Leg training is not popular with many, but it is a great feeling to stand on the stairs with shaky legs after a leg day and the workout is immediately noticeable. In his column, our fitness pro explains the clear reasons for regular leg training.
There are some unwritten rules among fitness enthusiasts. But opinions differ on one thing: one group swears by leg training – the other prefers to skip leg day, after all, we used to play football.
Now there are trainers who then go to the trouble of explaining to those «leg training lazy people» that it makes sense to train the largest and strongest muscles from time to time. This is mainly with the argument that the body’s own hormone response to training could be more extreme and therefore more effective.
That sounds understandable at first glance. But is it really like that?
Leg Day: Leg training causes higher testosterone release
We wanted to know exactly and did a study on this topic, which was published in the «Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness» in 2019. For this purpose, we compared two different exercises and their hormone response (testosterone and cortisol) on young, trained sports students. Two exercises that are known as compound movements because they involve multiple muscles across multiple joints: the bench press and squats.
The difference: The squat affects even more and especially larger muscles.
Lo and behold, we were able to show that testosterone release was significantly higher after the squat exercise than after the bench press. Myth confirmed!
You can learn more about the study in this video:
How does leg training affect overall muscle growth?
Unfortunately, we have not yet answered the question of whether this can really generate more overall muscle growth in the long run. On the one hand, there are of course many more hormones and genes that have something to do with it, and on the other hand, no one has yet done a real and valid long-term study on the subject. I have a personal opinion on this.
Leg day is part of the training for successful strength athletes
I think there is a good chance that training the large muscle groups is generally involved in muscle growth. For example, if you take a look around (away from science) in practice, all successful strength athletes have always trained and even focused on the large muscles through exercises such as squats or deadlifts. The influence of the hormones and above all the genes and myokines in this context is huge and they usually have a systemic effect, so that you should perhaps think about a classic full-body workout more often.
So my advice: bicep curls are a nice cosmetic thing – but if you really want a big back, lift heavy weights!