Archive for the Legs Category
There are so many underdeveloped lower bodies in the gyms of the world. Is it because good leg equipment is so hard to find? On the contrary, most facilities have rows of sturdy racks and machines with which to forge fantastic wheels. Part of the reason legs receive such short shrift is that they are simply not as glamorous as traditional showy body parts like the arms and chest. That’s too bad, because well-developed hips and thighs not only look powerful - they are flesh embodiments of actual brute force.
Q: I hope you can put an end to a debate about squatting that I’ve been having with two buddies. One buddy says you should never go past parallel, while another says you have to go to the floor. Which one of my buddies is right?
First of all let's talk about frequency of training. The deadlift can be very effectively trained by training it just once a week.
Picture the scene. You’re gliding up your favourite long hill, breathing well, legs feeling strong. You reach the top, and happily you start running downhill. Everything is perfect. It’s a beautiful morning, that hill has never felt easier, and you are even sweating less than usual. Suddenly, it all changes. You feel a sharp pulling pain in the back of your thigh, and you are reduced to a hobble - all the way home.
There’s no doubt that good old squats are still the best all-round muscle developer out there - they not only work to increase muscle in the lower body, they also stimulate the release of anabolic hormones, including testosterone and growth hormone. This translates to faster muscle growth and inches of new muscle on your chest, shoulders and arms.
One of the most frequent questions we receive from beginner and advanced trainers alike is what’s the best way to directly target the back of the legs. Thick and powerful hamstrings go a long way towards giving your legs that much sought-after “tree-trunk” appearance. Well-developed hamstrings will also make you stand out in the gym. After all, how many people wear shorts at the gym you train at? Probably not many. That’s because they want to cover their puny legs!
Leg extensions — properly done — can be one of the most effective (and painful) exercises for your quadriceps, which are the muscles on the front of your thigh. The last few reps cause most people to grimace with pain and feel like their legs have been set on fire.
Squats are one of the most effective exercises for packing size not only on your legs, but on your entire body. However, if you get the technique wrong you'll end up with a lot of pain in the knees (and back) – which might stop you training your legs altogether. There are several technique flaws, but the one that's most common is called “knee squatting″. By that I mean the first downward motion is a forward bending of the knees. This is not correct. The first downward motion in performing a squat should be a backward movement of the hips. In other words, you should squat with the same form that you use when sitting on the toilet, but don’t lean forward…to avoid this look straight ahead at the mirror and keep your back arched. The best way to perfect a good squat technique is to use a lighter weight and get someone experienced in the gym to watch you, they’ll very quickly spot bad technique and hopefully put you right.
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