Stop Skipping Legs! 3 Reasons to Squat
By Andy on August 07, 2018
Stepping up to the squat rack doesn’t have to be dreadful, especially once you know all of the benefits you could gain just by training your legs. Since our legs have some of the largest muscle groups in our bodies, training legs only makes sense. After all, if you have a large upper body with hardly any leg muscles, the lack of symmetry just looks awkward.
- Increase Total Body Strength
Compound lifts are movements that cause you to use your entire body and engage multiple joints. These include squats, deadlifts, bench press, and standing military press. Squats fall into this category because:
- You should hold onto the bar tightly and lock your shoulders in place throughout the movement so that you maintain the proper stance.
- You tighten your abs to maintain balance which builds core strength that is used in other movements such as bench press or standing military press.
- You engage your back to be able to lift the weight in the first place which builds both upper and lower back strength.
Since squats engage your entire physique, ranging from those tiny stabilizer muscles to larger muscle groups, they will help you gain strength all over.
- Get a Bigger Back
Your back is your best friend since it’s what stabilizes you during any compound lift. When it comes to squats, this fact stands tried and true. By adding squats, leg press, as well as leg extensions and curls into your normal routine, you’ll gain more strength on your deadlifts and bent-over-rows so that increasing back width becomes a bit easier.
- Release Those Hormones
Adding exercises such as squats and deadlifts into your normal workout routine has been proven to increase natural testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) within your body. Testosterone helps to encourage the growth of lean muscle mass, whereas HGH encourages healthy sleep habits, which are needed in order to grow, as well as muscle growth.
If you haven’t trained legs before, especially if you’ve never done squats or deadlifts before, it’s important to consult a coach so that you know the proper form. Without proper form, it is very easy to end up injured. At Iconic Fitness, we have coaches specially trained to help and guide you so that you can achieve your fitness goals. Contact us to learn a leg training workout suited for your lifestyle today!
