There are not too many exercises that rip your leg muscles to shreds and leave you as breathless as the walking lunge. It is a popular exercise in many functional strength and fitness classes for this very reason but there is a lot more to this than many people realize, especially if you add some of the variations I am about to discuss in this article. For those of you who want a new challenge in your workout or, perhaps find it a bit boring and monotonous doing the same walking lunge variation, you will find these advanced progressions exactly what you need. Enjoy.
16 Week Advanced Leg Strength Workout Plan
This is part two of our articles about leg strength and why you should never skip legs day. In part one I discussed the various reasons why it is important to spend time strengthening the legs and how the leg muscles can have a big impact on the upper body. In this article I am going to give you an advanced workout plan that has four programs split up over 16 weeks. This plan assumes that you have correct technique with all the exercises, no injuries, and are someone who has plenty of experience in the gym. If you are a beginner, or someone getting back into it after a long break these workouts will be too challenging for you at the moment. It would be wise to spend some time building up a base and correcting any movement weaknesses before attempting hard training like this.
6 Reasons Why You Should NEVER Skip Legs Day
Developing incredible leg strength and power is very important for those who play sports for the muscles in your legs are the engine room that provide the ability to run, spring and jump. Spending time in the gym to build leg strength is one of the most important goals during the off-season training for many sportsmen and sportswomen. You only have to look at the thigh development of sprinters, rugby and football players to see how important leg strength and power is. However, it is an area of the body that is often neglected by many of the general population who just wants to get fit and lose a bit of weight. This is a real concern, for apart from the obvious benefits for sporting performance, strong legs can prevent many of the injuries we see today with the knee and the back. Strong quadriceps enhance knee health, and strong glutes and hamstring muscles can be real back savers when lifting heavy objects from the floor. And in terms of losing weight and obtaining that toned and athletic appearance, the strength of your legs can play a massive role in this department too. The message is clear, leg strength is critical to your overall health and daily function so it is never a good idea to skip legs day.