YOUR legs are the bits that either make or break your physique.
Often times some people are guilty of neglecting their leg workouts. This results in having a developed upper body and a neglected lower body. Experts call this as being top heavy.
Charmans All Races Club instructor Amena Jeremy says a strong lower body is crucial to performance.
“Whether you’re looking to improve your sports performance, gym work, or just daily fitness, leg exercises are very important.
“Leg exercises are not just for quads and hamstrings these exercises will work your core muscles, improve your balance, and grant you the added benefits of things like grip strength.
“Almost all sports require you to have strong legs, whether you play football, rugby, tennis, table-tennis, boxing, martial arts. Even power-lifters need strong legs.
“I have some people focus so much on their upper body. Chests, arms, shoulders, backs but very little on their legs.
“Working out your legs is a complete exercise. It challenges your cardio ability as well as tests your strength. So it is one of those workouts that will really test you.”
Here are some basic leg workouts that Jeremy believes should be included in your training program.
Squats
The Squat is a full body compound exercise.
* You squat by bending your hips and knees while the bar rests on your upper-back. Squat down until your hips are below your knees.
* Keep your knees out and lower back neutral. Then squat back up.
* Lock your hips and knees at the top.
* Squats work your whole body. Your legs bend and straighten to move the weight. Your abs and lower back muscles stabilise your trunk while your legs move.
* Your upper-back, shoulders and arms balance the bar on your back. Many muscles work at the same time, not just your legs.
The squat is the king of all exercises. It works more muscles, with heavier weight, than more popular exercises like the bench press. It’s therefore more effective to gain overall strength and muscle quickly.
Proper squat form is key to avoid knee and back pain. Don’t do partial squats by going only half the way down. Break parallel by squatting down until your hips are below your knees. Push your knees out so they’re in line with your feet. Keep your lower back neutral, don’t let it round.
Deadlifts
* The deadlift starts with the barbell on the floor.
* The “dead” in deadlift stands for dead weight.
* Put the bar on the floor. Then follow these five simple steps to deadlift with proper form…
* Walk to the bar. Stand with your mid-foot under the bar. Don’t touch it with your shins yet. Hip-width stance, toes out 15°.
* Grab the bar. Narrow, about shoulder-width apart. Arms vertical from the front-view, hanging just outside your legs.
* Bend your knees. Keep going until your shins touch the bar. Don’t move the bar. Keep it over your mid-foot. Lift your chest. Straighten your back. Don’t move the bar. Don’t drop your hips. Don’t squeeze your shoulderblades.
* Pull. Take a big breath, hold it and stand up. Keep the bar against your legs. Don’t shrug or lean back at the top.
* You’ve finished your Deadlift when you’ve locked your hip and knees.
* Return the weight to the floor by pushing your hips back first.
* Bend your legs once the bar reaches your knees.
* Don’t bend your knees first or you’ll hit them with the bar.
* Rest a second then do your next rep.
* Don’t bounce the weight off the floor, pull each rep from a dead stop.
* We do not recommend that you attempt any of these exercises without suitable experience and supervision. We offer no medical advice. Information on these pages should not be taken as medical advice. You should always consult your physician or other healthcare provider before starting an exercise program.
