Building the lower body is just as essential as training your upper body. In fact, it’s is extremely important to build the lower body as it helps to improve your muscle’s ability to endure, your overall strength, and increases your athletic performance.
Some training like squats and deadlifts are essential for any fitness pursuit, regardless of your aims.
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Most people avoid building their lower body because it can be both physically and mentally draining. However, having a strong lower body helps to set the basis for other training or fitness goals you might have, preparing your body for the task ahead.
Building your lower body has many advantages, for example:
• Core strength
• Lower body strength
• Stimulates release of growth hormones (more muscles!)
• Improves the ability to endure more cardio
The best leg workouts focus on a variety of training adaptation to increase speed, strength and unilateral body movement to improve body functions. The three exercises below will help you achieve these.
Lateral Bench Jump-Over
When designing your training schedule, it is important to start your training with velocity exercises. This exercise serves as the perfect method to break up the abundance of sagittal plane exercises in lower body training.
Procedure: Start by standing near a workout bench. Lean forward and carefully position your hands so that they are lying flat on the bench.
Attempt a jump over the bench while bringing the knees up toward the chest while simultaneously moving your heels up toward the butt, mark the landing, and repeat.
As you get better, you should decrease the amount of time spent on the ground. While at it, it’s beneficial to perform hip or ankle mobility drill at intervals.
Reps 10 / 4 Sets
Hex Bar Squat Jumps
When performing squat jumps, you can use the Hex Bar to load as they don’t crush the spine upon landing. Have Your hex bar squat jumps should be low to keep the quality and velocity high.
Procedure: Load with 50 to 60% of bodyweight lower your body down into the squat position.
NOTE: Make sure when down in the squat position, your back is straight, and your knees are not towering over your feet.
From the squat position, explode upward, jumping high enough for your feet to leave the ground, before landing back on your feet and in the squat position.
Reps 10 / 4 Sets
Sliding Leg Curl
This exercise is extremely effective because it allows the gluteus and hamstrings to contract simultaneously, giving the knees more flexibility which aids in better movement when walking or running.
Procedure: To do this, you start by placing your feet on a smooth sliding surface like a towel or plastic sliders on a carpet. Lay on your back with feet flat on the ground, place the sliders or towel under your feet, while keeping your knees in the air.
Thrust your hips upward into the air. Your body posture should be parallel from the knees to shoulder, allowing the knees to straighten.
Push downward while lowering your bottom half into the heels . Make sure to keep a parallel posture from the knees to shoulder throughout this process.
Reps 8 / 4 Sets
Building the strength in your legs is very important as it helps your body handle the pressure put on them by the upper body throughout the day.
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