Introduction 

Hi everyone, welcome back! I hope that you all enjoyed and potentially even benefited off my last post emphasizing the importance of exercise in your everyday life! Today, I will be discussing the significance of training your legs! Legs are crucial to strengthen as you utilize them in your everyday life. Not only will they provide a wider body stature, your efficiency in tasks will skyrocket as well! 

Leg Movements

Before we dive in, I want to stress the idea of quality over quantity. Many newcomers may be intimidated from the weight being thrown around from veteran lifters. It’s not the volume that created them, but much rather them who created their volume. The first of many exercises that you can carry out is the barbell back squat. This is a rather challenging one,but targets all parts of the leg. They also are proven to “spike muscle building hormone release,” resulting in a healthier lifestyle. To take out this movement, load a weight of your choice onto the barbell, and set the bar into the back of your shoulders (traps). Adjust the position of the barbell to comfort before starting. Next, squat down to the point where your hamstrings/quads are parallel with the floor, then stand back up. Repeat this for ten repetitions and three to four sets. For the next two exercises, they will require a machine. These typically can only be found in private gyms, but are very beneficial. The first is called leg extensions. Just like it sounds, your legs will start under your body, and you will extend your legs up, as straight as you can. To ensure optimal results, go until you cannot do any more. Repeat this movement for three sets. Then, transition to the hamstring curl machine. This can either be seated or lying down, whichever is more comfortable. Mirror the same repetitions and sets as leg extensions. If feeling confident, you can do a “superset”. This consists of doing one set of leg extensions, then quickly transitioning to hamstring curls for a set. If doing all of this correctly, your legs should feel like jello! If you don’t feel fully accomplished yet, you will after this last exercise. The Romanian deadlift (RDL) does not require an excessive amount of weight, but will humble you. This movement resembles a deadlift, but with straight legs all throughout. You can carry out this exercise with dumbbells or a barbell, but I prefer the barbell as heavier weight is easier to control. Keeping the barbell close to your legs and with a flat back, lower the weight towards your feet, igniting a deep stretch to your hamstrings. Then, controllably lift the weight back up. Repeat this motion for ten repetitions and three sets. 

Takeaways and Closure

To conclude, legs are an essential muscle group to strengthen as they play a vital role in the efficiency in your day-to-day activities. Be sure to share your thoughts, ideas, or concerns in the comments below. See you next week!