STOP FOCUSING ON UPPER BODY. LEG TRAINING IS THE KEY TO GROWTH
Have you thought about incorporating two leg workouts into the week?
Maybe this idea seems a little crazy, but if you think about it a little more, the legs are half of the body.
Even if we look separately at the quadriceps, gluteus, and hamstrings, each of those muscles are bigger than the pectoral muscles, arm muscles (biceps/triceps), and shoulders.
The most common and worst case is when people combine the shoulders with leg training.
I mean, wtf are you doing?!!!
Ok, ok, not everyone knows this but never be embarrassed to ask, listen or read...
When we often talk about leg training, the main target is the quadriceps.
However, I have also noticed that when, during such conversations, someone wants to brag about the size and appearance of their legs, they contract and show the quadriceps and not their "posterior chain."
Let's be honest; there aren't many exercisers who can brag about their back leg and glutes.
The truth is that all guys focus on the upper body and assume that girls do too; they couldn't be more wrong.
Talk to some women; you'll soon discover that having nice legs and, more importantly, a nice ass will get you everywhere - plus, as all your friends are neglecting theirs, you'll be miles ahead.
Why is it essential to work lower body part?
1) IT KICKS OFF A SEDENTARY WAY OF LIFE
If you have a desk job or if your job requires you to drive a good portion of the day, LISTEN UP.
The information we are about to share should catch your attention, and hopefully, you won't just skim over it.
When sitting, one thing that is certain.
There's a strong chance you are placing your body in an unfavorable position, and as a result, your body will get stiff.
Then when you get up from sitting all day and go to the gym to 'ease the pressure,' working the core and legs, you only exacerbate the same pattern of sitting with many exercises.
If you allow tension to accumulate within the hip and spine, your muscles may become too tight even when lying down, and you won't be able to sleep on your stomach.
Does this sound familiar?
The same thing happens with your hamstrings and your back; only your knees and back get affected until you develop a deep pain in your groin and hip region.
And then you will complain about a deep ache in your stomach. And then lower back pain persists.
This vicious cycle is becoming a widespread problem in the sitting population.
Solution?
Keep your leg muscles and psoas muscle active!
Leg training based on complex exercises, in addition to the leg muscles themselves, also strengthens the trunk stabilizers.
In this way, in addition to improving the appearance and increasing strength, it contributes to injury protection.
2) GREATER PRODUCTION OF HORMONES
Some studies also say that performing heavy squats and deadlifts raises testosterone levels, so there's another significant benefit.
Leg training can be divided into quadriceps training and back/gluteus training. During strength training focusing on the lower body, various hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone are released.
This process helps muscles repair and build faster. When larger muscles are trained, the body releases more hormones than training smaller muscles. Testosterone is a hormone that affects muscle size, bone growth, and overall body strength.
Since these are some of its primary functions, testosterone should promote muscle growth and speed up the metabolism in the process.
Neither of those two pieces of training has to be exclusively quadriceps training or the muscles of the rear lodge and glutes because that is difficult to do.
But that's why you can emphasize one of them with various variations of exercises.
Base your quadriceps training on the following:
- classic squats,
- front squats,
- lunges with a small step,
- leg extension,
- Romanian deadlifts,
- sumo deadlifts,
- hyperextensions,
- leg curls,
- hip lifts (bridge).
The classic squat can be represented in both pieces of training, which I recommend, with the fact that in one training (when the emphasis is on the quadriceps), you do a heavy squat (a squat with heavy weights and a lower number of repetitions), while in the second training you work with smaller weights and higher by the number of repetitions.
3) BETTER CARDIO
A study by American scientists from California showed that people with heart disease could increase their exercise capacity with the help of strength training, specifically focused on leg muscles. This experiment lasted 8 weeks and involved six men who used bicycles for exercise (where tremendous pressure was placed on the muscles of the legs and knees).
It was measured that leg exercises increased oxygen flow from the bloodstream to the muscles by 53% without the heart having to work harder.
You hate squats, don't you?
What most exercisers hate is doing squats. But they are a staple exercise in any leg program.
However, those who do them make a mistake by doing them incorrectly, i.e., they focus on lifting as much weight as possible without thinking about whether they are doing it correctly.
On the other hand, if you squat as correctly as possible with the highest intensity, then you have done a large part of the work for your legs.
If for some reason, someone cannot do squats, then we insert some other exercises into the training process. Squats can cause pain and discomfort, but everyone who can do them should do them.
If you have problems with the back of your legs or knees, then the leg press machine is an excellent alternative to squats.
In addition, this exercise allows you to work with heavy weights without straining the lower back. But remember never to sacrifice proper exercise techniques for heavier weight.
At the end of every leg workout, it is necessary to stretch both the quadriceps and the hamstrings. In addition, if you're an advanced exerciser or competitor, it is advisable to devote one day to exercises for the back lounge and gluteus.
Just one 'take away' info from your Genius Nutrition® team.
Exercising your legs is not just an option. It's something you just have to do.
Don't want bigger legs? Fine.
Do not stack too much weight, and do not overload your legs. But exercise them - and stimulate metabolism, stimulate body changes. So you may not stimulate 100% testosterone, but 70% is better than 10%, right?
Still don't like legs? I'm sorry, but you'll have to live with it.
Because the fact is, by including your legs in your training, you'll achieve more growth in six weeks than most people who don't work their legs will achieve in three months.
Don't take my word for it? Just look around the gym. A guy with broad shoulders and chicken legs - is that what you want to look like?
Who are the biggest guys in the gym? Who are the girls whose look you aspire to?
I can assure you that these people seriously work their legs. And "working" on cardio machines that use your legs isn't nearly the same.
Working the legs is extremely important. Please don't make excuses. You don't have to train to the point that you can't walk. You don't have to squat 250 pounds.
But you simply have to exercise the 50% of the body that almost 80% of exercisers neglect.
Happy squating!