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Come on guys––work those legs

PETE GLADDEN
Pete’s World

Published: March 18, 2019

I’ve been frequenting fitness facilities for longer than I care to remember. And a lot has changed since I first walked into a gym environment back in my college days.

About the only thing that hasn’t changed inside the gym are all the guys pounding themselves into submission from the waist up…while giving only lip service to the waist down.

Back when I was that college gym rat, I sarcastically called those lopsided guys “Tweety Birds” because of their skinny legs. Today, as a fitness professional, I politely call these gentlemen “out of proportion.”

And my observation isn’t confined to just the young bucks of the world. I’m seeing this asymmetry issue amongst men of all age ranges, from Generation Z to Babyboomer. It’s a male preoccupation that never seems to fade away.

Now I wouldn’t be the first to bet this preoccupation centers around aesthetic appeal, where broad shoulders, big arms and ripped six packs are seen as highly desirable masculine attributes.

Which brings me to the question: Are you a guy who might be heading down the road to body asymmetry? If you are, I’m hoping I can convince you otherwise. Developing yourself in that fashion isn’t only unnatural, but it’s also unhealthy.

Here’s a few things to chew on if you happen to be a guy who neglects working out those legs.

1. Multi-joint exercises like squats and deadlifts actually work the whole body - not just the legs. Some of the upper body muscle groups that benefit from these leg exercises include arms, abdominals and chest.

In squatting and deadlifting, the mere act of gripping the barbell tightly and holding the proper form works virtually all arm, chest and abdominal muscles. This is because the aforementioned muscle groups are required to hold a forceful static contraction as part of the stabilization process necessary to perform the lifts. Stabilizing muscles are working muscles.

2. When leg musculature is seldom exercised, these muscles can become inflexible, tight, and shorter - which means ROM (range of motion) decreases. For example, tight hip muscles can pull your upper body forward enough to throw off posture and alignment.

Not only that, but the gluteal muscles (maximus, medius and minimus), just so happen to be some of the body’s largest and most powerful muscle groups, and these muscles are super critical to active movement patterns. If weak or underdeveloped, the gluteals can also contribute to poor posture.

Finally, the gluteus maximus, latissimus dorsi and thoracolumbar fascia make up a stabilization chain known as the posterior oblique sling. When the glute max is weak, the latissimus dorsi overcompensates, pulling the torso and shoulders out of their rightful position.

3. A stronger lower body is less apt to get injured. Period.

Yet some athletes believe their sport is their leg training. Unfortunately that belief can lead to injury. Truth be told, most athletic movements tend to overemphasize the quads, leading to quad dominance. And quad dominance can be a precursor to ACL injuries.

That's why it's important to do glute and hamstrings exercises like the deadlift to make sure the posterior leg muscle’s strength is on par with the strength of the anterior leg muscles. Remember: Imbalances can create weak links and weak links can lead to injury.

4. The fact is bigger muscles consume more energy than smaller muscles. Thus, those great big quad, glute and hip muscles consume more energy than the smaller chest and shoulder muscles. So rather than torching yourself with umpteen chest and shoulder presses, and crushing yourself with tons of biceps and triceps work, add some of the myriad’s worth of squatting and deadlifting exercises to your repertoire - that energy expenditure’s well worth the effort.

5.) Working out the legs initiates greater hormonal activity. Hormones can be described as chemical couriers that circulate throughout the body synchronizing a myriad of complex activities. Now since some of the largest muscles of the body are leg muscles, leg workouts initiate the secretion of testosterone and other growth hormones more so than workouts involving upper body muscles.

And with increased hormonal activity comes better overall results.

Well, that’s some of my evidence to support the inclusion of leg workouts in your fitness regime. To do otherwise is an assault on symmetry.


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