When many people first started training, boys especially liked the pectoralis major and biceps, while girls were very fond of vest lines and peach buttocks. Bell. From the perspective of sports persistence, a person’s pursuit of goals largely determines the persistence, so it is still a good thing. But in terms of improving body composition, it would be unwise to focus too much on training certain muscle groups and neglect others, especially ignoring or forgoing lower body training. The goal of our exercise is not only to look beautiful, but more importantly to improve the function and function of the body, so the training of the lower body is still essential.
Why many friends don’t like to practice legs
Many little friends don’t like to practice legs, maybe for two reasons Reasons: One is from the aesthetic point of view, especially for girls. Aesthetically, thick legs may not be liked by many female friends, but the reason for thick legs needs to be clearly identified, whether it is caused by accumulation of fat in the legs, or temporary muscle “congestion”, or it is really High in muscle mass. One of the goals of our lower body training is to gain muscle and lose fat, but it is very difficult for women to gain muscle because of their low testosterone levels. Therefore, the matter of thick legs needs to be viewed dialectically.
Second, it is really too tiring to practice legs. If the physical reserve of a training cycle is 100%, then at least 50% of the physical reserve should be allocated on the leg training day. Many small partners will sigh that if a training cycle is completed, the leg training is completed, and the pressure on the heart will be reduced a lot. Leg training day, for many small partners, is a psychological and physical “double blow”, which shows that it is hard, so it is natural to be tired.
You should not skip leg training days
The biggest discomfort of leg training may be tiredness, but there are more benefits you need to know.
First, action efficiency
The relatively large muscle group in our body, the upper body is The back muscles are dominated by the latissimus dorsi and the lower body is the leg muscles dominated by the quadriceps. More muscle groups means more muscle fibers. Most of our lower limb training is based on compound movements, which will bring more joint participation, neuromuscular recruitment and energy consumption during training, and in the process of recovery, repairing damaged muscles requires sufficient nutrition Supplementation and caloric support, so lower body training is very helpful for losing excess fat and improving insulin sensitivity. At the same time, lower body training movements such as deadlifts and squats all transmit power through the core of the human body, so correct training movements are also very beneficial for strengthening the core muscles and lower back.
Second, musculoskeletal health
Bone density and muscle mass with age The increase in bone density will decrease year by year, especially women will be more inclined to reduce bone density and increase the risk of fracture. The training of lower extremities and legs can increase the external stress of bones and improve their bone density. In addition, if the lower body training is lacking, it will also lead to muscle imbalance. Weak hamstrings can cause low back pain and knee cruciate ligament injury. Women are more prone to knee injuries due to their large Q angle. Squats, deadlifts and lunges will help develop lower body strength, strengthen muscles around joints, improve lower body stability and prevent sports injuries.
Third, hormone levels
The burden of lower body training, one of The reason is that the body can carry the maximum weight training and increased cardiac output. In addition to causing huge energy consumption, the increase in load will also trigger a large secretion of hormone levels. The secretion of growth hormone plays an important role in individual cell renewal, muscle repair and metabolism, especially the maintenance of skin and appearance that women care about, and growth hormone is inseparable. From the perspective of muscle gain and fat loss, the importance of testosterone is unquestionable, and lower body training usually produces more testosterone than upper body training.
Fourth, athletic performance
For most people, lower body training is functional. The ingredients are bigger. But for performance seekers, lower body training canIt is said to be the basis of most sports. Jumping, running, rotating, balancing, accelerating, decelerating and changing direction in many sports are inseparable from the flexibility and stability of the lower limbs, and the enhancement of the strength of the lower limbs. All the above-mentioned foundations, if the strength is insufficient, there is no way to start.
Some misunderstandings about lower body training
In addition to not knowing much about the benefits of leg training, many small partners sometimes have some misunderstandings. Let’s take a look at them below. What misunderstandings are often brought up.
First, girls will have thick legs when they practice their lower body
Girls because of their testosterone only It is one tenth of that of men, which determines that muscle growth is extremely difficult. The increase in circumference after training is only due to the temporary “congestion” phenomenon caused by plasma and cellular fluid entering the muscle cells; and the substantial increase in women’s initial strength is not an increase in muscle mass, but more It is the enhancement of the ability of nerves to recruit muscle fibers and the improvement of the cooperation between muscles.
Second, lower body training causes more injuries
Maybe because The reason for the excessive load load is that many people think that lower body training will increase the probability of injury. In fact, any training may lead to injury. The only thing to do is to ensure the correct movement mode and gradual loading, and to cooperate with scientific protection to reduce the probability of injury. It may not have much to do with the sport selected and the loading of the load. Therefore, injuries in lower body training are mostly due to incorrect grasp of movements and neglect of safety protection.
Third, lower body training caused knee pain
There is one important item before training The content is the assessment of the body. If there are posture-related problems, it needs to be corrected before performing the corresponding strength training or lower body training. If the training is performed blindly, such as X-shaped legs or incorrect squat action patterns, it will lead to joint replacement. Compensation, joint pain is no longer inevitable. Therefore, please do a good job of evaluation before training, and then carry out training according to your actual situation.
Legs training plan and recommended exercises
Training plan suggestions
Beginners, can do lower body training once a week or a training cycle, that is, the hips and legs are combined in one training session;
Intermediate and advanced trainers, one Glutes and legs can be trained separately in the training cycle, that is, the training of the hips and the legs are arranged in two training sessions;
More experienced trainers can even use The leg training subdivides the training of the quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles again, and the three are arranged on different training days, so that the target muscle group can be more targeted.
Recommended training movements
Generally, the training movements for the legs are mainly compound movements, of which squat and deadlift are essential. The following five actions are recommended for everyone to choose from.
Back Squat
Movement essentials:Keep your head up high Keeping the back neutral, after tightening the shoulder blades, the bar is placed just below the upper trapezius muscle, and the distance between the feet is the same or slightly wider than the shoulder width. At the beginning of the movement, take a deep breath while slowly flexing the hips and knees, keeping the core tight, and keeping the direction of the knee joint movement in the same direction as the second and third toes. Squat down until the hip joint is slightly lower than the knee joint. Yes, then the action resumes.
Front Squat
Actions: The front neck squat requires high flexibility of the shoulder joint and wrist joint. For beginners, you can use the arms and chest to cross the bar to maintain the neutral part of the entire back. Requirements are consistent. However, unlike the back squat, the front squat puts more weight on the quads and the core on the front of the body, while the biceps femoris and glutes are less involved.
Straight-leg deadlift
Actions: Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart. Lying down, arms hanging down naturally, holding the barbell in hand, do not straighten the legs completely, keep a slightly bent state,At the same time, keep the back in a neutral position, and use the strength of the back side chain to pull the barbell up, keeping the core tight throughout. Keep your back in a neutral position as you lower the bar. Move the hips back, bend the knees slightly, don’t lock the joints, and try to straighten the hamstrings to maintain tension throughout.
Squats
Movement essentials: Thighs and calves form 90 degrees The thighs are at 90 degrees to the torso, the core is tight throughout, and the lower back is kept in a neutral position. After one side is done, switch to the other side to continue.
Lateral lunges
Movement essentials: and lunges The movements are similar, except that the direction is changed from forward to side, pay attention to the balance of the body when moving, and use the strength of the legs and hips to support and restore the body.
For the above leg training exercises, choose 3~4 exercises for each exercise, and do 3~4 sets of each exercise, with 8~12RM per set.
Conclusion
In addition to aesthetic needs, the more important thing we train for is body composition Change. Training is only one of the points. At the same time, diet, sleep and emotional management should also be included, and exercise should be gradually integrated into life. At the same time, the training should be as comprehensive as possible, not too thin. The more comprehensive the training, the more effective it will be to improve overall physical fitness. Finally, I hope everyone will pay attention to leg training and try to delay the phenomenon of “old people get old legs”. The harder, the more fortunate. Come on, everyone. Let’s encourage each other.