Training your legs...

Summer is here and it’s that time of year that training really starts to get serious.

For most people their goal is to look great on the beach or in their new summer clothes and so the majority of their training will be targeting the “mirror muscles” in the chest, shoulders and arms, and they leave out the biggest group of muscles in the body…the legs.

I was once one of these people and I continue to have new clients coming to me that have never trained their legs, as they just want to have a good upper body. What people don’t realise is that putting compound leg exercises such as squats and deadlifts into your weekly routine can enhance the production and release of natural growth hormones and testosterone. The release of these into your bloodstream not only targets and assists your leg muscles, but your upper body and core will also gain an additional boost.

Resistance training can also stimulate bone re-calcification, enhanced tendon and ligament durability and overall joint strengthening. Although these may not be your main summer goals, the older we become, the more and more important this will be.

Leg muscles have the potential to burn the most calories whilst you are resting too. Not only this, but your legs are the area most often used during cardiovascular exercise like running and cycling. Therefore, if you increase the size and strength of your legs, you get a double whammy effect, by not only increasing your body’s ability to burn calories but also a more efficient body to power your workout.

The final reason why everyone should train their legs is that chicken legs do not look great on anyone especially in your summer shorts!!

So whether you want to enhance your upper body, maintain the health of your lower body for later down the line, burn more calories or just feel better in your shorts, incorporating legs into your workout is essential.