Leg exercises, the secrets of powerful, strong and toned legs
The one leg squat
Did you know that bodyweight leg exercises can Build massive legs Build strong legs Build toned legs And Prevent leg injuries.
From the most natural things you do every day like walking from one room to another or participating in just about every sport you can think of, it is your legs that give you the ability to take part. It is because they are so important that leg exercises are vital to anyone who is serious about getting in shape or improving in their chosen sport. A great site for information on leg exercises and injury advice is www.best-leg-exercises.com
But what is the best way to train them?Bodyweight exercises, for the following reasons. First and foremost safety, because the leg muscles are so powerful, the normal way to build big or strong muscles with weight training is to use massive amounts of weight for your leg exercises. The strain this puts on the knees and lower back can result in injuries for a lot of people. However, a lot of the bodyweight exercises you can do for your training involve exercising one leg at a time which can help with your balance and co-ordination. The result is you become better at every activity you take part in because single leg training teaches you agility, balance and coordination as well as building powerful, strong and toned muscles.
If you doubt me, go to your local gym and see how many big powerful guys that use heavy weights or machines can do 10 one leg squats. The answer will probably be not many but you will be able to if you train wisely.
The best leg exercisesBefore I mention the exercises please remember to warm up before you start your leg training with 5-10 minutes of gentle cardio. You should of course warm up before training any muscle but as someone who has torn a hamstring in the past believe me when I say it is vital for leg exercises. If you are new to leg training and want to build amazing endurance the best starting point is the Bodyweight Hindu squat
The endurance and power you can build in your legs has to be seen to be believed. To do Hindu squats Begin by standing tall with your back straight, head up and feet hip width apart. Your feet can point forward or slightly outwards depending on what feels most comfortable. Reach forward with your arms and then pull back in a rowing motion until your fists are even with your chest. Start to inhale at this point and begin to descend in to the squat position by bending your knees. Squat down letting your arms swing behind your hips and as you get lower down in the squat position your heels raise off the floor so you are squatting on the balls of your feet. Continue the squat until your thigh is touching the back of your calf. Now begin to rise up and let your arms swing forward as you exhale. The breathing pattern is the opposite of standard squats and the arms perform a rowing motion throughout the exercise. Remember to keep your back straight, look straight ahead at all times and keep your weight evenly distributed so you do not fall forwards or backwards. The first few times you perform Hindu squats do them very slowly so that you get used to the technique and the different breathing pattern. Final tip, when you reach the bottom position of the Hindu squat never bounce back up. The whole movement from start to finish should be smooth and graceful like all leg exercises.
Do Hindu squats build muscle, power and strength?Although they are promoted as a great muscle building exercise in my opinion they are not. They are difficult for beginners but people who follow the bodyweight exercise program for a few months can easily build up to doing 500 in one set, and leg exercises that involve such high reps are not the way to build muscle, power and strength. However that does not mean that Hindu squats do not have any benefits because when it comes to building leg endurance, muscle tone and extraordinary lung power they are the best leg exercise you can do.
The one legged squat (or pistol squat as some people call them)
However, remember this is an advanced leg exercise that you should build up to. Take my word for it they are very difficult.
How to do the one legged squatFor beginners it is best to start doing this exercise with the aid of a strong box. All you have to do is have the box directly behind you and at a height that requires only a few inches of movement before the thigh doing the squat gently touches it, then push back up. As you progress you use boxes of decreasing height so you have to bend further to touch it. The proper one leg squat, the best leg exercise Stand in a normal squat position and then hold one leg out in front of you keeping it as straight as possible, however, do not worry if it is not perfectly straight as it will get better as your flexibility improves. Hold both your hands out straight in front of you pointing directly ahead to help keep your balance. Now squat down on just the one leg making sure the leg pointing straight out in front of you stays off the floor at all times. You will know when you have reached the bottom of the squat position when the thigh of the leg doing the squat touches the back of your calf. The leg pointing straight ahead should still not touch the floor but do not worry if it is only a couple of inches of the ground. Now get ready for the easy part (I wish) Push the foot of the leg doing the squat hard against the floor as you tense the leg muscles to straighten yourself back up to the starting position and there you have it, one rep of one of the hardest leg exercises completed.
To make it more difficult you can use isometric tensionAll you have to do is hold the position of the squat at the top, middle or bottom of the exercise and tense the muscles you are using as hard as you can for at least 10 seconds before carrying on with the rep. The best way for those who are capable is to tense at the top for 10 seconds then hold the middle position and do the same and then really challenge yourself by holding the bottom position of the squat and tensing all the muscles used as hard as you can for 10 seconds before pushing yourself back up to the starting position. Anyone who can do 10 reps this way is now a master of leg exercises
How to develop flexibility and strength in your legsThe best way to build up your flexibility and at the same time the strength in your legs is a form of training that has almost been forgotten called Isometric stretching Not only is this the quickest way to improve your flexibility but it also builds your leg muscle strength in ways no other leg exercise can do. The positions used in isometric stretching mean you tense your muscles in positions that simply are not possible any other way. The result is you build amazing leg strength that enables you to do things you would think were impossible. For anyone involved in any sport from rock climbing to martial arts isometric stretching is one of the best leg training methods. Even people who are not involved in sport will benefit from this training as you are far less likely to injure yourself in your training or everyday life if you have built up isometric strength and flexibility
Position yourself the same way you would for a passive stretch. Now tense the stretched muscle against a force that will not move for about 15 seconds. Then relax the muscle for at least 20 seconds. An example of an isometric stretch is the following. Stand up straight with your body side ways to something solid at waist height i.e. a table. Place the other leg on the table and straighten both legs. Now tense the leg resting against the table as hard as you can and hold for 15 seconds. Now relax both legs for 20 seconds before repeating the exercise if you want to.
How to do the one leg squat
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