When I walk into the gym I see a large number of people training chest and biceps but hardly anyone training legs. Moreover there is always a large queue in chest and back section while the leg machines remain empty.

Legs are neglected mostly because they are not visible to anyone. The second reason is that leg training leads to leg muscle fatigue which can result in soreness the next day as a result there is difficulty walking.But these should not be a reason to skip training legs

Look at any player who plays football or badminton or tennis he will have strong legs. Furthermore as a result of the pandemic we are spending a lot of time sitting. This sedentary lifestyle is leading to weak knees and hip joints. As a result we are seeing an increase in leg injuries. Legs are the base/foundation of our body. A strong foundation is the basic necessity for a strong body

So below I am providing some benefits:-

  1. More muscle- Legs constitute 40% of the total muscles in the human body. Working and developing these muscles will not only help in having an aesthetic physique but also make you a powerhouse when performing any sport for example football, badminton, tennis etc.
  2. Cardiovascular development-Squats and lunges are compound movements which require good blood flow to sustain. By training legs the heart needs to pump blood to provide oxygen to the muscles. The heart and lungs get strong when leg exercises are performed
  3. Less exhaustion- When the legs are well developed, all movements like climbing stairs, running, jumping etc are improved. Also by training legs one will develop stamina as mentioned in earlier point. So a person will feel less fatigued as the body is already accustomed to such movements. For instance-a tractor has big wheels which reduce the pressure being put on the ground. Similarly strong legs lead to less impact on joints and easier movement.
  4. Strong Knees and ankles- For any basic activity like walking, knees need to be strong. As most of us are following a sedentary lifestyle with 8-9 hours of sitting, our knees are becoming weak. Also there is less blood flow to the legs as they are not used. It would adversely affect us when we reach old age. Training legs will make the ligaments around the knees strong.
  5. Weight loss- Legs (Quads, Hamstrings and glutes) are huge muscles. Training them lead to major calorie burn. As you burn more calories, it would inevitably lead to weight loss. Also maintaining muscle requires high calories which can augment in weight loss
  6. Improved strength-Having strong lower body would lead to increased performance in dead lifts, squats, bench press etc. In almost any sport, legs play a vital role in performance. The power of playing shots come from the legs. So improved legs would lead to improvement in strength and performance.

How to get a effective leg workout using body weight only

warmup-

  • 500 skipping jumps
  • OR (if skipping rope not available)
  • 5 sets of jumping jack (30 secs) and high knees (30 sec)

Workout- Do 3 sets of the below routine. Take 2-3 minutes of rest in between sets

  1. Squats-20
  2. Jump squats-10
  3. Lunges-20
  4. Jump lunges-10

Increase the numbers once you get comfortable. You can also add weights to make the workout more difficult. Make sure to take a rest day to allow the muscles to recover and grow.

So its time to stop sitting in the chair and start training your legs.

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