Don’t skip the most important muscle
Ask any gym goer what their least favorite muscle group to train is, and most probably they’ll point you to their legs. If you treat your legs fairly, your leg workouts should be the most brutal and taxing of all your workouts. Although it may be hard, never skip leg days.
Look around your gyms and you’ll probably see a lot of people with CLS (chicken legs syndrome). It is because of not training their lower body adequately. If you’re into aesthetics, you certainly wouldn’t want to look like a light bulb (broad on the top and narrow on the bottom). There is nothing worse than having a disproportionate structure!
Our team at Generation Iron is going to break down why you should not be skipping out on training legs.
Don’t Skip Leg Days, Ever
Think about it, you can’t spell legendary without ‘leg’. If you have legs that are tiny, you certainly wouldn’t want to expose them in public. That is, unless you want to become the subject of ridicule and mockery.
We understand that not everyone has the best leg genetics in the world. We know that not everyone can be Tom Platz. However, this does not mean skip legs entirely! Always train your legs. There are more benefits than just the aesthetic.
Let’s take a look at some people that can be the reminder for you to train your legs.
Your Reminders to Hit Legs
First on the list, is an old Calvin Klein campaign. This campaign by Calvin Klein was a success – for all the wrong reasons, thanks to the model in the picture holding the banner. CK needs a better screening process for its models and the male model in the picture needs a better training program.
Hugh Jackman’s Legs
Next up, some of you might be shocked to see Wolverine on the list, but we aren’t. Hugh Jackman’s legs don’t match up to his ripped upper body. Go, explore his Instagram and you’ll hardly see any video of him squatting.
Jackman’s Insta feed is full of videos of him deadlifting and performing other exercises. Hugh’s legs don’t receive the same love as his other muscles. Well, maybe his legs are made of adamantium.
Did you think Hugh’s previous picture was taken from a bad angle? We just want to confirm the size of Jackman’s legs with this photo. Let this picture be the motivation for your next leg workout
The Typical “Gym Bros”
Picture the stereotypical “gym bros”. The ones that only hit upper body. They ones with the “every day is arm day” mentality.
Importance of Not Skipping Legs
Now that we have shown some photos of reasons to not skip leg days, what is the real importance behind training legs? Well, let’s dive in.
First off, legs are the foundation of the body. It may sound cliché, but think of your body as a temple. You would not build a temple with a weak foundation, would you? Solid legs are a solid foundation, and you want everything you build to have a solid foundation if you want it to last.
Second, training legs actually is shown to exhibit more growth in other areas. It has been shown time and time again that training legs releases more human growth hormone and testosterone. Who doesn’t want more of that? Those are the main hormones to build muscle.
Another thing is, hitting legs can boost metabolism. It has been shown that strenuous resistive exercise may elevate post exercise metabolic rates. This can be for a prolonged period and may enhance post exercise lipid oxidation. What does this mean in simple terms? More fat loss.
Next, hitting legs increases something called GLUT4. This improves our body’s insulin sensitivity and the rate at which we absorb and use glucose. In simpler terms, you can eat your cheat meal after legs.
Wrap-Up
Overall, legs are definitely something you do not want to be ignoring. You really need to train legs, for a variety of reasons.
For starters, it does not look right. We showed a few examples of guys with disproportionate legs, and hope that they are a reminder to not skip legs days.
However, there are so many more benefits than just looking like you have muscular legs. Training legs goes a lot deeper than just that. There are many benefits to heavy resistance training on the lower body. Is that something you want to miss out on?
When did you last train your legs?
Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Resources
Cronkleton, E. (2020, July 28). Never skip a leg day: Benefits, cautions, and more. Healthline. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from (source)
Holten MK;Zacho M;Gaster M;Juel C;Wojtaszewski JF;Dela F; (n.d.). Strength training increases insulin-mediated glucose uptake, GLUT4 content, and insulin signaling in skeletal muscle in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from (source)
