Leg exercises for men

Jan 22, 2023 News

By: Davina Bagot

Kaieteur News – Exercising the upper body is usually always given priority, as most men believe this is the part of their body that is seen most.

The goblet squat with weights

But while emphasis is placed on shaping a scrubbing board abdomen or what some refer to as a six pack and chest muscles strong enough to make the ladies giggle, strapping legs make for quite a balance.

Most exercises target more than one muscle in the body, but this week we are going to explore a few that can help tone your legs as well. This week’s tips are taken from the ‘Men’s Health’ Magazine. BJ Gaddour, the Fitness Director of ‘Men’s Health’ in an article shared some interesting advice on how to help shape your legs.

Squat every day

Performing step-up with weights

The squat serves as the foundation for all lower-body exercises. So if you want the best results, you need to spend time in a squat position daily. This doesn’t mean you need to squat heavy or even under load every day he said.

On the other hand, it does mean that you should aim for as many reps as possible and spend as much time as you can in a deep squat position.

“To start, I recommend squatting under load three times per week. As for the other days, you should do bodyweight squats and squat mobility work like spending 5-to-10 minutes in a deep squat,” the Director said.

Include lunges or step-ups

Lunges target the muscles in the front of the legs, called the quads and step-ups hit the hamstring and glutes.

These exercises can be performed without weights in the beginning. As you progress, you may lengthen the time from 10 minutes to 20 minutes or even 30. Gradually, you can add dumbbells for added muscle strength.

In the case of step-ups, you can look to increase the box height.

Deadlift heavy at least once a week

The kettlebell swing

Deadlifting with a barbell

Deadlifting isn’t for everyone. But if you can do it safely and without pain, Gaddour said it is highly recommended that you deadlift at least once per week.

It’s a total-body strength and muscle builder and it adds slabs of meat to your back, hips, and hamstrings. This extra strength and muscle provides the balance your body needs to look and perform better.

If you can’t make it work with conventional or sumo deadlifts, try trap-bar deadlifts or rack pulls instead. You could also perform straight-leg deadlifts.

Keep the reps between 1 and 5 for most of your sets, pull from a dead-start with a pause, and reset between each rep. Focus on progressively adding weight over time. Save the high-rep metabolic work for swings and squats.

If deadlifting just isn’t an option for you or it’s not worth the risk, then learn how to do swings properly and focus on that instead.

Pay attention to your glutes

“Your glutes are truly the center of the fitness universe. They drive all key movement,” says Gaddour.

A few exercises that target the glutes include hip thrusts, kettlebell swing, goblet squat, wall sit and lateral lunges.

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Deadlift heavy at least once a week, Include lunges or step-ups, Squat every day

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