Fitness is an important part of living a healthy and prosperous lifestyle. It is, however, one of the most neglected aspects of our daily activities. And when it comes to working out, there’s always the leg exercises. It’s one of the most important muscle groups to target because these muscles provide power to drive you around. The recommendation is to make it a point to train the leg muscles, especially the thighs as much as possible. For best results doing it as soon as you wake up in the morning is ideal. These exercises yield the greatest benefit in terms of health and wellbeing. Therefore, get to know some of the best leg exercises.
Indeed, as the largest body part, the thighs work harder than any other muscle group in your body when you move. In fact, they support all the major muscle groups in your back and glutes. Hence, they help you walk, run, jump, squat, and move around. There are different ways of performing leg exercises. You can opt to do squats or do lunges. You can perform heavy or light weights. Some leg exercises require no form of significant weight. It is, however, important to note that exercising with weights would yield faster results if you are performing leg exercises for the first time. Here’s some motivation for you:
Some of the best leg exercises you can choose from include:
Squats
Squats are one of the most effective leg exercises for toning your lower body. They work the glutes, the quads, the hamstrings, and the calves. If you are looking for an effective exercise that gives you a nice butt, squats are it! Simply stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold your arms in front of you for balance, and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep your back straight throughout the exercise, to avoid straining your back. The best way to do squats is in sets. Start by doing 10 sets in a row without any rest in between sets. This will allow you to burn in maximum calories for this workout. You can also add weights in each hand or wear ankle weights to make this workout even better.
Hence, squatting is the kind of exercise that is meant for giving the legs sufficient support as well as strengthening them. What’s more is, you can either hold a dumbbell or a barbell while you do this exercise to give it more intensity.
Lunges
Lunges are one of the best leg exercises you can do. You can do them with a barbell as well as with dumbbells. If using dumbbells, start with a lighter weight to get gradually into the exercise. Lunges can also work well with weights. Lunges with weights are a good exercise to strengthen your quadriceps, buttocks and calves. To do this exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand and lunge forward with one leg until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Switch legs and repeat this process for 15 to 20 reps on each leg.
Deadlift
Deadlifts are an exercise that will strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and back muscles. They also build strength in your core, which is important for posture. In other words, deadlifts are one of the most complete and functional weight-lifting exercises you can do. This is a multi-joint exercise that works your lower back, legs, hips and upper back. While deadlifts may not be the most exciting leg exercises, this exercise is all about building mass, rather than just strength. This exercise challenges all four major muscle groups, which are crucial for having a good workout. What’s more is that, deadlifting can provide a rewarding challenge for even the most experienced lifter.
Step Ups
Step ups are another great leg exercise that works your glutes and hamstrings. To do step ups, stand on a bench or step and place one foot on top of it. Slowly lower yourself down, then raise yourself back up again using only your front leg muscles. Just like how their name describes, You can also step from a height upwards on your two legs. This is a great way to be able to strengthen and tone your lower body, and it also helps you build your core.
Leg Press
Leg presses are done with a machine that helps you push out at different angles. They work your hips and hamstrings without putting pressure on your knees. The leg press machine is often overlooked in the gym, but it is one of the best leg exercises you can choose from. The best thing about the machine is that it not only works your thighs, but also your calves and glutes. So if you are looking for some ways to work on your legs, consider this machine. While it’s not quite as popular as squats or dead lifts, the leg press is just as effective.
The exercise works all of the leg muscles at once and is a very effective measure of overall leg strength. It’s an especially good choice for those who are concerned about joint pain or overuse injuries, since this exercise requires you to use machines that handle most of the muscle weight.
Leg extensions
This is the act of extending the legs one by one and it can be done by using a barbell or a single weight. It is indeed one of the best exercises for your thigh and hamstring muscles. Leg extension is a great exercise to increase the mass of your quadriceps, and is ideal for individuals who do not have an excessive amount of thigh or lower leg muscle. Leg extensions are also great for growing calf muscles.
Another way to do this exercise, is using a machine or an exercise bench with an inclined platform to rest the feet on and a weight plate. Tod do this place the plate at the top section of the machine or bench. After adjusting the seat with the knees slightly bent and thighs perpendicular to the floor, grab a weight plate in each hand and raise it straight up until the arms are completely extended. Next, bring the arms down slowly until the upper arms are parallel to the floor. While returning the weights forward, keep in touch with your upper arms at all times until they are fully extended again at the initial starting point. Continue doing this for 10 reps.
Conclusion
Leg-day is a dreaded day for many people, but the legs are so important to the rest of the body that they are worth the hard work. There is no doubt that the leg muscles are the strongest muscles in the human body. They help you in walking, running, jumping and climbing stairs. They are also the muscles which can be effectively sculpted by doing specific exercises. As a matter of fact leg exercises have a great impact on overall fitness of our body. If you want to improve your physical fitness and health, then the leg muscles are really the best place to start.
