Leg days are hard, but you gotta do what you got to do!
No one wants chicken legs. Unless we are talking about eating them, which we are not. Most men are guilty of being obsessed with their upper bodies: Biceps the size of a small country, washboard abs and broad shoulders. Waist down, they don’t care they have grasshopper-like limbs (no offence to the grasshopper)! They end up with a very disproportionate body, which isn’t very attractive, to be honest! We at Man’s Life take leg days very seriously! So today, we’re turning your attention to one vital variation in this repertoire—the mighty squat. Read up…
If you want to build strong, muscular legs, you need to train your lower body more than just once a week. No, this doesn’t mean you have to do hamstring curls or leg presses daily. You should turn to the ever-reliable squat! Especially now that chunky quads are in! Case in point: Hollywood actors The Rock and Milo Ventimiglia, a photo (below) of the latter’s pumped quads and hot shorts broke the Internet!
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Bhaskar Shetty, a Mumbai-based Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist, says, “Squats are a functional exercise that serve as the foundation for all lower body workouts. They not only help you build muscle, tone your legs and butt, but also improve your flexibility.” It’s a dynamic strength training exercise that requires several muscles in your upper and lower body to work together simultaneously. Many of these muscles—mainly, quads, thighs, glutes, calves, core and hamstrings—help you power through daily tasks such as—walking, climbing stairs, bending or carrying/moving heavy things. According to Shetty, “Squats are one of the best exercises, which engage your entire body.”
▶ YOU CAN DO THEM ANYWHERE WITHOUT EQUIPMENT: No gym required. You can do bodyweight variations at home, and still reap rewards.
▶ THEY BURN CALORIES: Though cardio or other aerobic exercises are often the most popular form of crushing calories and losing fat, high-intensity, compound movements like the squat—can also boost your metabolism!
▶ THEY IMPROVE CORE STRENGTH: “It helps improve core strength as you try to maintain the right posture while performing the movement,” explains Shetty.
▶ THEY IMPROVE BONE DENSITY: “Weighted squats help enhance bone density and your body’s overall strength.”
▶ THEY BOOST YOUR ATHLETIC ABILITIES: “Adding jump squats to your workout may help you develop explosive strength and speed, which may help enhance your athletic performance—if you’re someone who competes in sport.”
From bodyweight squats, sumo and jump squats to weighted and barbell squats—there are many variations offering different benefits. Boring leg days will be a thing of the past! More on these on a later date in another story!
Form and posture are of utmost importance when you do squats. So, you need to nail that before starting to include them in your exercise routine. So, even if you’ve watched all the ‘how-to-do-squats’ videos on YouTube, we strongly recommend you do these under supervision the first few times! If you have any kind of knee or lower-back injury, seek professional/medical help before jumping in!
Adding squats to your routine can help boost your exercise performance, decrease your risk of injury, and keep you moving more easily throughout the day. Besides, they’re easier than lunges for beginners, provided you get the technique right! Get, set, squat!
[All Image Credits: Shutterstock]
Eva Pavithran
Vertical Head - Lifestyle