If you want a good and strong structure, you need to make sure that you have a solid foundation. For anyone who understands body building, the legs are the foundation and it is necessary that you dedicate a certain amount of your gym time to the cause.
The calves are relatively less muscle dense and the major focus is usually on the thighs. The thigh consists of 2 major parts: the quadriceps and the hamstring, and it is necessary that you hit both the muscle groups with equal frequency to get that balanced look.
1. Leg extensions
This exercise focuses on the quadriceps and you will feel the blood rush almost instantly after a few repetitions. The weights are locked in around your ankles and as you lift your legs, the quadriceps contract and the blood fills up the muscle.
2. Leg curls
Leg curls are executed with you lying face down and your legs locked to a weighted bar. As you squeeze your hamstrings, the weight is raised. Squeeze your hamstrings at the peak of the movement and try and hold it for two seconds before lowering the weights.
3. Squats
The king of all leg exercises, the squat is a great compound exercise. You will have to keep your back straight at all times and make sure that you are lifting with your legs and not your back or you may risk an injury. You will work your quadriceps and your hamstrings during this movement.
4. Romanian deadlifts
This is an exercise for the more advanced lifters since you have to ensure that you do not hurt your back while performing it. You need to ensure that your legs are straight and that your back does not curl at any point during the movement to truly work your hamstring and ensure maximum muscle growth.
5. Lunges
A relatively simple exercise that works the quadriceps as the primary muscle along with the hamstring and the calves as the secondary muscle groups. You need to make sure that your knee does not exceed the line of your toes or you may hurt your knees.
6. Leg press
This exercise works on the hamstrings as the weights exert pressure on the muscle and you will have to squeeze your hamstring to lift the weights.
Try these six exercises and you will see results soon enough. It is important that you work on your legs to ensure a balanced body that is not only strong but also equally appealing to the eyes in terms of symmetry.
Image courtesy of: healthshlok.com.
