Why You Shouldn’t Skip Leg Day
Leg day is a day well-known to weight lifters. There are jokes surrounding skipping leg day, because those that do, could possibly become the subject of a meme gone viral. You don’t want attention for a disproportionate physique… you want the opposite! Let us explain why you shouldn’t skip leg day, the benefits of leg workouts, and when it’s okay to rest.
Lower Body Workouts Keep You Balanced & Strong
According to Healthline, leg workouts are an important aspect of a balanced, whole-body fitness routine that builds strength, speed, and stability. The legs contain large muscles that are an essential part of your overall fitness. When you’re consistent with leg workouts, it’s easier for your muscles to adjust to a different exercise or an increase in weight/reps. Strong leg muscles keep your body balanced. You would not feel or look balanced if you focused solely on your upper body. You’d look like someone who definitely skips leg day.
It’s important to target all muscle groups in your lower body workout to ensure a strong foundation. Make sure you’re working glutes, quads, and hamstrings with exercises such as deadlifts, squats, and lunges. A solid base or foundation will lead to more overall stability and will support other activities. Disregarding leg workouts, will eventually cause muscle loss over time. The amount of muscle you’ll lose and how quickly depends on your fitness level- people who are in shape and have more muscle will lose muscle mass more quickly than those who are unfit.
“If you are still able to move around, true muscle loss can occur after about 3 weeks of skipping your workouts,” Trifecta Nutrition explains. This is different from an actual injury where you’re immobilized. Nonetheless, whether you’re losing muscle mass or size, it is entirely possible to regain it back. How about a consistent leg day routine to start?
More Benefits of Leg Workouts
You can’t build a great body on a weak foundation. Leg workouts incorporate all of the major muscles in the body, making leg day more beneficial in overall performance, strength, and mobility. There are also tremendous benefits to single leg workouts that will correct any muscular imbalances and improve your core strength. Other benefits of a strong lower body are improved posture, reduced joint pain, and alleviating lower back pain- to name a few.
The right leg equipment is important for an efficient and effective leg day. York Barbell has squat racks and benches available for your leg day needs.
When You Can Skip
We recommend regularly training your leg muscles in combination with the other major muscle groups if you want to improve your body’s all-around strength and fitness level. It’s perfectly fine to skip leg day if you’re sick, injured, or your legs are sore from the previous leg day.
To make sure you have the right equipment to perform your powerful lower body workouts, check out our weight plates for your next set of squats or deadlifts.