How to get legs like Amanda Holden with 8 simple exercises you can do on your living room floor
IF there’s one pair of pins that have left us looking like a hearts-in-eyes emoji, it’s those belonging to presenter Amanda Holden.
At 52, the former Britain’s Got Talent judge showed off her sensationally toned legs yet again in a series of photos on Instagram.
But, the good news is that you don’t need to head to the gym to get legs like Amanda.
You can in fact, perfect your pins in the comfort of your front room, at home.
Alasdair Nicoll is a personal trainer and expert tutor at , and he tells The Sun: “The past few years over lockdown forced so many people to get into exercise with people all over the world achieving incredible results from simply just working out at home.”
Alasdair has put together a lower-body at-home workout which can be done using just your bodyweight, or you can add some resistance to make the moves a little more difficult.
Read more on fitness
Try using a dumbbell or two if you have them to hand. Rice bags and tins also work well as faux weights.
Give these moves a try, following the allotted reps and aim to complete the entire circuit three times at a minimum, however go for five rounds if you can.
Give yourself a 60-second rest between exercises to let your body recover. As you get more comfortable with the exercises, shorten the rest period.
1. Goblet squat to heel raise
10 to 15 reps
Most read in Health
First up is the goblet squat.
Alasdair says: “Grab a weight or even a tin of paint at home and hold it level with your chest. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
“For this move, you’re going to think about pushing your bum back as you bend your knees, trying to sit your bum down between your heels.”
Lower yourself down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
Alasdair says: “Push back up through your feet and stand up tall."
To scult the calfs, press onto the balls of the feet to lift heels high up the floor, so you are on your tip-toes.
Pause here and squeeze the calves before going into another squat repition.
"If this is too hard for you then you can sit down on a chair and stand back up," Alasdair says.
2. Kneeling glute kickbacks
10 to 15 reps on each leg
Mostly focused on the glutes, this exercise should help shape the back of your thighs and butt.
Get onto your hands and knees on the floor, brace your core and kick one foot straight back behind you as if you're trying to close a door with your foot.
Alasdair says: "Squeeze your bum for two seconds and then bring the foot back in."
Repeat on the same side until you have complete the given reps.
3. Kneel to squat
10 reps on each side
This one's going to burn!
Start by kneeling on both legs; you are going to come up one leg at a time into the bottom of a squat position.
Alsadair says: "As soon as you're in the bottom of the squat you're going to reverse the movement back down to kneeling on the floor.
"As you do this, keep your gaze forward and aim to stay low."
4. Split squat
10 to 15 reps on each leg.
Start with both feet facing forward, shoulder-width apart.
Step forward with one foot only and from here keep a straight back, looking forward. Bend both knees as if you’re trying to sit your bum to the floor.
Allow your back knee to barely graze the floor and then come back upright.
This could be really tough for some, so Alasdair advises those to hold onto a chair for additional support.
But if this is too easy, you can elevate your back foot on top of the couch or chair.
5. Reverse lunge
10 to 15 reps on each leg.
Lunges are great for working almost every muscle in the legs. Reverse lunges are safer for the knees and more focused on the back of the legs.
Alasdair says: “Start with feet together, shoulder width apart, chest up tall and back straight.
“Bring one foot back by one step, bend the knee and try to get that knee as close to the floor as possible.
“Then, push off the foot in front and bring both feet back together.”
If this is too hard, hold onto a chair or wall for support and if it’s too easy, add in a weight or even pause at the bottom for three seconds.
6. Glute bridge
10 to 15 reps
Another move for the butt - lying on your back, bend your knees and keep the soles of your feet on the floor.
Keep your hands by your sides and then push your feet into the ground, driving your hips up towards the ceiling and squeezing your bum at the top.
Then, lower all the way back to the floor.
Alasdair says: “If this is too easy you can add in a pause at the top for three seconds or even add a hip circle resistance band around your outer thighs to add more tension.
“If this is too hard then only come up as high as you can.”
7. Step ups
10 to 15 reps on each leg.
For chiselled thighs, try step ups.
Alasdair says: “Standing side-on to your stairs holding the bannister in front of you, place the closest leg on the second step.
“Keeping a straight back you want to then push off that same elevated foot until both feet are now level with that second step.”
Then, gradually lower yourself back down and repeat until you have completed your reps on one side. Swap sides when you’re done.
Alasdair says: “Progress this by adding in a weight or if this is too hard then simply use a lower step.”
8. Wall sit
The wall sit is harder than it first seems, and will particularly hit the quads (front of thighs).
Hold for as long as you can. Aim to start with 20 seconds and work up from here.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Alasdair says: “Sit against a wall and make sure your knees are level with your hips with a straight back.
“If this is too hard then you can hold a bodyweight squat. If it is too easy then you can add a weight, placed on your thighs.”
Tone up but burn fat
Shaping your legs is one thing, but burning fat from your legs to reveal the toned muscle underneath is another.
Alasdair says: “If your goal is to try and lose body fat from your legs, by doing these exercises in combination with a calorie deficit, whereby you are burning more calories than you eat, then you’re going to begin to see noticeable changes in the shape and definition of your legs over time.”
When it comes to your diet, place a big emphasis on whole foods, reducing the amount of food that comes from packets and focusing on lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, fish and tofu, whole grain carbs such as brown rice, brown pasta and quinoa, and colourful fruits and vegetables.
Often, by simply cutting out the high sugar, highly processed foods, you may find yourself in a natural calorie deficit.
Consistency is key here: don’t expect results overnight. Instead, play the long game by eating well, having the odd ‘treat’ and exercising five days a week.