Leg Day
24 Febrero 2014 1100
Things I hate and like about working the lower body…
1.
You can’t hide it. So most upper body workouts after
you’re done giving it a beating, you can walk it off like it’s normal. As tough
or intense a beating you can give to your pecs, arms, your back, or your abs, really
you can pretend you just had a massage. Not so much for legs. You come out of that
gym all wobbly. If it’s not that same day or night, the next day for sure. Given
of course your legs are something you use walking, standing and moving about
more so than your other body parts it makes it quiet difficult to ‘hide’. Whether it's your quads, your bum, your hams, or your calves, these muscle groups will surely show how much you destroyed them afterwards. I mean try even just your pushing the gas pedals driving home from the gym. Calves
are something I’ve obsessed about for years. Guaranteed within 18 hours of calf
workout I’ll be walking like a little bitch. No matter how much or how often I
put in, even if I stretch before or after, the calves are just so tight and so
sensitive afterwards I walk like a goose…who’d been brutalized in the locker
room.
2.
You can’t skip it. Whether you’re trying to lose
weight or trying to gain weight, the muscles of the lower body are generally
the biggest and strongest so it makes sense that you fortify it to burn as much
calories or to add more total muscle. The butt (gluteus maximus) is the biggest
muscle in the body and the soleus (under the calf) is one the strongest muscle. Physiologically because we, as a specie that stand vertically, we depend on it to stand
straight (to hold up all that weight of the upper body) and to walk or run upright.
A lot of people, and there’s nothing wrong with it, tend to workout first and
foremost for looks. However a lot of the priorities tend to be a little off.
They’re looking and focusing on body parts that they think are going to be more
visible (several studies and statistics show that men prefer having bigger arms
or chest, and that women, when looking for attractive males, tend to focus on the abs or chest---which shows why a
lot of men tend to focus on the upper body) to others. All that vanity made them forget to hit their lower bodies. But you can’t skip it. Unless you want to look disproportional or imbalanced performance wise. Now I don’t
do leg days the way I use to. Before I use to do legs once or twice a week, but
I focused on an all leg workouts. Those days were shock days because I funnel all that work in one day. Nowadays I do 1 upper body and 1 lower body
alternates, that way I get maximum workout and rest (I don’t burn out and still
pump better every other workout) on a day to day basis. But still yet, I give
it priority to destroy these sticks every moment I’m allowed to.
3.
Stack it up. Your legs can generally stand more
weight that your upper body (reason above). So when you’re doing legs you feel like
a beast because you get to stack more weights than you usually would working on your upper body. The only caution about it is that people tend to use wrong
forms after stacking more. They either cheat or do not maintain the integrity
of the movement. Squatting is the number one example that people are doing wrong. An easy solution
is to research safe and proper forms (or ask questions---a lot of guys in gyms are pretty cool), so that you don’t look
like a dumbass or you’re setting yourself up for failure (by not working out
right and by giving yourself a world of hurt with injuries). Rule No. 1: you shouldn’t try to be a hero aka that-stupid-guy-trying-to-lift-more-than-he-can-because-he
thinks-he-can-and-will-make-him-look-cooler-and-tough. Don’t be that guy; know
your limits. I’ve done this several times as noob years and years ago, it doesn’t
make you look cool and it’s pretty embarrassing.
4.
Cross training. Now your legs/lower body are all
purpose. Rarely is there a sport that require you to use only your torso and
upper extremities. Almost all sports and all activities use the legs one form
or another. For example, even runners, who are extremely light and bereft of
extra weight, are recommended to weight train their legs from time to time. It gives them stability around the knees and calves. The
short of it: work them things for all and any reason. Whether it’s dancing or
walking around doing grocery shopping or even just standing around looking
attractive (or hell, even sex), you'll need your legs and a well formed lower body
to give you a decent performance and look.What you do on leg press machine may help you on the hill sprints and vice-verse.
5.
It’s brutal. Wonder why people talk about leg
days so much? Because it’s brutal. Now all of us should put as much effort on
all the body parts and all workouts, but lower body workout resounds with
people because it’s tough (if you’re really putting that much effort into it).
Think about it, after using it all day at work, then more for cardio, you’ll
again make it lift heavy weights at the end of the day? And then expect that
same muscle group to continue walking and performing the next day (unless you
play to lay in bed all day)? Gimme a break! Leg day is tough and it should be (granted you’re
not over-training and doing wrong the form/s). It should make your cringe and
excitedly anticipate the pain at the same time. It'll make you feel alive...and scared sh!tless till next time around.
Hope to see you wobbling out there,
Mclovin’ out.
Relevant tunes:
ZZ Top- Legs
Zebrahead- With Legs Like That
R. Bingham- Beg For Broken Legs
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