Legs and Buns of Steel
Few things are as coveted for those who are looking to get into shape a powerful set of legs and a tight prominent BOOTY! The good news is you can secure both of these with just 2 movements.
The almighty SQUAT is the first of these. The squat has often been called the KING of exercises as it can actually work almost every muscle in your body. It is one of the best movements to add overall muscle, strength and overall mass to your body. While it is normally performed using a straight bar that is placed across the upper back/trapezius area, you can also perform squats by holding weights at your side, in the top of the curl position, or using no weight at all. The key is to ensure your thighs are parallel to the ground at the bottom of the movement (or even a little lower) and that your knees do not travel in front of your toes. While they do hit many muscle groups including ALL of your lower body, their main focus is the large upper leg muscle group, the quadriceps.
The second movement is called the DEADLIFT. It is a close second when it comes to recruiting a serious amount of muscle when performing this movement. Rather than lower the hips and butt in the low position of the squat, you actually drive the hips and butt BACK to begin the deadlift movement. This LOADS up the hamstrings and glutes to prepare for lifting the weight upwards. Deadlifts are fantastic for building a butt you can be proud of! It is a technical movement that can be a little more difficult to master than the squat but once you do, the rewards will be worth it. There are various grips implemented when performing a deadlift and the grip you choose can depend on your comfort and your strength level. Both hands in the overhand position is common but when the weight increases, this grip can be hard to maintain and many prefer one hand over, one hand under to help manage the load.
Adding sets of squats and deadlifts on leg day is the perfect prescription for lower body greatness. Stick to weights that will make performing 10 reps extremely difficult and you will be seeing results in no time flat!
