Leg Exercises

Leg exercises are exhausting, painful and not everybody will place as much emphasis on legs as they do upper body training. But leg exercises performed properly will not only add mass and strength to your lower body but also increase your metabolic rate and overall upper body mass. Its not a great sight to see someone with a muscular body with huge arms having ostrich like legs. So leg exercises are just important as any other exercises, so do not neglect them!

Before performing any of the leg exercises below you should do some stretching exercises, 5-10 minutes on the bike or jogging is a good idea.

Barbell squats (Quadriceps)

One of the simplest of leg exercises yet the most effective! Be warned though this is tough. A good idea is to perform this exercise first when you have maximum strength.

Directions: You can use a training belt for this exercise if it helps. With the bar will resting across the shoulders under the trapezius muscles (not your neck), feet firmly flat on the ground, squat down with your back as straight as possible until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push the bar back up to the starting position. You should be standing straight up before you begin the next repetition. Don’t bounce on the decent and if you feel and pain in the knees and lower back, reduce the load or discontinue with this exercise.

Leg press (Quadriceps)

One of the leg exercises that will give you a good all round workouts for your legs. The leg press works the hamstrings, buttocks and inner thighs.

Directions: Sit on a leg press machine with your feet slightly less than shoulder width and the toes pointing out. grasp the handle grips or the side of the seat. Push the weights up, straightening the legs but do not lock the knees with sudden jolts. Slower lower the down until the knees bend at 90 degrees and repeat.