Got Legs? Leg Workouts for Beginners

This one needn’t be long or complicated. It is after all, for beginners.

So a lot of you are new to the whole fitness game thing. That’s cool. Welcome to what could be the best self-loathing addiction of a lifetime you’ve ever signed up for.

I’m going to save you a whole heap of trouble right now and let you know that if your newbie ass is skipping on legs workout for the purpose of focusing solely on upper body development, then congratulations, you are royally fucking yourself. Do you want to end up as Johnny Bravo? Good as his hair looks, you may or may not have actually noticed the fact he never actually gets the girl. Guess why? Chicken bitch ass legs. That’s why.

That seems sexist in retrospect. As though all my readers are teenage males. They probably are. But for political correctness’ sake let’s assume you’re a reader of the female variety. That’s right, a vagina owner. Reading this. Right now. On my blog. I knew it would happen if I waited long enough! I gotta call my mom and let her know!

So ladies, did you know that in order to get that crazy ass Brazilian booty, then exercises such as squats are your new BFFs? Weight lifting creates muscles, which in turn stretches your skin, burns fat and gets that booty poppin’ and those legs rockin’!

Keep in mind, this post isn’t a biblical text on all things legs. Merely an introduction to the most basic (yet most influential) exercises to perform to build a solid foundation. Now that we’ve given you reason and motif, let’s get down to business!

Squats = Booty + Strength + Shape + Glory

Hands down, there is no single compound exercise that delivers more impact all over your lower body than your classic squats. As a compound exercise, it activates multiple muscle groups simultaneously, resulting in the release of Growth Hormone [GH] (famous for its ability to torch stored fat and add muscle mass). Squats trigger your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, calves and even your core into action. As one of the classic compound workouts, it’s also a classic mass gainer. If you have a flabby ass or shabby legs, this is the exercise to perform to counteract that.

The exercise can be performed with your very own body weight (with numerous variations) or free weights using a barbell (front or back) or dumbbells. You can also use the smith machine or the leg press machines for the same results (albeit with less impact on your stabilizer muscles and core)

Squats are all about the perfect form:

1. Make sure your feet are shoulder width if you’re performing a classic squat (especially if you’re going heavy with the weights).
2. Make sure your knees never extend beyond your feet on your way down.
3. Make sure to inhale going down and exhale going up.
4. Make sure that the motion is coming from your hips and that you’re squeezing your glutes to get back up.
5. Make sure you don’t over-extend beyond the 90 degrees angle on your way down.
6. Make sure to trigger your core into action by focusing on using it for stabilization when using free weights.

Lunges = Definition + Loud cursing + More Glory

At first glance, lunges may appear ridiculous, like they’re meant as some sort of warm up exercise or a stretch. Do not be mistaken youngling, this exercise will give you a run for your money. Big time.

This one is also a compound exercise with arguably more localized focus on the hamstrings and glutes than anything else but it still activates muscle fibers all over your legs. This exercise is notable among gym goers and Leg day addicts for the “cuts” or definition it brings about one’s legs. Squats may add the size, but lunges give it the tone!

Lunges are - like all exercises ought to be - all about that right form. Getting both your legs in the 90 degrees angle is crucial to both maximize the benefit of the exercise as well as to stave off possible injury or imbalances. That being said, some experts argue that changing your angle of descent (by expanding or narrowing how far apart your legs are from each other) can impact your individual muscles differently with narrow descents focusing more on the quads and hamstrings while the wider strides give your glutes the workout of a lifetime.

If you’ve always skipped legs day or just never saw the purpose behind those workouts, I hope the above has managed to persuade you to at least give it a shot sometime this week.

Let me know how it goes, and above all, perform everything in perfect form, have an experienced lifter show you how it’s done, and stay safe!

The Worst Kept Secrets in the Fitness Industry (Part 2): Abdominals

Now that we’ve established a mode for you to start shedding off body fat in an efficient manner, it’s time we loop back to our original topic of conversation and the most desired muscle group in the field of aesthetics; abdominals.

Your abs are no magical muscle. They needn’t endure thousands of repetitions or hundreds of sets to pop out anymore than your chest, leg, back or arms require a dozen repetition over three or four sets. It is however, about understanding your abs from a scientific perspective. Many times you’ll hear people (including self-proclaimed fitness pros) refer to abs by region, i.e. upper abs, lower abs, etc. and while yes certain exercise exert more stress on specific parts of your abdominals, it’s very important to realize it’s all one big connected hunk. It does not operate separately from one another.

That being said, I wish we’d all focus on the concept of “core development” rather than abs. Yes abs are arguably the most aesthetically pleasing bit of your bootylicious physique but there’s a big difference between having popping abs and having a functional and strong core. Just take a look at skinny people. We all have that one friend who’s naturally skinny, they can crunch out two large pizzas followed by a bucket of KFC and a Double Big Tasty combo, head over to Baskin Robbins and devour a tub of peanut butter and chocolate ice cream and still look ready for a modeling shoot. We hate them. We loathe their existence. But science calls them ectomorphs and it’s not their fault, they’re just born that way. But do you notice how they always seem to have popping abs? More importantly, do you notice how they’re more often than not, completely unfit for physical exercises demanding a strong dependency on the core area of the body?

This is why core development is so much more important than worrying about the aesthetic development of abdominal muscles. If you have a strong core, the abs will undoubtedly follow. But instead of having a hollow exterior, you’ll also have the power from within.

“What the shit is the core? Isn’t that like filled with magma and lava super deep inside the Earth? What does this have to do with anything? Oh my God do I have lava inside of me? Am I a mutant?” Once again young Padwan [Boom! Star Wars reference] you worry too much about unnecessary details.

According to the much beloved Wikipedia, “the core refers, in its most general of definitions, to the body minus the legs and arms.Functional movements are highly dependent on the core, and lack of core development can result in a predisposition to injury.” Your core carries you through most workouts. Are you doing push ups? Your core is engaged. Are you doing squats? Core. Deadlifts? Core. Trying to balance yourself on one leg with a glass of beer on your nose during a party? Core.

So instead of situps and crunches (which can still be utilized) we ought to focus on more wholesome exercises that benefit your entire core. The cool thing about abdominal workouts and other body-weight type exercises is that you can perform them virtually anywhere; no gym membership necessary! Let’s begin with my personal favorite; the infamous Plank.

The above video shows how the plank is performed. Naturally, like any other exercise, it can be tweaked to increase its difficulty, whether its via a raised leg in the air, a raised arm, a combo of the two or by doing it with the legs resting on a large stability ball for increased core engagement. The more you find yourself having to squeeze your core in order to maintain balance and perfect form, all the better. Planks are static exercises, which unlike dynamic exercises (those requiring motion) rely on the strength of your core and its constant engagement for performance (i.e. you don’t move)

This exercise - like all others - relies on your ability to execute it in perfect form both to reap out its benefits and to avoid potential injury resulting from poor or improper form. Another variation which can help target your obliques (those much sought-after V-shaped curves on your waist) is the side plank. You can watch it being performed here and it can also be made more difficult by raising one leg in the air or it can be done dynamically by squeezing your obliques to lift your body up and down by its side.

A good start for you is trying to maintain the plank position for 30 seconds. If you find that you're doing so in perfect form with significant ease, prolong it till failure and set that time as your standard set time. Dish out 3 to four sets of those with 30 seconds of rest in between.

Next up on my list of favorites is the Hanging Raises.

Do keep in mind this workout is usually reserved for individuals operating at more advanced levels. Many, even experienced folk, make the mistake of utilizing momentum to drive the movement in this exercise but that’s something you should strive to avoid. This workout engages your entire core area by virtue of your abs raising your legs and lowering them (in a controlled motion) rather than a spring action in which the legs are driving the movement.

There’s a wide variety of other exercises you can throw into your abdominal workout routine in a variety of format (supersets, interval sets, pyramid sets, etc.) such as crunches, heel touches, flutter kicks, scissors, alternating elbow-to-knee bicycle kicks and many more. Just be sure to consult someone with experience in order to show you how these moves are executed in perform form to ensure benefits and avoid injury.

Sample abs workout at the end of your weight lifting/cardio routine:

• Super Set [perform both exercises after one another with no rest in between] - Plank (1 minute)/Hanging Raises (12 reps) - 4 sets - 30 seconds rest
• Heel touches (15 reps) - 4 sets - 30 seconds rest
• Side plank raises (12 reps per side) - 3 sets - 30 seconds rest
• Alternating elbow-to-knee bicycle kicks (15 reps) - 4 sets - 30 seconds rest

And for Christ’s sake, please stop dedicating an entire day to your abs. They’re a minor muscle group. All they need is 10-15 minutes of attention at the end of your chest or shoulder day routine or performed after cardio once or twice a week max. Don't forget to stretch out at the end of your workout.

You might fall flat on your face the first couple of times. The soreness the following morning might be a bit too much. Laughing may be a painful experience for a couple of days but trust me, it gets better, you get better. 

If you have any question on techniques or execution please comment below or reach out to me on Twitter on @Foxicakes I’ll be more than glad to assist!

Now go kiss that mat during a plank.