Say bye-bye to boring squats and hello to slim thighs with these three moves.

THIS MONTH’S GOAL
Up the ante at the gym to get a sexier lower body.

Why these moves work
While squats, lunges, and leg presses are effective toners, eventually your muscles can do them on autopilot, which will halt your progress. The exercises here target one leg at a time and force your quads to adapt to different positions. Going “solo” makes your quads work harder because the opposite side can’t pitch in. After a few weeks of doing this wake-up-your-muscles workout, you’ll find yourself eyeing shorter skirts—while everyone else is switching to pants.

Anatomy lesson
Your quadriceps (or quads) include four muscles on the front of each thigh, all of which help extend your knee. The three vasti muscles—the vastus lateralis, medialis, and intermedius—connect at the top of your thighbone and your knee. The rectus femoris attaches at your pelvis and knee and also flexes your hip.