hate the day dedicatedleg workout It’s a fitness cliché, but like most clichés, there’s a real basis to it. Working the leg muscles is very tiring, I DOM extension (abbreviation for Delayed muscle sorenesswhich means “delayed muscle soreness” in Italian) are real, and you can’t brag about the results by wearing a nice tight shirt like you do with well-toned upper body muscles.
In addition, work with the lower extremities plays a key role. “The leg muscles are very useful for activities such as walking, running, jumping, supporting joints, maintaining posture, and providing strength and power in various lower body activities,” he explains. Chris AntonioFounder Individual fitness.
How well do superhero feet know Dwayne Johnson AND Arnie S, our mighty tree trunks form a solid foundation for growth. Let’s get to the point and move on to the merits of the subject.
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What muscle groups of the legs and their functions
The muscles of the legs usually work together in complex patterns of movement rather than acting in isolation. However, knowing these muscles and their usefulness can help you monitor imbalances and prevent injury. Just always keep this simple legend, synthesized by Chris Anthony himself, at hand.
Quadriceps femoris “Located in front of the thigh, the quadriceps is a group of four muscles: the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedia. Their primary function is knee extension and hip flexion, making them essential for walking, running, kicking and climbing.
Hamstring “The hamstrings are a group of three muscles: the biceps femoris, the semitendinosus, and the semimembranosus. Located at the back of the thigh, they work to flex the knee and extend the hip.
Gluteal muscles – “The gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus are the largest muscles in the body. They are responsible for extension, abduction and rotation of the hip. In practice, the buttocks maintain an upright position and help the hips and hips push the body forward.”
Adductor – “The adductor muscles located on the inner side of the thigh mainly include the adductor magnus, the long adductor, the short adductor, and the gracilis femoris. They work to bring the leg closer to the midline of the body.
calves – “The calf and soleus muscles, collectively known as the calves, are located at the back of the leg. The calves work together to move the foot and lower leg and push forward when walking and running.
tibialis anterior – “Located in the anterior part of the tibia, the tibialis anterior muscle promotes dorsiflexion of the foot, which lifts the toes up.”
Why is it important to have strong legs?
Our feet are essential to our well-being because they support us and allow us to move. Strong legs not only increase our endurance, but also protect us from injury and help us perform better in sports. This principle applies especially to older people, who can live longer if they keep their legs in shape. That’s what he says Harvard Health which offers some effective exercises to strengthen your legs, such as walking, climbing stairs, playing tennis, dancing, flexing your abdominal muscles, lifting weights, or using an exercise ball.
There are also aesthetic benefits. “The lower body is where most of the biggest muscles that burn the most calories are located. The optimal figure for those who want to lose weight, ”he emphasizes. David Vinerprofessional coaching trainer friletix. “The more developed the lower body, the faster the resting metabolism will be.”
In addition, according to Anthony, having strong legs can help relieve the pain that many of us suffer from sitting at a desk all day. “Strong leg musculature can help reduce stress on the joints by sharing the load and providing support,” he says. “Adopt a comprehensive exercise routine that includes exercises such as squats, lunges, deadlifts, hamstring flexions, and calf raises.”
The most common mistakes that are made when training leg muscles
Like any part of the body, leg training requires a focused approach. Chris Anthony noticed that many of his clients make the same mistakes over and over again. Here’s what to avoid:
1. Do not train your legs continuously and enough.
“Adding a second leg day to your weekly workout schedule can make a big difference to your progress. It’s all about simple math. One leg day/week equals four workouts per month. Two leg days a week adds up to eight workouts a month.”
2. Don’t lift heavy things
“If you always work with light weights and low intensity, you will never activate type II muscle fibers, which are necessary for strong and resistant muscles.”
3. Too little hamstring and glute work.
“Most classic lower body exercises target the quads at the expense of the glutes and hamstrings. Buttocks are the largest muscles in your body; so if your goal is to build big and strong legs…why ignore them?”.
4. Too fast
“Time is one of the most overlooked variables when it comes to gaining muscle mass. Instead of reaching the bottom of the squat like it’s a floor race, focus on loading and squeezing the muscles you want to stimulate.”
5. Not Deep Enough Squats
“If you do partial squats with weights that are too heavy for you, you are not gaining any advantage, on the contrary, you are deceiving yourself that you are stronger. Instead, if you do full squats, that is, dropping to hip-parallel or lower, you stimulate your muscles more and keep them tense longer. This will help you build strength, mass and endurance in your legs.”
6. Lack of mobility
“Mobility is essential for effective and safe leg training. If your joints are well lubricated and flexible, you can perform big lifts with proper technique and a wide range of motion. This allows you to better stimulate the muscles and recover faster. In addition, mobility helps maintain proper posture and prevents injury and pain. To do this, do not neglect the work on mobility before and after training.
Can I have hips like Rock?
When it comes to powerful, voluminous legs, you need to sweat a little. Dwayne Johnson, and for good reason. “This man never skips leg day,” notes Anthony. “I’m guessing he spent years doing special training to dominate his quads, including squats, Bulgarian squats, lunges, hack squats, leg presses.”
Sounds like real torture to you, doesn’t it? This is what Rock does to get superhero legs. Anthony explains his program: “Four giant sets of four different exercises, all for the legs. Leg presses, vertical leg presses, chain lunges and sumo squats. All non-stop, nightmare. Then, to top it off, slowly sumo squat and count to three as it descends. This increases the time under tension and forces the muscles to work harder in the eccentric contraction phase.”
Of course, it’s good to have a great gym at home or in your backyard. Fortunately, all the equipment you need, with the exception of chains (perhaps), can be found in any gym in the neighborhood. So, get to work.
In the best years, Arnie’s calves were invincible. What should I do to achieve this result?
There’s a reason why Schwarzenegger is the subject of one of the most famous bodybuilding films of all time, pumps iron. This is a man who worked hard and won several titles Mr. Olympia.
“Apparently, Arnie worked his calves six days a week,” Anthony says. “Some of the exercises he used were seated calf raises, donkey rasi (donkey calf raises) and standing calf raises. He also did calf raises on a leg press machine, doing 4 x 10 reps each, or occasionally doing a sequence of drop sets for each exercise.
Then don’t try to climb the stairs.
Training
If you want legs like your heroes or just want to balance your workout, try once (or even twice) a week three sets of Wiener’s “No Butt, No Glory” workout.
Give yourself two minutes of rest between exercises and make sure you have a yoga mat on hand to practice DOM.
In addition, if you want to achieve mind-boggling sizes like Johnson and Schwarzenegger, add the weight of dumbbells or a barbell of your choice to standard lunges and squats.
Squat jump
“It’s a full body workout, but it’s especially effective for the lower body. It can help build muscle and increase strength, as well as improve cardiovascular health, tone, burn calories, and promote circulation.
“Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Point your toes slightly outward. Keep your back straight and lower yourself until your hips are below your knees. Jump up, lifting both feet off the ground, then return to the starting position and repeat.”
lunge
“Lunges are a great exercise for building muscle mass in the lower body while developing strength and tone. Not only that, they also help improve posture, balance, and range of motion.
“Start standing with your hands on your hips. Step forward with one foot, bending your back knee until it touches the ground below your thigh. Alternate leg lunges for the desired number of reps.
Squats
“While it doesn’t burn as many calories as jump squats, it’s still a great way to work your quads. In addition, squats are mistakenly thought to put undue pressure on the knees, but in fact, they strengthen them and make them less prone to injury with age.
“Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Point your toes slightly outward. Keeping your back straight and weight on your heels, lower yourself until your hips are under your knees, then return to the starting position.”
Split lunge
“Like regular lunges, split lunges are a great way to work your quads, glutes, thighs, and hamstrings. Being a one-sided exercise (i.e., exercising only one side of the body at a time), it has been shown to improve balance and improve posture as well.
“Start from a standing position. Step forward with one foot. Bend your back knee until it touches the ground below your thigh. Jump up to switch sides, making sure both feet are off the ground at the same time.”
Table turns
“Rotations table twist they are easy to perform and stretch all the major muscle groups of the body, helping to improve flexibility and range of motion.”
“Start with your hands under your shoulders, your heels under your knees, and your hips on the floor. Raise yourself until your hips are in line with your shoulders and knees. Raise one arm up and behind you. Return to starting position, then repeat on the other side.
The article was originally published in UK GQ.