Uggghhh, leg day…

Bry_Fitness70

I fully understand the value of leg day. As a personal trainer and a guy who runs a lot, I’m aware of how critical it is to strength train legs, as the benefits include improved running performance, improved balance, and a reduction in injuries. There is also something to be said for not having two emaciated twigs for legs. But honestly, I hate leg day.

It is uncomfortable to squat. It is awkward to do hamstring curls. Calf raises are boring. Leg presses are my favorite, but even those sort of suck. My heart rate is average at best during leg workouts, so I’m not burning very many calories. The results are not as noticeable as upper body lifting, since as a male, my legs are generally always covered. Even when I’m wearing shorts, they are pretty much covered, because my shorts generally go down to just above my knees. I refuse to go Euro with short shorts just to display them, that is going too far. There will never be a National Leg holiday in this country that is celebrated by men. Perhaps those huge bodybuilder guys (with thighs like tree trunks) that wear Speedos may endorse it, but not your average guy.

On the day following leg day, my legs are shot, so any activities associated with basic mobility are awkward and comical. Climbing a flight of stairs is a joke, I have found myself putting my hand on my knee and pushing off as I go up step by step at times. So therefore, this impairs my running, which is the point of training my legs in the first place! SMH.

Women seem to enjoy leg day. When I put an occasional complaint on my status or lament how I missed a leg day (always the first workout to go if my schedule gets crunched, of course) , I noticed that my female friends weren’t having any of my complaining. Of course they love it! Leg appearance is exponentially more valuable to woman, perhaps it is the equivalent of the males’ fixations with our biceps. In the summer there are skirts, swimsuits, summer dresses, etc. Women show leg in professional environments, where it has never occurred to me to wear form fitting shorts to my white collar job, even on casual Friday. And their swimsuits don’t loosely fit down to the knees (thankfully) like males’ do. Women shave their legs, moisturize them, cover them with hose, and wear high heels to accentuate them; it is a totally different ballgame. Large portions of my legs rarely see the light of day. I’ve never given any thought to shaving them, or wearing a shoe that emphasizes their contours.

So what is my point, as I sit here venting with two sore legs (yesterday was leg day, as you may have suspected)? Despite my disdain for leg day, I will continue to engage in leg day, and toil in the thankless activity. There will be no instant gratification, like push day (chest & shoulders) or pull day (arms and back), where one can see visible pump and enjoy the look of distended sleeves on one’s t-shirt for the remainder of the day. I will take solace in silently celebrating my decreased susceptibility to injury and increased balance, and get through that weekly chore as positively as possible…

Luke_I_am_your_spotter

ummm, you might want to change your sales pitch if you are a personal trainer.

Bry_Fitness70

Jersey__Devil wrote: »

ummm, you might want to change your sales pitch if you are a personal trainer.

I don't make sales pitches, so I don't need to bullsh*t people. Personal training isn't my primary profession, it is something that I became certified in because I enjoy fitness and wanted to increase my knowledge.

crssftlv

I personally love leg day, and will be doing it tomorrow! I also will say that no matter if you wear long shorts, jeans, sweats, or whatever else we women do notice. I can and do see nice legs and butts on men in their jeans, shorts, and everything they wear. I look and I enjoy! So, continue your leg days and I thank you!

Bry_Fitness70

crssftlv wrote: »

I personally love leg day, and will be doing it tomorrow! I also will say that no matter if you wear long shorts, jeans, sweats, or whatever else we women do notice. I can and do see nice legs and butts on men in their jeans, shorts, and everything they wear. I look and I enjoy! So, continue your leg days and I thank you!

Thanks, perhaps I was a bit hasty in my condemnation of leg day

crssftlv

bw_conway wrote: »

crssftlv wrote: »

I personally love leg day, and will be doing it tomorrow! I also will say that no matter if you wear long shorts, jeans, sweats, or whatever else we women do notice. I can and do see nice legs and butts on men in their jeans, shorts, and everything they wear. I look and I enjoy! So, continue your leg days and I thank you!

Thanks, perhaps I was a bit hasty in my condemnation of leg day

You're welcome, and I think so lol

GibsonSG_67

Confucius say: You cannot hold up the temple without strong pillars

jessejames6

I used to hate leg days a little bit too, but as soon as i started seeing results and feeling that my legs are getting stronger it just became one of the days that i keep looking forward to. Maybe the advise that i would give is to try a full body workout instead of push/pull split, do it for a while and then go back to a "normal" workout. Divide the leg workout on the days you're working out, something like, for a 3 day split: 1st day: squat, bench press, pull up, leg curl and then one exercise for each one of the other muscles shoulders, biceps, triceps and traps. 2nd day: Deadlift, leg extension and same thing one exercise for each one of the others. 3rd day: leg press, Romanian deadlift and same thing... Maybe this would help instead of doing the whole thing in one day, you're kind of hitting legs 3 times a week.