Many people dread ‘leg day’ at the gym, or ‘lower body day’ as some people call it. You have probably seen the memes. And while there are a lot of articles out there examining why people dread leg day, I think the answer is obvious – it is hard. Speaking from firsthand experience, doing lower body lifts, especially heavy lifts, takes a lot of grit and effort.
Over time I have grown to like leg day, not because it has become easier, but, rather, I have learned over time how important it is to my fitness journey. If you have been skipping leg day, or are contemplating doing so, please consider the following five reasons why you should never skip leg day.
Muscle Symmetry
The most obvious reason to avoid skipping leg day, at least to me, is that it throws off your body symmetry. I assume that we have all seen people, either at the gym or outside the gym, who obviously workout regularly, but their upper body is far more developed than their lower body. To be fair, some people just naturally have a bigger upper body than their lower body, but also to be fair, that is not always the case.
Skipping leg day here and there may not result in this happening, but people who are repeat offenders of skipping lower body day run the risk of becoming one of these people. People who have an ectomorph body type have a higher risk of this happening than an endomorph body type.
Increased Testosterone
“Research shows that hammering your large, lower body muscles with heavy weights is one of the best ways to boost production of testosterone and growth hormone, both of which are key to maximizing muscular gains.” Men’s Health points out in an online article.
People who skip leg day are shorting themselves when it comes to increasing their muscle mass in other parts of their body. After all, increased levels of testosterone and growth hormone don’t just help make people’s calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes gain more muscle – they boost muscle growth potential all over the body.
Better Stability
Improved stability may not be on everyone’s ‘fitness wish list,’ but it should be. Better stability helps athletic performance, and even if someone isn’t an athlete, having better stability is still beneficial. Once again turning to the previously cited Men’s Health article…
“Building strength from the ground up helps increase total body stability—and the more stable you are, the more force you can generate and put into each rep, regardless of whether you’re standing in a squat cage or lying on a bench.” the article states.
Burns Calories
Working out your lower body may be tough, but that is partly due to the fact that it takes more energy to work out your body’s largest muscles that are found in your lower body. The more energy that you exert, the more calories you burn. And unless you are in Mr. Olympia-level shape, chances are you can benefit from burning more calories. And, of course, if you are in Mr. Olympia-level shape, then you already know the benefits of never skipping leg day 😉
Reduces Injury Risk
Sort of piggybacking off of the ‘better stability’ section of this article, having a stronger lower body helps reduce the risk of injury. Part of that is due to increased stability and being less likely to experience a fall, but part of it is also that lower body workouts make other parts of your body stronger. This is especially true of your lower back and abs, which are two areas of your body that you really want to avoid injuring.
***
Disclaimer: The contents of this article and this website are not meant to substitute for the professional advice of a doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer. This content is provided as an educational tool to help people on their fitness journeys. While we strive to research topics as much as possible and provide useful and accurate information to the best of our abilities, we also strongly recommend talking to your doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer before starting any workout, therapeutic, or nutritional regimen, as each individual’s needs and situations vary depending on the person.