by Dimity McDowell, Women's Health Magazine

Our plyometrics-inspired lower-body routine will tone trouble spots ASAP.

Want a sexy rear view? And while you're at it, legs that look great as they propel you through life? This workout is the best way to get them. Based on plyometrics—moves that incorporate leaping, jumping, or skipping—it burns calories and builds lean muscle fast.

A 2007 study found that dancers who did plyometric exercises twice a week for six weeks increased their strength by 37 percent and their jump height by 8.3 percent. "Plyometrics are a good alternative to strength training on machines," says Patricia Fehling, Ph.D., the study's co-author and chair of exercise science at Skidmore College. "The change in movement from static [say, the bottom of a squat] to dynamic [exploding into the air] shocks your muscles, so you see results quickly."

For two weeks, do the workout once a week, then increase to twice a week. Start with one set of 10 reps of each exercise, then add one set of each exercise weekly until you reach the max: three sets of 10 reps twice a week. Finish each session with the two kink-busting stretches.

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Check out more workouts from Women's Health:

- Get Lean Legs
- Yoga on the Beach
- Transform Your Tummy
- Yoga for Athletes
- Yoga Poses That Burn Fat
- Get Tone with Yoga
- Stress-Busting Workout
- Look Hot in Jeans
- Fry Fat on the Mat
- Blast Your Body
- Total Body Tightening
- Flatten Your Belly
- No Gear Here
- The Best Exercises
- Ultimate Do-it-at-Home Workout
- Glute Camp
- Lean and Fit in 7 Minutes

More from Women's Health:

- Diet vs. Exercise: The Smackdown
- Build A Better Booty
- 7 Glute Moves That Work

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