Surely you have noticed when you have gone to the gym that people who dedicate a lot of time to bodybuilding, hardly work the lower part of their body, since they only do exercises to strengthen the most visible muscles and the easiest to work: the back , arms and chest. Unfortunately they forget the day of legs in the gym, a must for every athlete who wants to develop a balanced muscle.
What happens if you only work your torso and don’t train your legs?
For some unknown reason a lot of people in the gym avoid doing legs because it is a muscle group that has to be worked hard and takes time, what they do not know is that by skipping leg day they are making a terrible mistake.
The legs are made up of a large number of muscles , among them the following stand out:
- Quadriceps
- Hamstrings
- Twins
- Solo
- Tibial
- Buttocks
In addition, the hip extensors and rotators are also related to this area and are other of the great forgotten by those who avoid the day of legs in the gym.
Musculature atrophies
When you do not work your legs you are allowing this large amount of muscles to atrophy and be unable to do high intensity movements. You may think that this does not affect you if you do not practice a sport where the legs are necessary such as cycling or athletics, but it is not like that. Even if you are a weightlifter, it is essential to bear in mind that the legs are yet another area to be worked on.
You don’t produce enough testosterone
If you don’t do the leg routine at the gym, you wo n’t produce the testosterone you need. Testosterone is a steroid hormone that occurs naturally in your body and plays a key role in men’s health, helping to increase the growth of muscle mass and strength. Compound movements, such as squats and deadlifts, which use large muscle groups in the lower body, help raise Testosterone levels.
Basal metabolism stagnates
The legs are made up of a large number of muscles of considerable size that, if strengthened, help to increase the calories consumed by the body – the so-called basal metabolism – simply by staying active. This makes it more difficult to gain weight because the muscles consume more energy. In addition, if you practice any of the sports mentioned above, you will need to visit the gym weekly, or train at home, to strengthen your legs if you want to continue improving in that sport.
You will lose technique
If you don’t do leg exercises, you won’t improve your technique for some exercises , such as lifts. You may not believe it, but your legs and core draw most of their energy during the lift. Yes, even when you are doing weight training on a bench, it is your lower body that is engaged in helping to provide a stable platform from which to pump. Performing functional exercises , such as the deadlift, will strengthen your legs, glutes, and lower body, while building muscle and mobility throughout your body.
Your knees can be injured
Finally, and in the case that you only lift weights and you decide not to train your legs, your knees will be damaged due to the extra weight they must bear over time. It is not healthy to strengthen the upper part of the body and forget about the legs that are the ones that maintain the body weight nor to have the muscles of the body decompensated since the risk of injuries increases considerably.
