If you've ever wondered what it takes to get the toned legs that celebrities are strutting this summer, you're in luck. "Trainer to the Stars" Erin Oprea is opening up about all sorts of tips and tricks to help get you in tip-top shape for the new season.
If you've ever wondered what it takes to get the toned legs that celebrities are strutting this summer, you're in luck. "Trainer to the Stars" Erin Oprea is opening up about all sorts of tips and tricks to help get you in tip-top shape for the new season.
The list of legs she's sculpted over the course of her career is impressive. Practically every country star (including Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Jana Kramer, and Carrie Underwood) has been transformed by the trainer who coined the phrase "Pretty Muscles."
With summer just around the corner, we asked Oprea all about how we can add some pep to our step and get sculpted legs just like our favorite stars. In an exclusive email interview with Health Digest, Oprea told us the best workouts to tone your legs (even at a desk job!), what it's like working out with country star client Jana Kramer, and the motivational words she shares with all of her celebrity clients.
Erin Oprea shares the essentials and the perfect leg-toning workouts
What's the most common mistake you see people make when it comes to toning their legs?
Doing too much. Working any body part over and over again, without proper recovery, won't get you the results you truly want. Muscles grow in recovery.
How often should you be exercising each week if you want to tone your legs?
Legs should be done two times per week — two days quad-focused, two days hamstring-focused.
What's the best way to tone legs without any equipment?
There are all sorts of lunges and squats that will get that serious burn and create pretty muscles. Try out my app, Pretty Muscles, for help, or follow me on Instagram @ErinOprea for inspiration.
If you want to focus on toning your inner thighs, what should you do first?
You can't spot lose [fat on] any body part. Everything will tone together. Side lunges and sumo squats will certainly help you gain muscle in the inner thigh.
What kind of exercise should you be doing if you want to tone your calves?
Honestly, the best thing for calves is playing soccer, but you can do hill walking and calf raises too. Try not to hold onto the treadmill during hill walking. You add so much more to your workout when you don't grab the bar.
Are there any leg exercises that can diminish cellulite?
Cellulite is a stubborn mo-fo. Hydration and weight training are a great start, but good luck!
What's the best exercise to tone legs but not add bulk?
Follow my Pretty Muscles app. I have it all laid out for you to build those toned, sculpted legs — easy as that.
Overcoming obstacles and training like the stars
What's the best alternative to squats if you have bad knees?
Wall-ball squats. Put a stabilizer ball against a wall and fit your lower back to the ball, and perform a beautiful squat while rolling the ball down the wall behind you.
How do you judge when you've gone too far in a workout and need a rest day?
Your body speaks to you. You have to listen to you. I have it laid out in my app, and it provides recovery days so you don't even have to think about it. Outside of that perfect advice, know the difference between needing a rest day and giving yourself an excuse to be lazy.
What can someone who sits at a desk all day do during work that can help them tone their legs?
Take [your] legs straight out, make tiny bends in your knee, then engage that leg severely to get that good quad burn. Continue those pulses for a good blood flow mini-workout at your desk.
Are there any foods or supplements you should eat while toning your legs?
You need to make sure you're taking in enough protein to make those pretty muscles. Did I mention my app also has a killer meal plan to help out with this? Because it does.
What type of leg routine did you do with your celebrity client Jana Kramer to prepare her for her new tour?
Invite friends to help make it easier to keep the consistency, put on a killer playlist, work those beautifully sculpted legs at all [angles], and the absolute most important is to eat clean to get lean. You have to lean your body out to see all the hard work you're putting in. Don't let your pretty muscles hide behind a small layer of fat.
What wisdom do you share with your celebrity clients to help motivate them?
Eat clean to get lean. Work out to get strong. Love life — and it's all about balance. Don't strive for perfection, because it doesn't exist.