Legs – the foundation to a great toned body - By Mauricio Bara
posted in Exercise Science, Uncategorized |In terms of muscle hierarchy your legs generally don’t rate that high when compared to the more “showy” muscle groups such as the chest, back and arms.However, were you aware that by increasing your leg strength and mass you are laying down the foundation to sculpting that perfectly toned athletic body!!Your legs including your gluteals are your largest muscle group in the body, meaning that by increasing the size of your legs you are increasing your lean muscle mass and in turn increasing your metabolism and therefore energy. Furthermore when you train large muscle groups (like legs) with heavy weights your body responds by releasing testosterone and growth hormone. Both hormones aid in stimulating muscle growth all over the body.
Additionally, the condition of your leg muscles determines how much strength, agility and power you have in your movement. With these three reasons in mind you can note that by increasing your leg strength you can have a positive benefit in burning more fat and laying down more muscle right in time for summer.
Here are some of my favourite exercises to really get those legs pumping!!
1. Jump Squats:
- Start standing upright with the dumbbells (pick a weight that you can do multiple jumps) at your side
- Begin the movement by bending at your hips (keeping your back straight) and then bend at your knees
- Maintain your weight through your heels and keep your knees behind your toes
- lower yourself and at the bottom of the movement explode upwards by pushing your feet into the ground and jump so that your feet leave the ground.
- Land softly and repeat, do three sets of 6 reps.
2. Lunges:
- Start the exercise standing upright, with the dumbbells at your side,
- Step forward with one foot and then bend your knees. Lower your body until your front leg is at 90 degrees.
- Push through your feet and stand back up to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
For a more intense work out, you can combine the lunge with a bicep curl or a shoulder press.
3. Squats:
- Starting position is similar to the jump squat start, except the weight is on a bar held across the shoulders either in front or behind.
- Begin the movement by bending the hips and the knees, lower yourself to the end and then push through your feet to straighten up.
A very important note, when using heavy weights the risk of injuring the back is increased, therefore the importance of maintaining good technique and a strong core is paramount. If you have any questions about technique or weights your Exercise Physiologist at the lab is always there to help so don’t hesitate to ask.