Muscle Gaining - Lower Body and Core Workouts

Now that I have covered the primary upper body core workouts. Let's talk about how you can see some muscle gains in your lower body. The following are lower core body workouts that I will probably be using in many of my suggested workout routines in the future.

1. Squats - This is the primary lower body workout (it is much like the bench press of the lower body). Squats work out your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and back. The squats are probably one of the hardest exercises that you will do. To be honest, I hate doing squats myself. But while I hate doing them, I know that they are very important to building muscle mass, so I just suck it up and move through them. I am going to show you a few workout routines that I have personally used that did not require squats. At the same time, if there is a routine that requires you to do squats, I would definitely discourage you from simply skipping the exercise altogether.

2. Deadlift - This workout is pretty simple, you just lift the weight. This is a great workout for the legs and back, but there are some downsides. First off, it is imperative that you perform this exercise correctly with correct form. If you are ever getting lazy or feel that you are having an off day, simply skip this exercise and do something else for your back. The deadlift can do serious injury to your back if you perform it incorrectly. I will go over the proper

3. Power clean or clean and jerk - This exercise is a true test of strength for your entire body. It basically incorporates the deadlift, squat and shoulder press. This is an exercise that I don't put in most of my workouts, mostly because it is too hard to do. You often see it performed in the Olympics. The exercise involves starting with the bar on the ground (with weight), deadlifting it up to the neck. You are then supposed to lift it over your head. Some people go as far as lowering it to the back of their neck and doing a squat before reversing the process. Some people do this and then just drop it at the when they put their arms up for a second or two. This is a workout for somebody who is advanced, and I wouldn't recommend it for those just looking to gain a few pounds of muscle.

So that's it. Those are the primary lower body core workout. Squats and deadlifts will probably be used a lot, and I recommend learning how to perform them with good form.

Squats and Dead Lifts

It is no myth that many people, when going to the gym to workout, don't make the most out of their time. Whether it be a deliberate choice due to laziness, or done accidentally due to lack of knowledge, many do not perform exercises such as the dead lift or squat, and thus, severely hamper the progress they could be making. These two aforementioned lifts are the most important to perform when in the gym, as they incorporate nearly every muscle in your body, allowing you to lift the most weight possible, which results in faster muscle gain and quicker fat loss. What more could you want?

Exercises such as bicep curls, shoulder raises, triceps push downs and chest flies, generally speaking, are inefficient at building significant amounts of muscle. This is because they are known as simple exercises that only recruit one or two muscle groups when they are performed. On the other end of the scale, compound exercises recruit many muscle groups when they are performed, which results in more muscle trauma (more room for muscular growth) and more calories burnt per minute. Dead lifts and squats are the two biggest compound lifts that incorporate many muscles including your quadriceps, hamstrings, lower back, upper back, traps, as well as putting a huge amount of stress on your abdominal and oblique muscles.

The amount your body can improve on the dead lift and squat is far greater than what it can improve on the smaller, simple exercises. This means that you have a greater potential for muscular growth, core strength and functional strength, whilst greatly improving the amount of testosterone your own body produces through the hormonal feedback loop, which will make you look and feel years younger than you actually are.

Other great benefits of squatting and dead lifting include:

(1) Improving your core stability which will aid you into old age
(2) Both exercises provide real world applications as the squatting and dead lifting motions are used in many different areas of life.
(3) Drastically increase your gripping strength.
(4) Improve your metabolism due to the drastic increase in body temperature.
(5) Raises the efficiency and strength of your lungs and heart.
(6) Boosts your immune system due to the gains that your central nervous system acquires.

As you can see, the squat and dead lift are known as the 'kings' of weight lifting exercises for good reason. If are serious about reaching your fitness goals, and want to have an incredibly muscular and lean body, not performing these two lifts is doing yourself, and your body, a great disservice!

Remember to learn the correct form and technique from a professional trainer when first starting to squat and dead lift, and slowly work up from using just the bar so that your body can become acclimated to the lifts. Safety should always be your first priority when you are in the gym, so leave your ego at the door and lift smart!