Leg Exercises

It goes without saying that our legs are the strongest muscles in our body. Heavy weightlifters can always squat or leg press far more weight than our upper bodies are capable of. Our upper thighs all contain far more dense muscle tissue than our arms.

Though our Chimpanzee and Gorilla relatives all have far stronger upper body strength, being that they need muscles in their arms to swing from tree branch to tree branch, once humans evolved to walk on flat ground, our legs took over as the primary movers of our bodies.

Even the most sedentary office workers among us still get up from a chair, walk to the cooler, and make their way to their cars in the parking lot. Their legs carry their entire bodyweight easily without strain multiple times per day. Could you even imagine doing a handstand and transporting your entire body across the floor on a daily basis? Your legs do it without even breaking a sweat.

But to get in proper shape, you’re going to have to do more than just stroll to your car to work out your legs. By engaging in weight training for your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves you’ll increase your metabolism, lose weight, strengthen your body against injury and increase your daily energy.

And as our bodies age, performing leg exercises also help fortify our bones, and improve balance, stability, and mobility. No one wants to be stuck in a wheelchair before their time because their knee and hip joints stopped functioning before their time.

And ultimately, who doesn’t want to look good in a pair of shorts or a tight dress? Nothing looks more attractive than a pair of strong, toned legs. So, don’t skip leg day and give some of the exercises below a run for the money at the gym.

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