Essentials You Need When Working Out Your Lower Body Muscles
Bodybuilding, working out, and getting into shape have a lot to do with your nutrition and exercise. Those just beginning their journey or working with a regular training program who want to focus on their lower body muscles, such as the legs, calves, and glutes, should pay attention to what they are eating if they're going to see an impact.
There are some basic nutrition rules that you can follow and some complimentary equipment that you might want to get before your next leg day. One of the more significant factors in becoming lean and fit is making sure that you are well fuelled for working those big muscles and getting the most out of your workout with some simple tools.
So, how do you set up the proper pre and post-workout nutrition plan, and what kit should you be using to work out those muscles to get the best results? Follow the guide below to help you generate some real growth in your lower half.
Pre-Workout Nutrition
Getting serious on your leg day workout means having enough within your body to help you push through that gruelling workout. You shouldn't work out your calves, glutes, and legs first thing in the morning if you want to be adequately fuelled with nutrition. Instead, wait until later in the day or even the evening, when you've had at least one hearty meal consumed.
Your pre-workout meal should consist of carbohydrate and protein-rich foods for your nutrition. Also, be sure you give enough time after eating before your workout to ensure you don’t feel too heavy going into your lower body circuit.
If you can increase your total calorie intake by 15% whilst keeping to your nutrition plan, this is also recommended to help with your extensive muscle exercises. Some examples of the foods you should be consuming for this pre-workout nutrition include:
- Oats
- Brown or wild rice
- Berries or high-fiber fruits
- Sweet potatoes
- Quinoa
You want to ensure that your glucose and blood levels stay consistent with having steady energy throughout your lower body workout. If the carbs you eat are low in fiber, you will feel that "crash" effect before getting into your training, which will hinder your effort during your session and ultimately your results.
Proteins should come from complete proteins, including meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and dairy. This food is categorized as a complete protein because it contains all of the nine essential amino acids that your body cannot make on its own. Amino acids are the foundation for protein. Some plant-based sources of protein include soy and quinoa.
There are some pre-workout supplements that you can have, and they should be consumed thirty minutes before your workout so that they have time to produce their benefits when doing your challenging lower body exercises.
Most pre-workout drinks have ingredients like beetroot juice, beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and nootropics like Theacrine, ALCAR, Creatine, and Alpha-GPIC. All of these helps boost your performance, give you the energy to get through your workout, and help your muscles recover more quickly afterward.
Essential Kit for Lower Body Workouts
Since the lower body harnesses the more significant muscles within your body, you want to ensure you make the most out of your exercises. Here are some of the best exercises and lifting gear you'll want to have to ensure that you 'level up' on leg day.
Our dumbbells are available to order in 1-10kg (in 1kg increments) and 2.5-50kg (in 2.5 increments), meaning you can lift and light or heavy as you like to suit your individual lifting goals. Cast from quality grade Iron, and encapsulated in a soft, agile, rubber coating, our JLC Hex Dumbbells protect your flooring, and reduce noise from any dumbbell drops. The steel chrome coated handle also featured intricate knurling for the ultimate grip during your lifting session.
The kettlebell is a versatile weight that you can use for many lower body exercises, such as a hip thrust, in which the weight is sitting on your hips. Other exercises include the single-leg deadlift, where you can raise one leg to the opposite hand holding the kettlebell, and the kettlebell swing, which help improve endurance with your glutes and hamstrings.
Take away some of the unnecessary effort when loading your plates and conserve your energy for weightlifting sessions with the JLC Wooden Barbell Jack.
Sometimes called Booty Bands, these are a great tool to have when working lower body muscles. You put your legs in between the bands and are free to do multiple exercises such as squats, leg lifts, and hip thrusts.
If you’re really dedicated to improving your weightlifting game, then the Jordan Lifting Club HIIT Bench is the ideal piece of kit for you. A weight bench, plyo box and storage solution all in one, you might be surprised to find out that it can fit 5 pairs of JLC dumbbells, 1 JLC kettlebell, A med/slam ball and powerbands with room to spare!
Post-Workout Nutrition and Tips
After working out, your nutrition plan should focus on replenishing the carbohydrates that will assist in repairing and rebuilding any damaged muscle tissues whilst also rehydrating your body. Make sure to include both high and low fiber carbohydrates, with lean protein sources such as poultry or fish, and consider adding a whey protein supplement that helps with quick recovery of the muscles (such as a protein shake).
Tackle those massive muscles by paying close attention to your nutrition and getting some helpful exercise gear, and you are ready to take on your next leg day with a plan for bouncing back the next day. It is always beneficial to consult with your doctor, a nutritionist, or a dietitian before jumping into heavy exercise, especially as a beginner, to choose an effective plan and start gradually to help work out those lower body muscles the most efficiently.
Written by Nicole McCray