Do you want a firm bottom and toned legs that look great both during sport and in everyday life? Then you're not alone, because most female fitness enthusiasts follow this ideal. But do you know what the amazing thing is?
When it comes to leg training, over 90 percent follow a narrow-gauge course with "alibi training" or switch off completely. It is obvious that this is not the way to achieve your goal. Today we would therefore like to look at the importance of leg training for a fit and agile body and motivate you to get started right away.
"Never skip Leg Day" - That's why leg training is so important
Our legs carry us through life, achieve truly superhuman feats every day when walking, climbing stairs and so on, and are also the largest muscle group in our body. Regular leg training is important if only to maintain the performance of the muscles and optimum mobility of the hip, knee and ankle joints.
The better trained your legs are, the more efficiently and light-footedly you move. After all, our bodies are not stupid, but follow the "form follows function" principle. This means that if you don't work your muscles sufficiently and don't regularly bend, stretch and rotate your joints as much as possible, your body loses the ability to do so and becomes 'stiff' and immobile.
But that's not the only argument in favor of leg training. Here are five more reasons you should definitely consider before you think about skipping your next Leg Day:
1- You improve your body composition
If you want to get your body in shape, you need to change the ratio of muscle mass to body fat. An intensive leg day is an excellent way to change this so-called body composition in your favor. Remember, the less body fat you have on top of your muscles, the more athletic your contours will appear.
2- Leg training burns a lot of calories
This brings us to point two, the calories burned on Leg Day. As already mentioned, the legs (including the buttocks) are the largest contiguous muscle group in our body. As such, this muscle group consumes a lot of calories with every movement. The more intensively and frequently you exercise your legs, the more calories you burn. Incidentally, this applies to both endurance training and strength training.
3- The regular Leg Day brings firm legs
Optimizing your body composition changes the structure of your legs. As the muscles grow, the volume of your legs increases so that the skin tightens and wrinkles disappear. Stubborn orange peel skin can also be alleviated with leg training on Leg Day. At the same time, the typical shapes and indentations that give a leg its typical sporty shape develop.
4- You strengthen your connective tissue
Leg Day doesn't just have benefits for your muscles and fitness. The connective tissue in your bottom and legs also benefits enormously from regular leg training. The movement activates the connective tissue and therefore tightens it. The result is firmer and smoother legs.
5- Leg training reduces the risk of injury
Last but not least, leg training has an effect on the stability of ligaments, tendons and joints. Thanks to regular stimulation, these structures also become stronger. As a result, they give your body additional stability, which significantly reduces the risk of injury (e.g. if you twist your ankle during sport).
Initial successes are quickly visible
The great thing about strength training is that success is noticeable in two ways. On the one hand, you can increase your performance. On the other hand, you can also see your training progress visually. How quickly the results become measurable or visible depends on how intensively and frequently you train. As a beginner in particular, you have a huge advantage over experienced athletes. After just four to eight weeks, you will notice a clear difference in terms of both strength and appearance.
How often should I train my legs?
Having a leg day every other day to achieve faster results is not a good idea. This would overstrain your muscles in the long term and end in so-called overtraining. This is especially true in view of the fact that, although the legs have stamina, they are the largest muscle group in the body. Two strength training sessions per week are ideal. You can supplement these with a relaxed cardio unit such as running, cycling or rowing.
The regeneration time goes hand in hand with the training frequency. In order for the muscles to recover optimally, there should be at least 48 hours - or even better 72 hours - between two strength training sessions. During this period, however, you can do a light endurance session that doesn't put too much strain on your legs. Light cardio training is even an excellent means of active regeneration.
Leg training without any equipment - the 3 top exercises
We've beaten around the bush long enough - let's get actively involved in Leg Day. With a leg workout that you can do without any equipment. The following three bodyweight exercises can easily be performed with your own body weight to increase strength, stability and explosiveness.
1- Bulgaria Split Squats
If you want to integrate Bulgarian split squats into your leg day, all you need is a chair or training bench. During the exercise, you position the back leg on the chair or bench. By performing the squat on one leg at a time, the exercise not only trains the strength of your thighs. It also trains your sense of balance.
2- Jump Squats
Jump squats are a variation of the classic squat. You start by performing the exercise normally, about shoulder-width apart. As soon as you have reached the lowest point of the squat, jump off powerfully with an extension jump. Use your arms as momentum. However, do not jump to a standing position, but return to the squat position from where you will complete the next repetition. Jump squats are the perfect exercise for more strength and explosiveness.
3- Pistol Squats
Pistol squats are a particularly challenging form of the one-legged squat. In the basic position, stand hip-width apart and shift your weight onto one foot. Use your outstretched arms to keep your balance. As soon as you are in position, push your bottom back, bend one leg and extend the non-weight-bearing leg forwards. Bend down until your back thigh touches your calf and hold the position briefly before pushing back up from the heel.
Ideal for beginners - The 3 best exercises on machines
Do you work out at the gym? Good, then you can complete your Leg Day particularly easily thanks to the numerous machines. Especially if you are a beginner, the equipment is ideal for your first training sessions.
1- Leg press
The leg press is the classic piece of equipment for Leg Day. In the classic, horizontal form, you simply sit on the seat, adjust it to your height and position your feet firmly on the step plate. Now push the step plate far forward until your knees are almost fully extended. Then slowly return to the starting position.
Caution: Do not push your knees all the way through to protect your joints. Depending on where you position your feet on the step plate, you can target different muscle areas. If you position your feet towards the lower edge, you focus on the leg extensors (quadriceps). In a high position, focus on the buttocks and leg flexors.
2- Leg extension
The leg extension also works very simply. Sit on the device and lean back. Stabilize your upper body by gripping the handles. Your ankles are positioned exactly under the foot roller. Now slowly extend your knees. Hold the position just before the maximum extension of the knee joint and slowly return to the starting position.
3- Leg curl
The leg curl is the counterpart to the leg extension and works in the opposite way. Lie down on the device, stabilize your upper body using the handles and position your feet so that your heels are just below the foot roller. Now push the roller towards your bottom with both legs and slowly lower it again. Important: Perform the exercise slowly and without momentum.
Leg training with free weights - The 3 best exercises
Let's move on to the supreme discipline of leg training, training with free weights. These exercises are a little unusual at first, but they are also the most effective for leg training on Leg Day. The secret lies in the fact that your body doesn't just have to muster the strength to move the load. The muscles, including the auxiliary muscles, also have to perform stabilization work. This provides a greater stimulus for growth and at the same time trains stability, balance, mobility and coordination.
1- Squats
Squats are the supreme exercise in leg training and therefore require a lot of practice to get the technique right. Therefore, start with a low weight and work your way up bit by bit. Stand with your neck under the bar, place it on the hooded muscle and grasp it at about shoulder width. Lift the bar out of its holder, keep your upper body completely straight and bend as low as your back will go. Hold the position briefly and push yourself back up to the starting position. Important: Make sure that your knees neither bend inwards nor protrude significantly beyond the tops of your feet.
2- Deadlift
The deadlift is an exercise that involves the forearms, back and neck as well as the thighs and buttocks. Similar to the squat, the focus here must first be on a squeaky clean technique. To start, stand with your legs straight and hip-width apart in front of a barbell lying on the floor. Now squat down and grasp the bar with either an overhand grip or a cross grip. Now lift the bar using the strength in your legs and slowly straighten up until you are standing straight. Then slowly lower the bar in reverse order.
3- Good Mornings
In the basic Good Mornings position, you assume a hip-width stance. The barbell bar is located in the transition area between the hood muscle and the shoulder muscles. Now slowly bend your upper body forward while keeping your legs straight. Stop as soon as your upper body is approximately parallel to the floor and slowly straighten up again. You can increase the tension in your hamstrings by keeping your legs as straight as possible throughout the exercise. Start with little weight for the Good Mornings too, as technique is also important here.
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