Top Ankle Weight Exercises

Ankle weights are a fantastic workout tool for fitness enthusiasts of all ages. When you add ankle weight, you can look forward to a better recovery following an injury and improved muscle strength. To make the most of your ankle weights, we have compiled a list of the top five ankle weight exercises.

The best part about these ankle weight exercises is that you can improve the strength of all your major muscle groups right from the comfort of your home. To do these ankle weight exercises, all you need is ankle weight, an exercise mat, and a lot of determination!

Here are the top five ankle weight exercises that you can do at home.

Squat With Leg Lift

 

Squats are a great way to improve the muscle strength of your lower body, including your glutes, abs, calves, hips, shins, and thighs. When you combine squats with leg lift, your lower-body muscles will work along with your core, and when you add ankle weight, you can look forward to improved muscle strength of your legs and core.

Here is how to do squats with leg lift.

• • Attach weight to each of your ankles,
  • Stand upright with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart,
  • Now bend your legs and push your bottom down such that your legs form a right-angle (90-degree angle),
  • Next, you need to push your body up to a standing position,
  • As you rise, lift your left leg up and out to the side and return it to the original position.
  • Revert back to squat,
  • Now, as you lift your body, move your right leg up and outward.

Repeat the workout ten times in each set (5 for each leg) and aim for five sets. By the end of this workout, you will feel tightness in your legs, especially on the outer side of your glutes.

Knee Highs

A simple yet effective ankle weight exercise that you can try at home is knee highs. The workout enhances your lower body’s power, flexibility, and speed. You can do this ankle weight exercise while running or you can comfortable do it while standing. This ankle weight exercise targets your glutes and core while strengthening hip flexors.

Here is how you can do knee highs.

• • Start by attaching a weight to each ankle,
  • Straight by standing upright with your hip-distance apart,
  • Next, lift your right knee high so it can reach your chest,
  • Repeat the same for your left leg, alternating each leg as fast as you can,
  • While doing so, don’t forget to keep your core engaged, so your back gets an adequate amount of support.
  • Repeat the exercise 10 times for each set and aim for five sets.

Superman

An excellent ankle weight workout that you can try at home is superman stretch. You will need an exercise mat for this workout as it involves lying down on the floor. This ankle weight exercise works with the muscles of your back, hips, glutes, and shoulders.

Here is how to go about this ankle weight exercise.

• • Attach a weight to each ankle and lie flat on your stomach,
  • Next, you need to extend your arms and legs in front of you and behind your body,
  • Now elevate your arms and legs off the ground such that your chest and quads are in the air.
  • Hold this position for 15 seconds and then relax.
  • Repeat five sets of this exercise and hold the position for up to 15 seconds during each set.

Burpees

If you are looking forward to a full-body workout that wakes up every muscle group in your body, then you need to go for burpees. The workout involves all major muscle groups, including your arms, chest, glutes, quads, abs, and hamstrings. And when you add ankle weight, it becomes an even more effective whole body workout.

Here is how you can go about adding burpees into your workout regime.

• • Start by placing weight on your ankle,
  • Hold your arms by the side and set your feet apart,
  • Lower your body and get into the squat position,
  • Next, you need to your hands flat on the floor and kick your legs backward to lower your chest to the floor.
  • Now push your chest to the initial squat position and jump as you raise your hand above your head.

Aim for three repetitions in each set and end up with five sets so all your major muscle groups can benefit from it.

Weighted Arm Circles

The use of ankle weights is not restricted to ankles only. You can use it to strengthen other parts of your body, including your upper body, by attacking ankle weights to your wrist.

An amazing ankle weight exercise that you can add to your routine by attaching the weight to your wrist is weighted arm circles. With weighted arm circles, your biceps, triceps, and deltoids get moving and strengthen over time.

To get started with weighted arm circles, here is what you need to do.

• • The workout requires you to attach your ankle weights to your wrists,
  • Once you attach the weight, maintain an upright, strong posture with your core engaged, shoulders back and relaxed, and chest out.
  • Take your arms away from your body to each side such that your arms are parallel to your collarbone,
  • Don’t let the foundation of your body weaken and keep your torso stretched.
  • Rotate your arms in a circular motion starting with forward motion followed by backward rotations.
  • Go for 10 repetitions forward and backward for each set and aim for 5 sets.

Try these five ankle weight exercises and improve the strength of all major muscle groups. These ankle weight exercises allow you to work out right from the comfort of your home. If you have any physical condition, it is best to consult your primary healthcare provider before adding new exercises to your workout regimen.