The leg workout is without a doubt one of the best workouts you can do for your body, and it's also excellent at building muscle on the lower half of your body.
No one disputes that having strong legs is essential, but other benefits are often overlooked. For example, stronger leg muscles can improve your appearance. When you have more defined calves and thighs, it makes the rest of your muscles look more defined, too.
Stronger leg muscles are also beneficial for sports. For example, more muscular legs can provide you with better balance and stability on the court or field. This will cause you to be less likely to fall, which reduces the risk of injury. It can also help you get around opponents that may otherwise trip you or knock you down.
Additionally, strong legs can help you to run faster and jump higher. This will give your game a competitive advantage because other players won't be able to match your ability to move around the court or field quickly. Stronger leg muscles will also increase your endurance so that you can provide more energy throughout an entire game.
At MPower Fitness Coaching, we always say that having strong legs can be beneficial for your health. Stronger legs mean that you can perform everyday tasks such as climbing stairs or running errands more easily and without getting tired quickly. This reduces the risk of falling and injuring yourself if you happen to trip on something because you didn't have enough energy to maintain your balance. You will also hold a healthy weight more quickly because you have the strength and endurance to perform activities such as running or playing sports.
If you're looking to build some definition on your legs, this guide will help you with that. Keep reading on, and you'll find all the information you need to know about building muscle on your legs.
The importance of leg workouts depends on your body type and what you want to accomplish.
The first step is to figure out what kind of leg workout you need. You can go about this by assessing your current muscle mass.
If your focus is to gain mass, you will want to include a variety of exercises in your leg workouts. This consists of significant compound movements such as squats and deadlifts. If you have a muscle imbalance or weakness between legs, you can add single-leg variations into your program.
If changing body composition is more your aim, you will want to add high volume with a few sets. This means that instead of hitting the leg muscles with five sets, you would do 20-30 reps in each set. Each workout should have 1-2 heavy strength movements and 8-10 lighter load movements.
If you aim to lose weight or change body composition, the best leg workout for you would be 1-2 heavy strength movements and 8-10 lighter load movements. This should be done three times a week, with one day of rest between each workout session.
If reducing body fat is more of your goal, you should do more high-rep exercises. You can do this with either bodyweight exercises or equipment that isn't too heavy for you to lift, such as dumbbells. Good examples of these types of exercises are donkey kicks, leg raises, and donkey calf raises.
If changing the body composition of your legs is what you're more concerned about, then exercises that can be done with lighter weights but for higher reps are the best option. These include steps ups, lunges, donkey kicks/calf raises, leg raises, and high-rep squats or deadlifts (if you can control the weight).
To maximize your workout at MPower Fitness Coaching, always incorporate variety. This will keep your workouts more exciting and allow you to hit different muscle groups each time. Try rotating between legs exercises each week, or if you can't do this, try varying the number of reps, sets, and order of the exercises.
Pre and Post Workout Meals:
Depending on your goals and what you hope to accomplish from working out will also determine what kind of food you might want to incorporate pre and post-workout.
If gaining muscle is your goal, then you will want to eat before and after working out so that your body has adequate nutrients for recovery and glycogen repletion.
However, if reducing body fat is more on the agenda, then a post-workout meal rich in protein would be the best option.
Exercises for Leg Workout:
The following are different leg workouts that your workout could incorporate into it each time you work out.
Squats are one of the best leg exercises to do when gaining muscle in your lower body. Without making any other changes in your diet or workouts, you could add squats multiple times a week for an extra challenge. This includes adding weight with dumbbells or barbells, which will force you to use more muscles and activate more muscle fibers during your workout. You can also do squats with only your body weight if you are a beginner.
Deadlifts are great for building size in the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles. However, if not done correctly, it could cause injury to the lower back area. So when performing this exercise, always make sure your back is flat and sit down as you reach the top of your deadlift.
Step-ups are a great alternative if you don't have access to a leg press machine or squat rack. To do step-ups correctly, make sure you press up with one leg and bring your other knee up to your chest simultaneously. When you feel a good muscle burn in the leg muscles that are working, stop and switch legs. You can also do this on a bench or aerobic step if your gym doesn't have a setup with steps.
Lunges are another great alternative to squats for building mass in your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. All you need is a bench or chair to do this exercise on. When making lunges, make sure you step far enough to extend your knee further than your toe when down. Make sure also to keep your chest up and maintain good posture while lunging.
Conclusion
These are just a few exercises that can be done while at the MPower Fitness Coaching . Some leg workouts may only include one of these but it doesn't matter because variety will always create something new, which is key for you to maximize your workout and not get bored with doing the same thing over and over again. Also, remember to have fun when working out!
There's no point in dreading going to MPower Fitness Coaching every day. It should be one of your favorite activities, so that you actually look forward to it and feel better about yourself each time.