Leg day is arguably the least favorite day in a gym-goer’s week. This isn’t necessarily because leg days are difficult, but more so because leg muscles are difficult to grow. This is also the reason why it’s not uncommon to see individuals with a buff upper body and smaller legs.
Many people do themselves a disservice by skipping leg day, not because they miss out on a chance to improve their aesthetics, but also because legs are a cornerstone of muscle functionality. The truth is that most people do leg day wrong. If you’re willing to give it another try, here are some things you can do to turn your leg day around.
Stop Doing Half-Reps
While getting a full range of motion is important for every workout, it is even more important for leg exercises. The reason behind this is that our legs are constantly under strain because they constantly carry our body weight whenever we stand, walk, or run. This means that it’s important to break through the tension threshold that our legs are used to so that we’re able to stimulate muscle growth. Slow, low squats will build more leg muscle than fast half-squats.
Don’t Overtrain
An effective leg training session will always result in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Much like any other muscle group, it’s important to give your legs time to recover from your training session. Never force your body to perform more than it is capable of, especially during its peak recovery phase. This not only creates new tears in your muscles, but it can also increase your risk of sustaining an injury.
Don’t Skip Squats
While there are numerous machines and workouts that you can use to grow your legs, you should never skip the fundamental workouts. The barbell squat is the best exercise for leg muscle development as it subjects all of your leg muscles to tension. It’s only after you’ve mastered and finished doing your barbell squats that you can try these workouts to sculpt your legs even further.
Stop Raising Your Heels
While this may seem like a trivial correction, this is one of the secrets to increasing your personal record. It’s important to plant your heels during squats, since your body needs all the stability that it can muster.
Lifting your heels off the floor puts all the weight of your body and of the weights on the balls of your feet, which not only drastically increases the risk of an accident, but it also robs you of the ability to exert more power.
A stable base means that you’re able to project your leg strength much better, while also avoiding a potentially deadly accident. The type of shoe you use should also be considered. During leg day, it’s important to use flat-soled shoes for the best stability.
Leg day is an essential part of fitness. Like all things related to health and fitness, it’s important to take a holistic approach in order to achieve peak health. Don’t fear leg day. especially since most of its workouts are effective at muscle development and weight loss.
