A common mistake made by people who are just starting to work out is skipping leg day. This may be because the thought of squats or running intimidates them or because they are too focused on showing off their “guns” and six-pack abs.
What people don’t realize is that there is a wide range of leg day benefits, and it can improve your overall fitness performance.
Here are just a few of the many benefits and why you should never skip leg day.
1. Strengthens Core
Many people have the misconception that leg day only works out your legs. In reality, many lower-body exercises demand core strength.
Take squats as an example. While the main focus of squats is your legs, you need to engage your core to stand up. Additionally, supporting the weight of your barbell works your core.
2. Reduces Lower Back Pain
Do you sit a lot for work and at home? This constant sitting position can lead to weak muscles. Then when you stand or are active, it strains your muscles, leading to back pain.
Weak stabilizer muscles such as rear deltoids can cause back pain. While a strong core and back can help, you also need strong legs to help with balance.
A study conducted in Singapore shows that runners who practiced resistance training using leg muscles were able to reduce lower back pain and improve spinal health.
3. Stimulates Hormones
Leg day usually works your legs, gluteus Maximus, quadriceps, and hamstrings, which are some of the largest muscles in your body. When you work out your larger muscles, you release more testosterone and growth hormones.
This is beneficial because hormones help muscle recovery and building, as well as increase your metabolism. Additionally, it can help release endorphins, which can improve mood, relieve pain, and reduce stress!
4. Balances Strength
Have you ever seen someone with big arms and chicken legs? That’s probably because they skip leg day.
While having big muscles is great, you want to keep both your upper and lower body proportionate. By adding leg day you, can focus on your type II muscle fibers and tone your legs, allowing for a balanced body.
5. Burns More Calories
The larger the muscle, the more blood your muscle needs to get oxygen and fuel. As we mentioned previously, your leg muscles are some of the largest in your body.
Muscles that are further from your heart require your heart to work harder to get blood to them. Not only that, but as we mentioned earlier, leg workouts involve several muscle groups. These three factors make our body burn more calories.
6. Less Susceptible To Injury
When you have muscle imbalance, it can lead to injury. Focusing on underworked muscle groups can help to prevent imbalance and the chances of injury.
Doing any type of physical activity on muscles that are not strong enough can be a risk, so making sure you’re consistently training all of your muscles is important. Additionally, improving your mobility with the leg day can reduce injury.
7. Better Overall Results
Leg workouts can be a full-body workout, working your legs, hips, glutes, core, and even your arms if you’re holding weights. Leg workouts also teach you to improve stamina, power output, explosiveness, and mobility.
Strong legs can help you in your day-to-day life and can help you to improve movement and performance.
Start Your Leg Training At Lake Nona Performance Club
As you can see, there are many reasons to not skip leg day, from improving your mood to strengthening your entire body.
If you’re ready to get started, Lake Nona Performance Club has a wide range of amenities and programs to choose from. With us, not only will you have a more efficient leg day, but you’ll have more fun doing it!
We offer certified personal training, state-of-the-art gym memberships, an indoor track, group classes, and more. That way, everyone can find something they enjoy.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and discover how we can help you achieve your fitness goals.
