A Leg Day Warm for Better Results
A proper leg day warm up is crucial for preventing injuries and getting maximum growth from your workouts. By prepping your muscles, you’ll ensure that you’re body is ready for a killer leg day. Introduce these 5 leg day warmups before you start your workout and you’ll thank me later!
1. Dynamic Frog Squats
Let’s kick off with Frog Squats, a good exercise for loosening up your hips and warming up your quads and glutes.
How to Do It: Start by standing with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly pointed out. Lower yourself into a squat position, pushing your knees outward. Push your knees out until you can feel the stretch on your inner thigh. Rotate from left to right.
Why It Helps: Frog Squats increase flexibility in the hips and stretch the inner thighs.
2. Deep Lunge to Hamstring Stretch
This move combines the benefits of deep lunges and hamstring stretches to prepare your hips, quads, and hamstrings.
How to Do It: Begin by stepping one foot forward into a deep lunge, making sure your front knee is directly above your ankle and your back leg is extended behind you. Hold the lunge position for a few seconds, then straighten your front leg and shift your hips back, reaching towards your toes to stretch your hamstring. Alternate between these two positions for 8-12 reps on each side.
Why It Helps: This exercise stretches and warms up both the hip flexors and hamstrings, ensuring your lower body is flexible and prepared for more intense movements.
3. Side Lunges
Side Lunges are perfect for warming up the inner and outer thighs, as well as the glutes.
How to Do It: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Step one foot out to the side, bending that knee while keeping the other leg straight. Shift your weight over the bent leg, pushing your hips back. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Do 10-15 reps per side.
Why It Helps: Side Lunges enhance flexibility in the hip joints and stretch the adductors, preparing your legs for lateral movements.
4. Leg Swings
Leg Swings are an effective exercise for increasing blood flow to your legs and improving flexibility.
How to Do It: Stand next to a wall or support for balance. Swing one leg forward and backward in a controlled motion, keeping your movements smooth. Do 15-20 swings per leg. You can also perform this exercise side-to-side to target different muscle groups.
Why It Helps: Leg Swings help loosen up your hip joints and warm up your hamstrings, quads, and glutes.
5. Hip Rotations
Finish off your warm up with hip rotations. These help improve mobility and flexibility in your hip joints.
How to Do It: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips for support. Make slow, controlled circles with your hips, moving them clockwise for 10-15 seconds, then counterclockwise for another 10-15 seconds. Perform 2-3 rotations in each direction.
Why It Helps: Hip Rotations increase the range of motion in your hips, which can enhance your performance and reduce the risk of injury during leg exercises.
With these dynamic exercises as part of your leg day warm up routine, you’ll notice less pain and more gains from your workout. Happy leg day!
