One question I get asked or I see getting asked quite a lot is “what is the best exercise for fat loss?” My answer is that there is not one best exercise but there is definitely a best body part for fat loss. That body part is legs.
The dreaded leg day.
Lots of people DO NOT enjoy a leg session, especially when there are lots of squats and reps to do. But honestly, I absolutely love a legs session.
Not necessarily whilst I am doing it, but once I have finished a legs session I feel bloody amazing and like I have worked out really hard. It just never quite the same if I train upper body or my core.
As well as making me feel amazing, there are many more benefits to training legs when it comes to fat loss.
- Training legs burns more calories.
This is what we all want to hear right. How do we burn the most calories possible? Train legs.
Our legs are the hold some of the biggest muscles in the body, like our quadriceps (thighs), hamstrings (back of the legs, and the biggest of them all our glutes (bum). So when we work these muscles we can use heavier weights and burn lots more calories per repetition compared to when we work other muscles, smaller muscles.
Hence the reason you may sweat a lot more following a leg session full of squats, lunges, split squats, bridge raises and other exercises where the legs are used intensely.
- Strong Legs = More Calories Burnt at Rest
The energy and intensity it requires to properly train legs results in a massive ramp up of your metabolism, which means once your session is done you will continue to burn even more calories at rest. BONUS!!
By preserving the quality lean muscle around your legs and bum means you will use more energy (calories) just for that muscle to be there in all its awesome glory. Now don’t panic ladies, I am not saying you need to turn into quadzilla to become a calorie-burning machine, just a little extra lean muscle on the lower body will boost metabolism and ensure you look smoking hot in a pair of leggings. Essentially more muscle means you can eat more too, so what are you waiting for, get squatting.
Final Tip:
NEVER SKIP LEG DAY!!!