The Little Butt & Thighs Workout Book

This is an excellent little book for anyone who wants to learn basic lower body exercises they can do at home. The workouts are short and easy to follow and the exercises are spelled out in detail along with modifications for more advanced exercisers. Beginners will benefit from the tips about weight loss and cellulite, as well as the workouts.

This isn't a 'quick-fix' program, promising instant weight loss, but four progressive mini-workouts that teach basic lower body exercises. Erika Dillman, the author, emphasizes that slimming down the hips, butt and thighs happens with cardio exercise, healthy eating and strength training for the whole body, not just the legs. In the first section, Erika talks about cellulite--what it is and the reality of getting rid of it (e.g., "Research has shown that herbal wraps, thigh creams and pills don't work."). She goes into the basics of determining calorie intake for weight loss and then covers basic physiology for the muscles of the lower body, describing how these muscles work and why it's important to strengthen them. Readers will find the discussion about strength training and why it's important easy to read and motivating. She then talks about how to set up a workout with sets, reps, weights and rest as well as how to set up a complete program with cardio exercise. Her section on good form and posture during exercise is one of the better ones I've read. The rest of the book includes the 4 mini-workouts, each with 4 exercises. Workout 1 is for strength and stability (with squats and lunges), Workout 2 is for wide-leg moves like side lunges and bridges, Workout 3 includes one-legged moves and the final workout includes the most challenging moves like one-legged reaches and bridges on the ball. She also includes stretches for the lower body. This is a great buy!