WANT THOSE KILLER LEGS

Its true, there are a few folks genetically predisposed with great legs. The rest of us literally need to bust our behinds to get them in gear. But don't think for a second that genetics will just simply say “hey here are your Beyonce or Larry Fitzgerald legs,” the work still needs to be done. I often observe people working their legs over the course of many months with little to no improvement. I attribute this to four simple things; lack of intensity, variety, improper technique, and recovery time.

What do I mean by intensity? Before I answer that, do note your legs contain the largest muscles in your body. Therefore, they need to be pushed harder, to get improvements. If you have been doing the same weight, and rep count on a particular machine, try increasing the weight by 5% every three weeks, or hiking your rep count. Stop cheating yourself, and start the process of really challenging yourselves. Yes you will be sore, but improvements you will begin to see.

Ah variety the spice of life. Take note, you cannot keep doing the same things, and expect a different result. Your body is an amazing machine and will quickly become adjusted to your routine. So don’t just stick to the typical squats, leg extensions, curls, presses, lunges and so on. Mix it up, go for long hikes, take spinning classes, instead of walking on the treadmill try running, go dancing more often with less alcohol. Simply put try many different things, so that you are constantly keeping those muscles off balance. Plus, its breaks up the monotony.

Ok so now you have upped the intensity and starting to mix things up. Unfortunately, this will only go but so far if the proper techniques are not used consistently. Doing any exercise is difficult, that is why I always say seek help in the form of magazines, youtube, pay for professional help if you feel lost, look at yourself in the mirror when possible to make sure your form is correct. Technique folks is icing on the cake.

So since technique is the icing, then proper recovery time is the low fat strawberry topping. I always tell my clients, you need to give trained muscles a chance to recover. That means not doing the same body part everyday. When muscles are allowed to recover, they develop density and strength. So what is an ideal recovery time? As rule of thumb I always say least four days between very intense resistance weight training sessions. For things such as group classes, a day of rest will suffice.

So in your quest for those sought after show stoppers, I say good luck, and have fun with it. But if you ever need a little push in the new year, don't hesitate to get with KooYah Fitness.

By Peter Gordon