1. Inhale and raise your feet upward until your knees are as fully bent as possible. It would be ideal to touch your buttocks with your heels or the roller pads.

2. Lower your legs to the starting position as you exhale and complete the movement.

3. Begin the next repetition.

Notes: This exercise places emphasis on the entire hamstring group and the gastrocnemius.

By using light weights, as you curl your feet upward you will place more emphasis on the semitendinosus or semimembranosus, i.e., angle your toes inward. By angling your toes outward you can place emphasis on the biceps femoris long and short heads.

Generally, this will not happen because most participants always want to use too heavy a weight load.

1. Tuck your opposite leg under your chest with knee touching your chest.

2. Move your tucked leg to the rear and up as far as you can so that your hip is fully extended. Hold this position for about 2 seconds.

3. Return you knee to your chest for the next repetition.

Notes: By keeping your leg straight and fully extended on the lift, this exercise will primarily work the hamstrings and gluteals. If you keep the knee bent, it will only work the gluteals less intensely.

If you desire increased intensity, strap a soft weight around your ankle. This exercise is very popular in aerobics classes.