Hi Runfree:
I do a lot of body weight exercises and combine them with moves I learned at physiotherapy which use little to no weight at all.
I do a lot of walking lunges with trunk rotation, where the rotation affects your balance so you have to work harder at stabilization as you are lunging, and then I only need a max of a 10 pound weight held in both hands.
I do clock lunges/runner lunges where the leg that remains in place (well, the foot of that leg stays in place) stays as straight as possible.
Side lunges with a single 8 pound weight onto the bosu or some balance disk, 30 on each leg.
I do squats in time to my music, about 300 of them: 10 slow paced, all the way down, big range of motion, followed by 20 low pulse squats as Cathe often does on her DVDs, then repeat as much as you can, for 200 or 300 total squats. It will burn, but there's no weight, and you don't need it! The music gets you through.
Take a look at the work with stability ball and band that Cathe does on the floor work portion of GS legs: this is the kind of stuff I do a lot. This will burn the muscle, but again, it's largely a question of body weight and stabilization that burns the muscle and makes this hard. I do 3 sets of one legged stability ball roll ins, 3 sets per leg. This will tire you out for sure and will hit that cellulite area you mentioned.
A lot of stability/balance work involves body weight and single leg squats and these are tough stuff. Tie a resistance tube top the door or furniture at hip height. Hold handle/band in right hand. Stand on left leg. Squat down with left leg and reach forwards with right hand, letting the slackening resistance on the band pull you forwards a little. Then push through the squatting leg to stand upright again, and as you do this, pull that band/tubing tight to your right hip, raising that right knee up as you do. That's one rep. Do 3 sets of 10 reps for each leg and enjoy! Done correctly, with the appropriate amount of resistance, this one is a killer! Excellent for runners.
Then, take a look at pilates. Good pilates involves isometric moves for the legs using just body weight and it is excellent for runners. Try this: side lying leg lifts with toes pointed down the whole time, do 20 with right leg. Immediately progress to drawing a box with your right foot in the air, a big box, do it five times in one direction, then five times in the other. Then, stay with the same leg and draw large circles in the air, 5 in each direction. Then, keep that right leg up in the air, let your head down to the ground, and lift your other, left leg and foot up to meet the right one, 20 times, while the right foot and leg STAY HIGH! This will help work the core, hips, outer thigh and inner thigh and gluteus medius and is excellent for runners, helps promote a healthy IT band. It will burn for sure. Repeat on other leg. I usually aim to do the entire sequence three times per leg, changing up the leg each time.
Need more?
Clare