Major Muscle Workouts

I was doing back squats at the gym tonight when one of my friends gave me a tip on how to really maximize my results. I was a little taken aback at first because I haven't had someone critique my lifting or form in SO long, but after a couple of minutes, I was really glad he mentioned it to me. He was a basketball player in college who trained with multiple college trainers. We talk about training often and it's always fun to share and learn new lifting tips. He suggested I try squatting down a few inches further to get better results with my hamstrings and glutes. Even if you have to lighten the load, make sure you're lifting properly and never sacrificing form for weight. That will always give you better results and help avoid any injuries!

There are some leg exercises that I think are crucial to seeing desirable results. For me, those include squats, lunges, and dead lifts. Again, making sure you're performing these exercises safely and correctly is key. There are so many little muscles underneath the major ones, you want to make sure you're doing everything to hit them all.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Use weights you can manage while tightening technique
• Avoid injury - if it's hurting (not just muscle soreness), you're likely doing something wrong and need to make an adjustment
• Exercise at full range of motion
• Still make sure you have enough weight - find the right amount you can manage while still pushing yourself. You should feel fatigued by your last set
• Be sure to give your muscles at least 48 hours to recover before training them again
• Push yourself and don't take long breaks between sets

Small changes can make a BIG difference! I'm excited to switch up my squatting a bit and see how it affects my legs. :) Who knows, maybe I'll switch it up with other workouts too! It's always good to keep your muscles guessing! Happy lifting!