Some hate leg day because of the pain, I love it because of it. The sheer agony you are left in after a good workout just makes you feel like there is progress being made. I personally have my favourite exercise for pain- the barbell back squat.
While I wouldn’t call this an inspired choice, it is popular for a reason- it works. Not only does it build incredible lower body muscle and strength, it also increases your vertical leap and some say it even makes your body release more testosterone!
The barbell back squat is what we now as a compound exercise, that is, it works multiple muscle groups simultaneously. These are your quads, calves, hamstrings and glutes, along with back muscles and your core. Apart from getting a lot of work done fast, squats also allow you to burn fat far faster than is possible with most exercises.
Now this is what science has to say, but I will also add my own opinion. I was first introduced to squats by using kettlebells, and I did this for about a year before I progressed onto using a barbell. For those of you thinking I am mad, this was at our school gym and they have age restrictions on the barbell, so once I was old enough I was onto it. I was soon known to be the kid with large legs, and this was mainly due to this exercise. I highly recommend it.
The final reason I love back squats is the massive weights you use gives you incredible amounts of confidence. Going under the bar for a heavy squat is quite frankly intimidating, and you are never too sure if you will be able to get up. When you have crushed a few PB’s, you start to walk with a new swagger knowing that you can push your limits.
For these reasons, and many more that you will discover, the back squat is my favourite leg exercise, ticking an enormous amount of boxes allowing you to be fitter and enjoy life more than before.
Have fun chasing the squat gains!
I do not have any certifications regarding fitness, this is simply my own opinion. Consult your own personal trainer and physician before beginning this program. I cannot stress this enough, use correct technique.
Photo source- https://www.t-nation.com/training/3-keys-to-a-big-raw-squat/
squats are one of those things that I think people should watch a bunch of videos or have a trainer help them to do them correctly. Especially for younger people, they may not realize the damage they are doing to their lower back until they are much older and it is too late to do anything about it.
It is a great exercise though and something you can do while watching tv if you are a newbie or just hold really anything heavy-ish that you have in your house. I have empty milk jugs filled with dirt. It aint much, but it's something!
Yeah I completely agree that squats are an exercise that you can't really stumble your way through, proper technique is vital. I was doing it wrong for a while and a slight injury from cricket made me aware of this, so I fixed my technique and now I can do them heavier and with better technique.