Are Leg Workouts Important?

Here's Why You Should Never Skip Leg Day

When people start working out, they often give more attention to their arms, chest and abs. However, the importance of leg training should not be overlooked. Leg days are as important which may have various benefits. But your legs do a lot of work every day. You use them when you walk, climb stairs, run, sit down and stand up and hence leg workouts are important.

Leg Workouts can help you to build stronger legs and make daily movements easier. A few compound exercises on a leg day, such as squats, lunges and calf raises, if done regularly can provide several benefits of leg workouts.

Why Leg Workouts Matter

Your legs have some of the biggest muscles in your body. These include your thighs, hamstrings, glutes and calves. One reason for the importance of leg training is that your legs are involved in many daily movements.

Leg training routine helps you keep your workouts balanced. If you spend most of your time training your upper body, your lower body may not get enough attention, hence it is important to include regular lower body workouts. Strong legs can also make other forms of exercise easier. Whether you enjoy walking, cycling, dancing or playing a sport, your legs are involved in the activity.[i]

Benefits of Training Legs

There are several benefits of leg workouts. The importance of leg training goes beyond how your legs look, as stronger legs can support everyday movement, balance and physical activities.  

1. Builds Lower Body Strength

One of the biggest benefits of lower body or leg workout is improvement in the lower body strength. As your leg muscles get stronger, daily tasks such as climbing stairs, carrying bags and getting up from the floor and your workouts may become easier. Regular lower body or leg workouts can also help you perform your daily workout routines easily.1

2. Helps with Balance

Leg days are important for stability and movement both, they benefit us by maintaining balance while walking, running especially on an uneven surface. Some of the leg exercises like lunges, step-ups, leg raises, toe lifts etc can help you improve balance. [ii]

3. Helps with Sports and Physical Activities

Many sports depend on strong legs. Running, football, basketball, cycling and jumping all need good lower body strength. Leg training routine can help you produce more force when you run or jump. 2

4. Helps Build Muscle

If building muscle is one of your reason to do strength training, your leg muscles should be part of your workout. Compound strength training exercises can train your thighs, glutes and calves. You can use bodyweight exercises when you are starting out and add resistance as your strength improves. 1

Best Leg Exercises

You do not need a long list of movements for an effective lower body workout. Start with a few basic exercises and learn how to do them well.

1. Squats

Squats are one of the most common compound leg exercises which have various benefits as they work your thighs and glutes and also involve other muscles around your hips. Beginners can start with bodyweight squats. Once these feel easy, weights can be added. The squats benefits include stronger legs, better control and improved ability to perform movements such as sitting and standing.

2. Lunges

Lunges work one side of your body at a time. This makes them useful for working on lower body strength and balance. You can start with reverse lunges if regular forward lunges feel difficult. Keep the movement slow and controlled instead of trying to do as many as possible.

3. Glute Bridges

Glute bridges mainly work your glutes. They are simple and can be done on the floor without equipment. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Keep your feet on the floor and lift your hips. Lower them back down and repeat.

4. Calf Raises

Calf raises are a simple way to train the muscles at the back of your lower leg. You can do them while standing and hold onto a wall or chair if needed.

5. Step-Ups

Step-ups involve stepping onto a stable platform and then coming back down. They work your legs and also require some balance. Step-ups can be included in both home and gym leg workouts.1

Common Leg Day Mistakes

Some simple mistakes can make your leg day workouts harder than it needs to be. Here are some leg day workout mistakes to be careful about [iii],[iv]

1. Using More Weight Than You Can Handle

Do not add weight just because someone else at the gym is lifting heavier. Choose a weight that lets you control the movement. If your form changes when you lift, reduce the weight. Good control is more useful than lifting a weight that is too heavy.

2. Rushing Through Exercises

Doing your reps very quickly can make it harder to control the movement. Take your time and pay attention to how your body moves.

3. Ignoring Pain

Some muscle tiredness after exercise is normal. Sharp or unusual pain is different. Do not try to push through it. Stop the exercise and take a break.

4. Doing the Same Workout Every Time

Your body can get used to the same routine. You can change the exercises, number of sets or amount of resistance when your current leg day workout becomes easy.

How Often Should You Train Legs?

You do not need to train your legs every day. For many people, two sessions a week can work well. Beginners can start with one session. The importance of leg training in strength training lies in consistent workouts and adequate recovery. Give your muscles enough time to recover before the next leg muscle workout.

Your leg training routine should also fit around the rest of your workouts. For example, you can train your legs twice a week and train your upper body on the other days. Pick a leg training routine that fits your schedule. If you work out at home, start with bodyweight exercises. Gym leg workouts can include weights, machines or both.

Conclusion

Leg training routine is easy to put off, but it should not be left out of your workout. Keep your leg exercises simple and find leg day workouts that suits you. Whether you train at home or do gym leg workouts, the main thing is to give your legs regular attention and get the maximum benefits of leg workouts.

Author: Nurture Health Solutions

[i] Currier, B. S., Mcleod, J. C., Banfield, L., Beyene, J., Welton, N. J., D'Souza, A. C., Keogh, J. A. J., Lin, L., Coletta, G., Yang, A., Colenso-Semple, L., Lau, K. J., Verboom, A., & Phillips, S. M. (2023). Resistance training prescription for muscle strength and hypertrophy in healthy adults: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 57(18), 1211–1220. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-106807

[ii] Šarabon, N., & Kozinc, Ž. (2020). Effects of Resistance Exercise on Balance Ability: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Life (Basel, Switzerland), 10(11), 284. https://doi.org/10.3390/life10110284

[iii] Bonilla, D. A., Cardozo, L. A., Vélez-Gutiérrez, J. M., Arévalo-Rodríguez, A., Vargas-Molina, S., Stout, J. R., Kreider, R. B., & Petro, J. L. (2022). Exercise Selection and Common Injuries in Fitness Centers: A Systematic Integrative Review and Practical Recommendations. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(19), 12710. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912710