5 ways to strengthen the lower body

5 ways to strengthen the lower body

Lower body strength is vital to a healthy, well-functioning body. Strength in the muscles in your glutes, legs, and hips can help protect your back and knees from pain and injury and allow you to perform well in everyday activities and sports

Building lower body strength is different from increasing muscle size (hypertrophy). While building lower body strength inevitably leads to gains in muscle size, the type of exercise and program design to build strength varies.

Strength training primarily focuses on the compound movements of the whole body that increase the stability and strength of multiple muscles when they work together. Here are some of the best lower body exercises that you can try.

The importance of strengthening the lower body

Lower body strength is essential to staying fit and active throughout your life. Strong hips and buttocks increase your chances of being injury-free, without pain or stress in your back or knees.

Building and maintaining muscle through strength training can improve quality of life, prevent age-related muscle loss, and increase metabolism.2 Lower body strength is also an important factor in athletic performance, as it increases the speed, strength, and ability of athletes in any field. sports. .1

Lower body strengthening exercises

The best lower body strengthening exercises include heavy, compound movements that use multiple parts of your body. These are the differences in the squat, the deadlift, and the lunge. Depending on your skills and access to equipment, these exercises can be performed with a barbell, dumbbells, resistance band, or a body weight.

barbell squat

The dumbbell back squat is probably the best lower-body exercise you can do to build overall lower-body strength.

The squat is a functional movement that requires a strong core, especially when performed with a bar of sufficient weight.

Position your squat rack so that the bar is at your upper back, over your shoulders. Place your hands evenly on the bar, palms bent and clasped forward.

Take a wide stance with your feet under the crossbar. Push on the bar with your legs. Your weight should be evenly distributed across the front and heel of your feet.

Take a deep breath and twist your heart as if you were about to hit your stomach. Keep this support column. It is very important.

Slowly rotate your hips, pressing them back while keeping your chest as high as possible. Lower yourself by bending your knees as needed. Keep going down until you're at least parallel.

Return to the starting position, keeping your back straight and extending your feet. Exhale as you push back to stand up.

Repeat with the required number of repetitions.

Deadlift sumo

The sumo deadlift focuses more on the lower body than the traditional deadlift, which is essentially a back exercise. Due to the Sumo deadlift's unique wide-angle stance, you'll work your glutes, adductors, hamstrings, quads, back, core, and calves.

Stand in front of a loaded bar in a wide position with your toes pointing slightly. Your arms will be placed inside your knees. Your elbows will be inside your knees and your hands will be on the crossbar inside your feet.

Your shins will be perpendicular to the floor for most people, with your shoulders above the bar and your back straight. Your anatomy may dictate some differences for this. Push through your knees to engage the outer thigh muscles. Keep your torso straight.

Bracing your core, push your hips toward the bar, strengthening your lower back, legs, and buttocks.

Rotate the quads so that the thigh bones are open to rotate into the hip sockets. Align your knees with your feet and toes.

Grasping the bar (hand grip or mixed grip), move your shoulder blades back and down and lock them in place.