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We all know that leg and shoulder workouts are essential for good bones and flexibility. Most people don’t get a good workout plan. Here we will discuss the best exercises for legs and shoulders. All the exercises mentioned below are appropriate for any gym-goers. Before diving into the exercises, let’s see the advantages of leg and shoulder workouts.
But to get the best results, follow the instructions properly. Leg and shoulder workouts don’t show results immediately, be patient, and you’ll see results yourself. The workouts discussed below are suggested for both kinds of people, pros or beginners.
1. Benefits of Leg and Shoulder Workouts
Legs and shoulders consist of important joints and bones, which help us with body movements and flexibility. If they don’t receive proper exercise, they can cause problems in later life. Training them correctly is important for better muscular health.
The benefits of leg and shoulder workouts are immense, it is not possible to touch every point, but we tried to provide as much information as possible.
1.1 Importance of Leg Exercises
- Leg exercises can help gain better body balance and strength.
- For athletes, the legs are the most important part to train to maximize their lower body strength.
- Your glutes, hamstrings, calves, and other vital parts of your legs get highly trained during leg workouts.
- Upper body movements are also based on lower body parts, so training them is important.
1.2 Importance of Shoulder Exercises
- The shoulder is the most movable and important part of our body, so shoulder workouts are important.
- The different ligaments and tendons get benefitted from different shoulder workouts.
- Different shoulder workouts lower the risk of strains, sprains, and shoulder dislocations.
2. Leg Workouts
The best thing about leg and shoulder workouts is training the legs properly. Leg days can be painful, but worth the aftereffects and best for your leg flexibility. Knowing the best workouts is important. Some of the most important leg exercises are:
2.1. Squats
The benefits of squats include strengthening your entire lower body, from the core to the calves. Squats are also a great way to lose calories. Again, this workout doesn’t include any gym equipment so you can do this in your home too.
- Stand with your feet a little wider than your hip-width.
- Join your palms near your chest or keep your hands straight.
- Throw your hips backward and bend your knees to lower down.
- Stretch as far as you can and then go up to the standing position again.
- Repeat the steps unless you are satisfied.
Reps- 15/20
Sets- 3
2.2. Lunges
This is one of the most effective leg exercises, lunges target different muscles of the abdomen, hips, and legs. From better body posture to toned legs, you can achieve anything.
- Firstly, Stand straight.
- Send one foot at the back and one in front and reach a 90-degree angle.
- Then your back leg knee should touch the floor, and the front leg should bend.
- Go back to the standing position and repeat.
Reps- 10/12
Sets-3
2.3. Step-Ups
Another workout perfect for non-gym-goers too. No extra equipment is needed and the benefits are a lot. This one improves body balance and leg strength. Also, the more height you choose for step-ups, the more benefit you get.
- Stand near a box or bench or even stairs.
- Set your left leg on the bench and then bring the right leg on the bench too.
- Repeat this by lifting the other leg and doing the same thing.
Reps- 15/20
Sets- 3/4
2.4. Leg Press
This is one of the leg and shoulder workouts that need gym equipment. This can be done only with the help of leg press equipment. The leg press is one of the vital workouts for toned and strong legs. This workout puts great effort into the glutes and hamstrings.
Always avoid taking more weights than you can bear or else you can get seriously injured.
- Sit down in the machine and rest your head in the padded area near your head.
- On the footplate, place your feet with a hip-width gap between the two legs.
- Then push the plates up slowly with the strength of your legs, while exhaling.
- Then bring the plates down again with the help of your legs and repeat.
Reps- 10/12
Sets-3
2.5 Calf Raises
Calf raises are the best if done at the end of your leg day. For better calve strength, runners always prefer calf raises to reduce the risk of injuries. For any leg exercise, calves are the most important part to take care of.
- Stand up on a bench or stand straight on the floor.
- Push your heels up slowly until you are standing on your toes.
- Go back to your standing position and repeat.
Reps- 10/12
Sets- 3
2.6 Hip Thrusts
As the name suggests, this is not just a workout for hips, but also helps your whole lower body. Hip thrusts also is a great way to tone your hips, obviously.
- Lie flat on your back with your arms at the side
- Fold your knees and move your hips up
- squeeze your glutes while raising your hips for pressure
- Go down and repeat the same thing
Reps- 10/12
Sets-3
3. Shoulder Workouts
As mentioned earlier, the shoulder is one of the most important parts of our muscle group. Training the shoulders properly to get desired results is also vital for this whole leg and shoulder workout list. The workouts consist of:-
3.1 Dumbbell Shoulder Press
This is the ultimate workout if you want broad and tight shoulders in the list of leg and shoulder workouts. Doing this workout can help in making better upper arm and shoulder balance. Also, this workout is amazing for better upper body posture.
- Select your preferred dumbbells and do not try heavy-weighed ones if you are not accustomed.
- Place the dumbbells by your shoulder by bending your elbows.
- Stretch your hands to push the weights slowly together above your head
- Then come back to the previous position and repeat.
Reps- 15
Sets- 3
3.2 Lateral Raise
Best workout for the deltoid muscle group, few people may know the fact but doing this regularly is very beneficial. Regularly doing this is not necessary, but this workout can help you gain more muscle if done properly.
- Stand straight and take two dumbbells in each hand by your side.
- Look straight ahead and lift both your hands up, forming a “T”.
- Hold for a few seconds before coming to your previous position, then repeat.
Reps- 15/20
Sets- 3/4
3.3 Front Raise
This is a simple workout that targets many parts of the upper body, including the shoulders. Follow, smooth movements to avoid muscle straining, and do this workout a few days a week, not regularly for better benefits.
- Stand straight at a shoulder-width distance with two dumbbells in each hand.
- Steady the dumbbells on the side of your thighs, palms facing the thigh.
- Then lift the dumbbells while inhaling.
- Go back to the first position and repeat.
Reps- 12/15
Sets- 3/4
3.4 Upright row
The upper back and shoulders get high benefits from this exercise. Doing this workout for the first time can cause pain in the backside of your upper body. The pain usually occurs because you pull the weights near your body which causes pressure on your backside.
This can be done with dumbbells or barbells, and it’s up to you to choose.
- Take a barbell or dumbbell and stand straight
- keep a shoulder-width gap in between your hands, not more or less (or else it can cause a sprain in the shoulder)
- Lift the weights upward and touch the chin keeping the weights close to your body.
- Repeat the steps slowly to feel pressure in your shoulder
Reps- 12
Sets- 3
3.5 Shrugs
This is an underrated part of leg and shoulder workouts, but it has loads of benefits. This workout flexes your trapezius muscles situated at the back of your neck. Doing this exercise helps your body posture in a significant way and prevents your body from drooping posture.
- Stand straight with dumbbells on each hand.
- Keep your body and neck straight, chin up.
- Move your shoulders up slowly near your ears.
- Then again lower the shoulders and repeat.
Reps-10/12
Sets-3
This was the list that we suggest highly, and you can do as many sets or reps. We recommend the reps and sets which we think are more than enough for pro-gym-goers or mere beginners.
3.6 Reverse Pec Deck Fly
- Sit facing the seat of a pec deck machine keeping your back straight (Always adjust your seating and weights to avoid injuries)
- With your arms slightly bent, push the machine backward using your deltoid muscles to create more pressure.
- Move to the first position and repeat.
Reps- 10/12
Sets-3
4. Precautions
Trying all the leg and shoulder workouts mentioned above is fine but taking some necessary precautions is extremely important. Firstly, always consult a gym trainer if you go to the gym for a better routine and to avoid injuries. if you are doing the workouts by yourself, then make sure to follow these precautions:
- Don’t overdo any workout if you are not comfortable.
- Don’t take heavy weights if you are a beginner.
- Follow the steps correctly, or else you can get a serious injury or not get benefited from the workouts at all.
- If you don’t have a personal trainer, then always consult someone accustomed to the workouts.
So, this was everything about leg and shoulder workouts for beginners and regular gym-goers. You don’t need to do all the exercises mentioned above, do as you prefer. Even you can add other exercises if you want.
Leg and shoulder workouts have a huge variety of exercises to choose from; only the most effective ones are mentioned here.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Are Some Effective Leg Exercises for A Leg Workout?
Squats, lunges, leg presses, leg extensions, and calf raises are a few effective leg workouts.
2. What Shoulder Exercises Should I Do when Working out My Shoulders?
The shoulder press, lateral rises, front raises, rear delt flyes, and upright rows are some effective shoulder exercises.
3. How Frequently Should I Work My Shoulders and Legs?
A leg and shoulder workout should be performed two to three times per week, with at least one day in between each session.
4. For Each Exercise, how Many Sets and Repetitions Should I Perform?
Strive for three to four sets of 8 to 12 repetitions for each exercise.
Also read:
Amazing Benefits of Heel Touches
Last Updated on by Laveleena Sharma
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