Do You Really Need to Train Your Leg Muscles?

I hear this question asked time and time again. Surely this type of question is asked in hope more than seriousness. If you’re looking to build a solid strong physique then yes you should be training your legs! Many beginners looking to build some muscle in the gym and improve their physiques often believe they do not need to train their legs because no-one can see them. Are you serious? What happens in summer when you throw some shorts on and everyone can see your skinny weak looking legs? Just because your legs are covered up a lot of the time does not make it an excuse to neglect your leg workouts. Your legs are half of your body and are used to support you in pretty much everything you do. Your leg muscles should be trained just like every other muscle group.

Here are some important points as to why you should be training your leg muscles:

More Muscle. Just like any other body part, training your legs will build muscle and make your lower body a hell of a lot stronger.  Constant leg training and good nutrition will add impressive shape and definition to your legs. Studies have actually shown that by performing regular leg training, the release of testosterone and growth hormone is increased. Testosterone and growth hormones are what helps us to build muscle and grow. Even if this small effect is not as dramatic as some people make it out to be every little helps!

The extra release of testosterone and growth hormones may help you build muscle in other areas of your body more efficiently. This is why a lot of people on fitness forums will tell you to squat to get big arms. Obviously squats do not work your arm muscles they work your complete lower body. However, due to the documented release of hormones and testosterone through heavy leg training it may to a certain extent help your other muscle groups grow as well.

Balance and Support. Training your legs can help balance out your body. No-one should want a strong looking upper body if they can’t even squat down to the floor and pick something up without feeling discomfort. Don’t forget that your legs help when carrying or moving heavy objects as well. With an impressive looking upper body and a weak skinny lower body you’re going to look a bit out of place. A top heavy physique is never good. Incorporate leg workouts into your routine on a daily basis and become strong and muscular throughout your whole body.

Easier Day to Day Tasks. Common day to day tasks and real life situations will become a lot easier if you have a strong lower body. Whether you’re kneeling down for long periods of time sorting the washing out, picking up and moving heavy objects around the house such as your sofa, TV or table, or simply carrying heavy bags of shopping in from your car, all of these situations can be made easier if you have a strong lower body. Come to think of it, the majority of physical tasks will require the use of your lower body and leg muscles whether you’re aware of it or not.

Athleticism. Leg training is great for improving your athleticism. All athletic movements involve your lower body to a certain extent so strong muscular legs will do wonders for your athleticism. If you regularly participate in a sport that requires a certain amount of athleticism, leg training will help you a lot!

To Move Some Real Weight. Regular bicep curls and tricep extensions are all great muscle building exercises but how about packing some real weight onto the bar. When working your lower body through squats and deadlifts you should be able to pack on more weight to the bar than any other exercise. Progression in squats and deadlifts are often achieved a lot quicker especially when first starting out. Nothing beats the feeling of throwing large amounts of weight onto the bar knowing you can lift and perform the exercise correctly. A lot of people shy away from leg training and even more people are deciding to neglect squats and deadlifts in their routine. Be prepared to turn a few heads in the gym once you start loading up that bar.

To Prove You’re Man Enough. It’s true that training your legs can be tiring and exhausting but that does not mean you should neglect it. If you have time to work the smaller muscles in your body you can make time to work the larger ones! Legs are one of the biggest muscle groups you have and play a big part in any physical work you do. If you’re continuously skipping leg day and shying away from it because it’s too hard, you should really think about why you are working out in the first place.

Don’t let this type of attitude get the better of you and carry through to your other workouts. Learn to love the challenge and defying the odds. Be proud of the progress you make and strive for more, love the feeling of continuously adding weight to the bar and knowing you can do something 99% of your friends and family cant. Now go squat!!

Sex Appeal. Yes you read it correctly. Training your legs can actually increase your sex appeal. Strange one I know but by performing heavy compound exercises such as deadlifts and squats you will bring out some impressive shape and definition in your lower body and this actually includes your bum! Studies show that a great looking bum is still one of the biggest turn ons for men as well as women!

If you’re in the gym for the sole purpose of building a physique to impress the ladies with (every persons different I guess), then you should not be neglecting your lower body. Squats should be a staple of your leg workouts as they work pretty much your entire lower body including your glute (bum) muscles. A similar thing can be said for deadlifts. Deadlifts work your entire lower body as well as your back muscles so include these as a staple of your back workouts.