apart than your shoulders and 1 1/2 to 2 feet away from wall. Hands on your hips. Now slide down the wall until the top of your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for 10 seconds. Push back to top position (don't move your feet!) and immediately lower back to parallel position. Repeat for 5 sustained contraction repetitions.
Gradually increase the length of each repetition each work out, the goal is 5 repetitions of 30 seconds. (this goes for all exercises)

HIP RAISE: (buttocks)Lie on your back on the floor. Slide your feet under your knees. Raise hips upward. Keep head, shoulders and hands on floor. Arch lower back slightly. Contract your buttocks as hard as you can and hold for 10 seconds. Lower hips back to the floor, and immediately raise back up. Repeat 5 times.
(After hip raises, release tension in your back/hips by curling up into a ball for 5 seconds.)

NARROW WALL SQUAT: (thighs and buttocks) same as the wide squat except your feet should be only 2 inches apart. Again start with 5 sets of 10 seconds and gradually increase.

INNER THIGH LIFT: (inner thigh) Lie on your side on the floor. bend top knee and put foot on floor in front of other thigh. Grasp ankle with top hand. Raise you bottom leg as high as possible. Hold for 10 seconds, lower to floor and immediately raise again. Repeat 5 times.
Roll over onto other side and repeat with opposite leg.

REVERSE LEG RAISE: ( buttocks)Lie face down on the floor. Place palms of hands on floor by hips. Lift both legs backward as high as possible. Hold in top position and squeeze buttocks as hard as possible for 10 seconds. Lower thighs to floor and immediately raise again. Repeat 5 times. (release tension by rolling into a ball for 5 seconds)

TRUCK CURL:(midsection) Lie on back on the floor. Bring heels close to buttocks and spread knees. Interlace fingers and place over midsection. Curl shoulders gradually off floor and reach with hands between your thighs. One one-third of standard sit up. Pause at top position for 10 seconds and keep reaching. Lowe shoulders to floor and immediately raise again. Repeat 5 times.

DONKEY KICK: (buttocks) Kneel on elbows and knees. Pull one knee to chest and smoothly extend it high above and beyond the back. (Try to put bottom of foot on ceiling) Pause in top position for 10 seconds and keep leg high. Lower knee to chest immediately raise again. Repeat 5 times. Repeat with opposite leg.

NEGATIVE PUSH UP: (upper body) This is the only upper body exercise you'll do and it's lowering only. Start in the top push up position, on toes and hands with body stiff. Over 10 seconds, slowly lower your body to the floor by bending your elbows. Don't try to push yourself back up, bend your knees and return to start position. Repeat 5 times. The end goal for this exercise is 10 repetitions that take 10 seconds each.

The book recommends this six week routine.
WEEKS 1 & 2
1. Wide wall squat
2. Hip raise
3. Inner thigh lift
4. Reverse leg raise
5. Trunk curl
6. Donkey kick
7. Negative push-up
8. Hip raise
9. Wide wall squat

WEEKS 3 & 4
Add narrow wall squats between exercise 2 and 3.

WEEKS 5 & 6
Add narrow wall squats between exercises 2 and 3 and between 7 and 8.