Let These Guys Be The Reminder To Never Skip Leg Days
Ask a 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!
Don’t Skip Leg Days, Ever
It is true 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 this guy. We’re sure these kids will be impressed with the guy’s strength and muscle mass. We just hope that they don’t pick up the guy’s workout routine. We would love to watch this guy squat with these boys on his back.
The kid on the left is already picking up cues from the man and has some upper body strength. It is nice to see the kid do a pull-up on the guy’s bicep. We wish someone teaches him the importance of lower body training as well.
Calvin Klein Campaign
Another prime example is this 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”
These pictures are the stereotypical “gym bros”. The ones that only hit upper body. They ones with the “every day is arm day” mentality.
Another one we are adding to the list. This guy needs to replace the crate with dumbbells and walking with lunges. Or he could save himself all the hard work and replace his shorts with baggy sweatpants. This guy’s New Year’s resolution should be to train legs twice weekly.
We aren’t done yet. It is funny how these people forget to train their legs completely. We hope this guy doesn’t tip over because of his big upper body and tiny legs. Legs are the building blocks of your body. A weak base can lead to problems in the future, and you do not want a weak base, nor problems in the future.
Finally, welcome to the gym where training legs is not allowed. You have to think, this photo definitely was supposed to be taken from the waist up. At least they are trying to look like they have good legs in the picture, flexing their calves.
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)
