I was working these quads, hamstrings, glutes and abdominals early this morning… in a combination of deadlifts, squats and lunges…wow! Leg day is hard but I hear that it brings the most benefits over all other lifting routines so its worth the hard work!
Leg muscles are the largest muscle groups in the body, so they burn the most calories… did you know that your gluteus Maximus (ie your buns) is the largest muscle in the body?
OOH! Leg Muscles look Good!
Leg muscles are our big muscle groups, but they also look really nice. Strong glutes, athletic quads, healthy hamstrings and toned calves certainly look good in a pair of shorts. However, there are 5 bigger reasons to work those legs than just for the looks! …
- Power and Endurance
Legs are powerful when they are strong and give us higher athletic ability to do other sports such as running, jumping or sports requiring speed! Having strong conditioned muscles also gives us more endurance so that we can move faster and for a longer period of time without getting tired!
2. Less Injuries
When our legs are strong, joints are optimally supported and there is much less likelihood of having certain injuries especially during sporting activities
3. Burn more Calories
With conditioned leg muscles, our whole body will generally have a higher metabolism. Those larger muscles require more energy and therefore your metabolism 24 hours per day will be higher! Aha! Weight loss!
4. Less Back Pain
Less back pain will be there if we have strong lower body. The glutes take a lot of the strain off the lower back when we are standing. If we sit all day, we are more likely to have short hip flexors and weak hamstrings (leading to sore back)…. Stretching those hip flexors and working on strengthening the glutes, hamstrings and abdominal muscles can make a dramatic difference in reducing back pain.
5. Practical strength
With strong legs, even if you are not an athlete, it will help you with day to day activities without getting hurt. Things such as moving around heavy items, carrying groceries, moving furniture are easier if the legs are strong because your body will have the strength to squat and hinge at the hips. This way, when we use our strong legs, we can much easier lift heavy items without hurting our back!
LEG WORKOUT TIP
With leg exercises, it is important to start low and gradually increase the weights. Do full range of motion slowly, with abdominals in to support the back and slowly increase the depth of your movements. It is very important to use proper form to avoid hurting the knees so be sure to research this or get a coach (like me) to help you out.
