Weight Training - Leg workout

Weight Training - Leg workout
Having good legs ensures a strong base on which to further develop your upper body. Do not acquire a physique typically seen in cartoons; having a broad upper body on thin legs. Legs are my favorite routines in weight training.

I swear by these exercises, to give you fantastic thigh and calf muscles. The most important thing to remember is that it is also the most difficult of all exercise routines and is typically ignored.

Ensuring a good leg exercise routine invigorates the other compound muscles in your body.

The legs comprise the following
- Vastus medialis
- Adductor longus
- Sartorius
- Rectus femoris
- Bicep femoris
- Gastrocnemius
- Soleus

The commonly used exercises are
1) Squats
Place the bar behind the neck across the muscles on top of the shoulder blades.

Stand with a neutral spine. Bring feet shoulder-width apart. Start to descent with the hips back, the upper body is allowed to move forward as this is needed to keep balance.

Keep the weight centred over the mid foot and heels. Bend the knees till approximately 90 degree fl exion of the knees.

Return to the standing position, don’t lock the knees at the top of the movement. Make sure the knees stay centred above the ankles during the exercise.

Note: when the placement of the bar is painful you might try a wrapped towel around the bar or use isolation foam padding.

2) Lunge
Place the bar behind the neck across the shoulder blades.

The bar rests on the muscles of the upper part of the back. Put one leg straight out in front of the body with the foot flat on the floor.

Bend both knees simultaneously, the heel of the foot behind comes of the floor.

Bend till the front knee is at a 90 degree angle. Make sure the front knee does not move in front of the foot.

Keep the knee centered above the ankle. Stay in this lunge position and move up and down then switch legs.

3) Romanian (stiff legged) deadlift
Stand in front of the barbell with the feet at shoulder width, put the shins close to the barbell.

Bend in the knees and hips till the upper legs are close to horizontal.

Take the bar in both hands with the thumbs inwards and just outside of the legs. The back must be straight throughout the movement.

Pull the shoulder blades backwards and look up.

Now lift the weight of the floor by simultaneously extending the knees and hips.

From standing position bring the weight down by only bending forwards in the hips, keep the knees fixed in a slight bend.

Bring the weight down till just below the knees. Move back to the standing position.

At the end of the set bring the weight down by simultaneously bending the knees and the hips.

Again emphasis must be given to the lower back, this must be kept in a slight inward curve throughout the exercise. Be very careful choosing the right weight before doing this exercise.

4) CALVES
4a) Standing calve raiseStand on one leg with the ball of the foot on a light elevation.

Take a dumbell in one hand. Raise your heel of the floor and get on your toes as high as possible.

This exercise puts emphasis on the M. gastrocnemius (superficial calve muscle)

4b) Sitting calve raise
Sit across a bench. Put a barbell across your upper legs.

Put the balls of your feet on a light elevation. Raise your heels and get on your toes as high as possible.

This exercise puts emphasis on the M. Soleus (Deep calve muscle)