Don’t Ever Skip Leg Day

There’s nothing like a good workout.

Pushing your body to other lengths. Knowing my body is responding. Setting and achieving goals. Working out does my heart glad. I personally like to lift weights. In fact, I love to lift weights. So much so that I get ornery if I haven’t been to the gym in a couple of days.

Chalk it up to the desire for weight loss.

Truthfully, going to the gym is a stress reliever. Whatever cares of the day are generally swept away because my focus is what I’m lifting. I get to burn energy and socialize at the same time.

Perfect for a social butterfly liked myself!

Our gym community is pretty cool. We greet each other, and help one another out with various lifts. It’s a peaceful environment. Understand that every gym is not like this. Some lifters are competing with each other or look down on another. No one has time for that.

Lifting should be your main focus.

Outside of your standard gym etiquette (i.e. put your weights away, wipe machines after use, etc…), there’s a science to working out. If you’re into weightlifting, powerlifting, or bodybuilding, then you know there are rules to the game. Rules may vary according to the type of lifting you do, but overall they are similar across the board.  Even if you are a casual lifter, there’s one rule of thumb you must abide by.

Don’t ever skip leg day.

Most guys come to the gym and the first thing they think about lifting is chest. By the end of the week, the only exercise their legs have received is from walking around the weight room. Then, they end up with a swole upper body, but sticks for legs.

I used to ascribe to this theory until I saw the importance of leg strength. As such, I’m dead serious about squats. So, the other day I was squatting after about six weeks off from an injury (I hurt my back deadlifting). I was struggling on my stance. One of the guys at the gym pulled me aside and stayed giving me advice.

To be honest, I fought not to get in my feelings.

Prior to getting injured I thought my form was perfect. However, even pre-injury, I was struggling to find my stance. I knocked out a good amount of weight though. So, I thought all was well.

We’ll it wasn’t, and I’m thankful someone told me.

Injuries are terrible, but what’s worse is a person that can’t be coached. Our ego can be our own worst enemy. We think we have life ask under control until someone humbly yells you otherwise. Most times we meet unwanted advice with indignation when we should actually listen to what’s being said. In that moment, I had to decide how I was going to respond. Am I going to hop in my feelings? Or, am I going to take the advice to get better?

Time to get better.

I mulled over the advice and determined I’m going to knock squats out. It motivated me to get better. All I needed to do was humble myself and listen. I’ll carry that simple lesson with me through life.

Sometimes, I just need to listen.

 

[Image Credit Building Motivation – Never Skip Legs]