WHY SHOULD I TRAIN MY LEGS?

It doesn’t come as a surprise that leg day is one of the most feared and disliked days of any training split. In fact, I know guys who completely neglect their leg development altogether! We’ve all had some sort of thought run through our minds during the last few reps thinking to ourselves, “Should I keep going or should I just stop here?” The lactic acid build up seems to be too much to handle, and this is where most will throw in the white towel. I’m here to shed some light on this popular neglected training day, and hopefully by the end of this article, you’ll be more determined than ever to suck up the pain and push yourself through new barriers!

The larger muscles of the leg (ex: Quads/Glutes/Hamstrings) are relied upon in producing force and generating strength in many sports and exercises. The gym isn’t the only place where they’re forced to grow. Having a variety of leg training routines will keep the legs guessing, and keep you muscular hypertrophy at its highest. It’s important to remember that your legs are constantly supporting the load above them; adding additional weight is CRUCIAL for muscle growth and complete muscular fiber stimulation. So training your wheels each week should be at the top of your training priority list, or near the top. I’ll give you a few reasons why in a minute…

When a structured plan is put into place, each workout will be a constant progression from that of the one before it. Keeping a workout journal is the best way to ensure this happens. Record all of your sets, reps, weight, tempo and exercises. That way, when next week rolls around, you can flip back and prepare yourself for another day of progress; whether it’s one more rep, or a small addition of 10 pounds. Progress is progress. Just make sure you push yourself!

Here are a few reasons why leg training is important…

 1.   Squats/Deadlifts = more muscle!

You can find studies all over the place that show the squat and deadlift increase testosterone and growth hormone more than ANY other exercise! These are natural muscle building hormones. These exercises work your whole body, not just the legs alone. Your arms, abs, chest and back are all involved to some degree. That means more hormone flow to the upper body, all good things! So don’t leave these guys out…

2.   Mindset Strength

There’s no better feeling in the gym than to complete a HEAVY set of deads or squats. Throwing that weight around can be a huge mental workout saver and will leave you feeling stronger and more powerful than before. Your mindset will dictate your outcome. Your muscles need all of the brain power they can get!

3.   Body Symmetry

Ever seen that commercial with the buff guy sitting in a chair and the guy interviewing him asks, “Did you know that you’re supposed to train your legs too?” the camera zooms out and this huge bodybuilder has legs the size of a little kid. No one wants to be that guy, come on now. It may not be important what other people think, but if you’re taking your training seriously, it’ll be a lot easier to pack on the mass by developing your legs as well!

I’ll be going over each of the leg muscles individually in future articles, so I’ll touch on the exercises that will work best for mass development. Till then, train hard and prepare your mind for success. See ya…

 

-Mitch Muller

C.P.T. – MindsetFitness.net

 

Summary with credit to: Permanent Muscle by Reuben Bajada. The Poliquin Principles by Charles Poliquin. ACEFitness.org. Mitch’s Empower Network Blog.