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Ladies and gentlemen of the gym, it’s time to talk about leg day. Before you skip over those squats, consider how important it is to have a strong lower body. Your legs support you in everyday activities; they look good in shorts and can help you produce more power in upper-body exercises. You are making a huge mistake if you’re only training above the belt. Your lower body is home to some of the biggest muscles in your body. As evidence, we present 6 reasons to train your lower body. Because friends don’t let friends skip leg day.
1. More Muscle
Studies show Squats & Deadlifts increase the release of Growth Hormone & Testosterone more than any other exercise. These are natural muscle building hormones.
2. You’ll burn more calories
Did you know that your gluteus maximus (aka, your backside) is the largest muscle in your body? Working these bigger muscles requires more energy, which means your body will have to burn more calories.
3. You’ll improve your big lifts
You might not believe it, but your legs and core produce the majority of your power during heaving lifting. Yes, even when you’re bench-pressing, it is your lower body that is engaged to help provide a stable platform to pump from.
If you lack conditioning, your big lifts will only get so far. Performing functional exercises, like deadlifts, however, will strengthen your legs, glutes and lower body, while developing all-over muscle and mobility.
4. You will reduce the risk of injury
Neglect your lower half and you are running the injury gauntlet.
Muscle imbalances, poorly conditioned hamstrings, and a lack of mobility will lead to a number of issues such as low back pain and ACL injuries. Squats, lunges and deadlifts will help develop your hamstrings, build muscle around weak joints and help promote stability and mobility.
5. Reducing your weight
As you perform leg workout you will experience an excessive sweating than upper body workouts. Leg workout improves metabolic activity to a higher extent and results in fat loss.
6. Functional Strength
Stronger legs will increase your strength on upper body lifts which will help upper-body muscle development. The leg workouts strengthen your legs & lower back, keeping you more symmetrical. Strong legs will allow you to become faster, jump higher, and improve your athletic performance. Even if you do not compete in sports, building muscle in your legs will make functional tasks much easier.
REMEMBER: Exercises such as squats, lunges, calf raises and leg presses can all help increase your lower body strength. Cardio exercise such as running, bicycling and jumping can also improve lower body strength while moving your joints through their full range of motion. So never miss your leg day. Do with proper form and increase weights according to your comfort.
Don’t rush. Stay safe.
