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4 Golden Rules You Need To Follow To Lift For Decades Injury-Free
Follow These Four Rules To Train Injury-Free
The gym isn’t the safest of places to be in, especially if you want to lift for decades to come. If you’re a gym frequent, you need to be careful around the unforgiving iron. A little carelessness inside the iron paradise can cause a big injury.
An injury can be a major setback as it can rule you out for a long time. Not being able to train might sound like a life sentence to a pro or someone on a deadline. Follow these four rules if you want to train injury-free.
Learn The Right Form
To remain injury-free, you need to get the basics right. Some people make the mistake of joining a gym and head straight to the weight room without learning the right way to perform the exercises.
While it’s impossible to eliminate the chances of an injury while training, you can take the necessary steps to bring down the probability of suffering a setback. Once you learn the right form of performing the exercises, you can carry on the right approach to when you lift heavier weights.
If you start on the wrong foot, there are higher chances of getting hurt and it might take a long time for you to unlearn the wrong ways. Focus on learning the basics, and the weights will come later.
Drop Your Ego At The Entrance
The infamous gym fail videos are mostly the result of inflated egos. Letting your ego get the better of you in the weight room can cause more harm than good. If your goal is to build muscle, you should focus on the muscle contractions and mind-muscle connection more than the amount of weight on the bar.
For some people, the amount of weights they can lift is directly proportional to their self-esteem. While a few people lift heavier than they correctly can to feel good about themselves, the others do so to impress someone – mostly a girl.
Drop your ego at the front door while entering the iron paradise and don’t be reluctant to ask for a spot when you might need it. Performing an exercise with lesser weight is better than watching your gym fail video go viral on YouTube and Instagram while lying in a hospital bed.
Warm-Up Before Training
Numerous people make the mistake of heading straight for the dumbbells as soon as they step into the gym. Some of these people consider warm-ups to be a waste of their time. If you’re serious about training, warming-up should be a ritual before starting your workouts.
Stretching and warming-up before a workout help relax and pump blood into your muscles. Spending 15-20 minutes on warming-up before your working sets can dramatically reduce the chances of an injury.
Use Lifting Gear
There has been some widespread craze of “raw lifting” by gym bros around the world. Raw lifting includes not using any assistive gear while you lift heavy weights. The gym bros try to overdo lifting heavy by lifting heavy – raw.
Using assistive gear like a weightlifting belt, wrist and knee wraps can drastically reduce the chances of an injury. Apart from the reducing possibility of an injury, the gym gear can help you better target your muscles as they reduce the involvement of the secondary muscles.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Have you ever been injured in the gym?
Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
These are the Most Ripped WWE Superstars
Ripped to the bones WWE Superstars
WWE is one of the most well-recognized entertainment brands in the world. The WWE athletes go above and beyond to entertain the franchise viewers. Most of the stunts which the WWE athletes perform need them to be in the best physical condition.
The WWE superstars spend countless hours in the weight room training for their fights. Some of the superstars have peak muscle conditioning and can give the pro bodybuilders a run for their money.
Triple H
Triple H is a WWE veteran and has been around the wrestling scene for a long time. Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has been in shape since the starting of his career and shows no signs of slowing down.
John Cena
Cena arguably has one of the biggest following in the WWE. John takes his fitness seriously and has his own gym. Before joining WWE and all the fame, Cena was a trainer at the Gold’s Gym, Venice beach.
Sheamus
Sheamus has earned a name for himself for being a ruthless competitor. The Celtic warrior has muscle mass and definition which could put many bodybuilders to shame. Sheamus has a well proportionate physique and would score well if he stepped onto a bodybuilding stage.
Cesaro
Joining Sheamus on this list is his current tag team partner, Cesaro. Cesaro is probably pound-for-pound the strongest man in the WWE. Follow him on Instagram to see him move some heavyweights.
Jinder Mahal
Jinder Mahal has quickly risen ranks from being a jobber at Raw to being the WWE champion on SmackDown. Mahal’s talent and stunning physique set him apart from his competition.
Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner aka Big Poppa Pump is one of the first WWE athletes to have a ripped physique. Steiner was famous for his peaking biceps and a chiseled upper body. Scott confirmed that women love men with big muscles.
The Rock
The Rock is probably the most celebrated WWE superstar. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has gone through many transformations in the recent years. The Rock’s new transformation is always better than the previous one. The Rock is known to have one of the most intense work ethics.
Batista
Batista dominates the WWE ring every time he walks into it. Batista earned the name “The Animal” for his relentless intensity inside the squared circle. Batista has since moved into Hollywood and features in films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Spectre, etc.
The Ultimate Warrior
The Ultimate Warrior was ripped before it was in trend. The electrifying presence of the Ultimate Warrior and a chiseled physique made him a crowd favorite. James Hellwig aka The Ultimate Warrior passed away soon after giving a heartfelt WWE hall of fame induction speech.
Who is your favorite WWE superstar?
Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Images courtesy of Instagram
Benefits Of The Circus Dumbbell For Strongman Strength
What started at the circus is by no means a laughable lift.
When we look at a Strongman event, the uniqueness of each exercise is part of the spectacle. Watching strongmen and strongwomen lift logs overhead, pull trucks, deadlift ungodly amounts of weight, and perform the medley which not one of us dare touch can be exhilarating, even from the comfort from our couch as we munch on cheese puffs and encourage them to lift more. It’s impressive, and while we may not engage in that form of training and competition, it is fun to imagine what that would be like nonetheless.
But let’s the scene for something really quick. You’re at the turn of 19th/20th century and someone offers to take you to the circus. A grand tent, beautiful spectacle of colors, animals, and performers. Probably a tight roper walker, maybe someone wrangling a tiger. Suddenly, the ring master brings out what looks like a massive dumbbell, bigger than anything you’ve seen before. He points to you and wants you to come down. So, you do. He instructs you to lift the weight. Simple, right? So you try. It doesn’t budge. The crowd laughs, the ringmaster chuckles at your misfortune, but you simply cannot lift this weight. A Strongman appears, shirtless, wearing tight, colorful pants. The crowd now erupts in laughter. He walks over, grips this massive handle, and effortlessly, lifts this giant dumbbell overhead. The crowd cheers and you’ve just experienced one of the oldest Strongman events of all time: the circus dumbbell.
As a fun staple in Strongman events and a serious test of overhead pressing capabilities, the circus dumbbell has stood the test of time. Let’s take a closer look at the circus dumbbell. From what it is, to the benefits of it, and even how to perform it, this event can be a fun exercise if you have access to this giant dumbbell. A spectacle of an event can make for a fun and engaging workout.
What Is The Circus Dumbbell?
The circus dumbbell is essentially an oversized dumbbell with a very large grip and longer in length. While this is mainly used in the traditional sense of a Strongman event being the one-arm overhead press, the circus dumbbell has great uses for many other exercises like farmer’s carries, swings, rows, and anything where a dumbbell is your main piece of equipment by choice.
Due to its sheer size and awkward grip, this is a unique training tool that can make a workout quite difficult. The grip is unique in that it requires a certain level of grip strength, so strong wrists and forearms are required, and the length can be challenging especially when going overhead.
Benefits Of The Circus Dumbbell
Develop Upper Body Strength
The sheer mass of this dumbbell will improve upper body strength as you recruit many muscle groups to get this weight overhead. The movement, which requires certain muscles at different stages of the lift, will certainly help with that muscle growth you want to see as you get stronger and more efficient with it. Not only are your larger muscle groups worked, but those smaller stabilizer and assistance muscles you so desperately seek to grow. For developing upper body strength, the circus dumbbell is a great option.
Challenge Your Core
The necessity of your core with this lift is imperative as it requires the utmost balance and support to really get that weight lifted overhead. Helping you stay grounded, your core will be engaged and braced as it will challenge your ability to stay as stable as possible. While this may not work your core to oblivion like other ab exercises, it certainly will challenge it.
Enhance Grip Strength
Grip strength is something often times overlooked for we never really think about why we exactly need it. But it helps with functional movements and everyday activities, as well as those big lifts especially as we increase in weight. The massive size of this handle is enough to challenge grip and requires strong forearms and wrists, both of which we tend to ignore. With the help of this lift, it will illuminate how strong of grip strength you have, or make you think about ways to really enhance that grip strength.
Have Fun With An Old School Strongman Lift
We are always looking for ways to challenge ourselves and add variety in our workouts. This lift is one way to do so. By incorporating a fun and challenging Strongman lift, especially one with history, our gains will not only grow, but we will have fun doing so. Approaching a challenge like this should be fun and while we want to compete with others, sometimes its best to start competing with ourselves.
How To Perform The Circus Dumbbell
Here are the steps for performing this dumbbell lift:
Begin in a squat stance with the dumbbell in the middle of your feet. Grabbing the dumbbell, drop your hips and pull your chest up, similar to a deadlift. Then, pick the dumbbell off the floor with an explosive movement and guide to a press. This will be about at your shoulder. You can use your free hand to help guide it to your shoulder.
Once in this position, get yourself in a stable place to lift the weight overhead. You can use your free hand to help guide you and get set-up. Remember to engage your core and feel grounded and stable throughout your body.
Now it’s time for the press. Remove your free hand and perform a slight dip, then hoisting the dumbbell overhead, locking out the arm. Gently lower back to the ground and repeat for your desired number of reps.
Wrap Up
The circus dumbbell is an old and storied Strongman lift that can provide for a fun way to add diversity to your workouts. With benefits towards your strength and stability, this can really challenge you physically and mentally as if you were under the bright lights of the Strongman stage. With proper form and real overhead pressing efficiency, you will be well on your way to lifting big like the pros.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
This is How You’re Stopping Yourself From Building Muscle
Avoid These Things to Build Muscle Mass
Going to the gym six days a week doesn’t guarantee you’ll build muscle mass. Without even knowing it, you might be doing a few things which could be acting as hurdles between you and your dream physique.
You build muscle when you do a series of right things. Going out of line in a single aspect can negatively affect your gains. In this article, we’ll be listing out five ways you could be stopping yourself from building muscle.
Lack of Recovery
Some people wear the “4-hour sleep a night” tag with pride. If your goal is to build muscle mass, you can’t afford to have anywhere less than seven hours of sleep every night. Your body recovers and puts on muscle size while you’re in deep sleep.
If you face sore muscles too often and can’t seem to recover from your workouts, you should consider using supplements to aid your recovery. Massages, stretching, Epsom salt baths are other effective recovery methods.
Generic Diet Plan
Following a custom diet plan is indispensable when it comes to building muscle mass. You can’t solely rely on making the right decisions when it comes to your daily meals. You should design a diet plan while keeping your daily calorie and macros goals in mind.
Getting professional help if you can’t build your diet plan can save you a lot of effort and time. For your diet plan to be sustainable, make sure it fits into your lifestyle so that you don’t have to make big sacrifices and adjustments to follow it.
Overtraining
When people don’t see results, they push harder, and it might do more harm than good. Overtraining can take a toll on your CNS (central nervous system) and can hamper your immune system.
If you take too long to recover from your workouts, chances are you might be in an overtrained state. Stopping training will be your best bet in situations like these until you get back on track.
Not Following A Customized Workout Plan
Most people take their workout programs too lightly and are happy following the free workout plans they can find online. You need to remember that no two people have the same genetics or muscle maturity.
Everyone has their strengths and weakness, and you need to device a workout program which works on building your weaker muscle group and polishes your strengths. Getting a customized diet plan will pay dividends in the long run.
Alcohol
If you’re on a timeline, drinking alcohol can act as a setback. As soon as you have a glass of your favorite poison, your body treats it just like that, a glass of poison. On alcohol consumption, your body slows down your metabolism and ramps up the fat storage in your body.
Alcohol is a source of empty calories and does nothing more than add layers of fat on your body. So, if you want to do a transformation, you might want to take your drinking down a notch or two.
Are you committing any of these sins? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Header image courtesy of Envato Elements
Julius Maddox To Attempt Bench Press World Record At Wrigley Field
Julius Maddox will attempt to break his own record on Saturday night.
All records are meant to be broken and on Saturday night, Julius Maddox will attempt to break one of his own. The 34-year-old powerlifter currently holds the bench press world record of 782.6 pounds. Wrigley Field in Chicago will be the site where Maddox attempts to break his own record.
The Chicago Cubs will host the Kansas City Royals at 2:20 PM ET. Maddox’s record attempt will take place after the game and can be seen on Marquee Sports Network. This is a WRPF Americas sanctioned event.
This is not the first time that Maddox will attempt to break his own world record. He originally took over the title in August 2019 with a 739.6-pound lift. Maddox took the record from Kirill Sarychev and has been building on it ever since. In March 2020, Maddox raised the bar to 770 pounds and achieved the 782.6-pound lift in February.
It is unknown what weight Maddox will attempt to lift on Saturday night. He has attempted a massive 800-pound bench press in the past but has been unable to finish. Maddox has been in pursuit of this number and the next attempt could take place on Wrigley Field.
This news comes in the same week that we found out Maddox will go head-to-head against Danial Zamani in a bench-press showdown. This will take place at CT Fletcher’s Iron Wars V. The two powerhouses in the bench-press game will meet for what will be a memorable event. If Zamani wants to attempt to break Maddox’s record, he might have a new number to shoot for.
Maddox has been promoting this event on Saturday night on his Instagram page.
“One day out! Shout out to @obsidian_ammonia for the graphic.. Also the best smelling salts on the planet @obsidian_ammonia promo irregularstrength
Sat Aug 21 630pm to 730pm Wrigley Field”
The powerlifting world will have eyes on Wrigley Field on Saturday night for what could be a special night for Maddox. Can he break his own record once again? Will he attempt an 800-pound lift? All questions will be answered in a few short hours in Chicago.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Big Ramy Looks Massive In Preparation For 2021 Olympia
The 2020 Olympia champion looks primed to compete for another title this year.
Mamdouh Elssbiay, better known as Big Ramy, put on a show during the 2020 Olympia and was able to take home the title. This was his first title and looks ready to try and make it back-to-back in October.
Big Ramy is usually one of the biggest competitors when he steps on stage. He has an incredible physique with massive legs that puts him in position to win any competition he takes place in. There have been some critiques but he is looking like he is making adjustments ahead of the 2021 Olympia.
In preparation for the biggest competition of the year, Big Ramy is looking insane in training.
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Big Ramy appeared in the 2017 Olympia and performed well against Phil Heath, a seven-time champion. He finished second in this competition before falling to sixth the very next year. He did not compete during the 2019 Olympia and Brandon Curry took home the prize. In 2020, Big Ramy was able to top both Curry and Heath.
Since becoming a pro in 2012, Big Ramy has won five competitions. This includes his first as a pro at the 2013 New York Pro. He has competed in seven Olympias thus far so he knows what to expect heading in. If Big Ramy is at his best, he will be difficult to beat.
There is no doubt that Big Ramy will be in a position to win once again but it will not be easy. There is a long list of talented competitors that have already qualified. This includes Curry and William Bonac, who said he wants to beat Big Ramy at his best. When these athletes take the stage, there will be plenty of size and Big Ramy could lead the way. Coming off a victory last year, there is plenty of momentum and confidence this time around.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Talking Huge With Craig Golias | EP 10: Bodybuilding World Reacts To Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Comments
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Craig Golias weighs in on Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “screw your freedom” comments, analyzes Roelly Winklaar’s future, and more.
Welcome to another episode of Talking Huge – a weekly digital series in which Craig Golias talks in-depth with Vlad Yudin on the latest trending topics in bodybuilding. Raw, honest, and uncut – Craig Golias shares his opinions on all things bodybuilding. In this episode, Craig Golias reacts to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s recent comments about freedom, analyzes Roelly Winklaar’s recent physique, and shares tips on how to keep motivated during training.
This past week has been another busy bodybuilding week with plenty of controversial, exciting, and sadly more tragic news. So there’s been much to talk about with Craig Golias since our last episode. The biggest story that has been making waves is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comments about mask mandates – stating, “screw your freedom” to anti-maskers. Craig shares his personal reaction to the comments as well as how the bodybuilding community has been responding as a whole. Other topics discussed include breaking down Roelly Winklaar’s recent on stage performance at the Europa Pro and what his future holds as he struggles to gain a first place finish; how to not get bored in the gym, and how to not give up when results aren’t meeting your goals.
The Bodybuilding World Erupts As Arnold Schwarzenegger says, “Screw Your Freedom.”
Earlier in the week, Arnold Schwarzenegger took to a news program to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, mask mandates, and vaccines. Ultimately, in a moment of passion, Schwarzenegger stated, “Screw your freedom” in a response to anti-maskers claiming they have the freedom to not wear masks. This statement started making waves in the bodybuilding world. Most notably, RedCon1 pulled sponsorship from the Arnold Classic. RedCon1 is one of the larger supplement companies to support and sponsor the Arnold Classic event.
Once RedCon1 made this move – more attention was brought to Schwarzenegger’s comments. Bodybuilders have made stances on social media and even strongman Brian Shaw removed his Schwarzenegger poster from his wall. So what does Craig Golias think?
Craig Golias was actually on vacation when the news first broke – and so he was out of the loop for the first few days. When he finally saw the news – he was able to read everyone’s immediate reactions as well as the initial comments. He was surprised at just how intense the reactions were – but he also understood why so many have become incensed.
Craig Golias, personally, believes that he should be allowed to not wear a mask if he is vaccinated. He thinks if a person doesn’t want to be vaccinated but is afraid of getting sick – they should simply stay home. As a large man of towering huge muscle – wearing a mask for long periods of time makes it hard for him to breath. Especially in claustrophobic spaces such as a plane.
Breaking Down Roelly Winklaar And His Future
Craig Golias and Vlad Yudin also discuss Roelly Winklaar and his latest activity in the 2021 bodybuilding season. After placing fifth at the Chicago Pro and then later falling just short of first at the Europa Pro – it seems that the hype behind Winklaar is slowing down. His second place finish at Europa Pro still earned him an Olympia qualification – but if he can’t win there, how will he handle the Mr. Olympia itself?
Craig Golias considers Roelly Winklaar one of his favorite bodybuilders of all time. He thinks that Winklaar can be a Mr. Olympia champion – but only if he holds on and doesn’t give up. This might end up being a rougher year for Winklaar, but if he hangs in there, he can readjust and come back stronger. He still has a chance.
As it stands now – Craig Golias thinks Roelly Winklaar still has time to tighten up his physique for the Mr. Olympia. That’s the beauty behind sports, there’s a wide amount of variables that come together for each competition. Anything can happen – however unlikely.
Wrap Up
There are far more topics discussed in this episode than we can cover in this article. You can check it all out in the latest episode of Talking Huge above! Make sure to check out Talking Huge every week on Friday – only on the Generation Iron Fitness Network!
Italian Bodybuilder Orlando Gallucci Passed Away Following 2021 NPC Worldwide European Championships
Orlando Gallucci was found dead just days after competing.
Italian bodybuilder Orlando Gallucci was found dead just days after the 2021 NPC Worldwide European Championship in Alicante, Spain. the cause of his death has not been confirmed.
Gallucci was in Spain to help other competitors who were competing that weekend. He decided to extend his stay and continuing training. He posted on Facebook on August 17 and it is speculated that he passed away that night.
Orlando Gallucci lived in Avellino, Italy but was originally from Solofra. He was a competitor and personal trainer who was beloved in his hometown. Gallucci was well-known at the gym he worked, Officina 2.0. In addition to working as a trainer, Gallucci was still an active competitor at the NPC level.
This comes just a few days after the tragic news that Alena Kosinova passed away in Alicante just before competing in the 2021 Europa Pro. There was also no official statement made on the cause of her death. This got the attention of Mr. Olympia owner Jake Wood.
“I AM NOT ONE FOR EMPTY WORDS. INSTEAD OF MAKING POSTS I’M MAKING CHANGES. I HAD A PRODUCTIVE MEETING WITH JIM AND TYLER MANION THIS MORNING AND WE’RE ALL SICKENED BY THIS TURN OF EVENTS. WE AGREED THAT CONDITIONING IS OVER EMPHASIZED IN THE JUDGING CRITERIA AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. I WILL PUSH FOR CHANGE IN ALL DIVISIONS,” wood said in a recent comment.
This statement from Wood was seen in a comment or direct message and does not appear on any official social media pages of his. This is a call to action for change and he seems to be working towards making that change. The news of Gallucci’s passing will cause some more work to be done to bring necessary change.
Generation Iron sends condolences out to Orlando Gallucci’s family and friends during this time. This article will be updated as more information is confirmed and becomes available. For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Phil Hernon Has Reportedly Passed Away
IFBB Pro bodybuilder Phil Hernon has passed away among a string of tragic and sudden bodybuilding deaths.
More sad news hits the bodybuilding world today as it’s been reported that IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Phil Hernon has passed away. At the time of this writing, the cause of death has not been made public. Hernon is best known as the Mr. USA 1995 champion.
The news of Phil Hernon’s death was first reported by Muscular Development on their official Instagram. At this moment, there has been no official announcement on Hernon’s social pages, website, or made by family. The cause of death was not mentioned in the original report.
Though initial information at this time is slim, Phil Hernon had previously posted in 2020 on Instagram posts (now deleted) that he had to be on dialysis – indicating some sort of health issue. There has been little activity on his social media channels. His latest posts falling near early 2020.
Phil Hernon’s passing comes after a string of tragic and too soon deaths. It was earlier reported that NPC bodybuilder Sofia Graham passed away in her sleep. She was 27 years old. Additionally, two bodybuilding competitors passed away at the Europa Pro this past weekend. Alena Kosinova, who was rushed to the hospital mere hours before she was set to walk on stage. Italian athlete Orlando Gallucci was also found dead just days after competing in the Europa Pro.
While many of these deaths have happened in a short string of time (and unfortunately much too young), at the moment there seems to be little in way of correlation between these deaths. Despite this, there have been calls to make competitive bodybuilding a healthier sport for athletes. Mr. Olympia owner Jake Wood recently made comments stating he was investigating into the passing of Alena Kosinova and alluded to future changes in judging.
Regardless, the high volume of bodybuilding deaths is tragic and weighing heavily on the fans, athletes, and family within the bodybuilding community. Our condolences go out to Phil Hernon’s family and friends during this time.
This article will be updated as more information is confirmed and becomes available. Stay tuned to the Generation Iron Fitness Network for more bodybuilding news and updates.
Best Dumbbell Workouts For Leg Growth & Functional Fitness
These best dumbbell workouts will boost leg growth and make your leg day absolutely worth it.
Leg day can be a dreaded day in the gym for some but these best dumbbell workouts can increase leg growth and aid in functional fitness. We all want those vanity muscles to pop but focusing on our legs has great benefits to our training and performance, as well as our physical health. When it comes down to it, adding dumbbells into your workout can greatly influence your gains and offer variety when it comes to keeping those workouts engaging without suffering from utter boredom. The right approach with the right exercise can seriously boost all your gains.
Let’s take a look at some of the best dumbbell workouts to boost leg growth and functional fitness as you seek the most out of leg day. While leg day can be a dreaded day at times, it is important and can work wonders for all your gains.
What Leg Muscles Should Get Worked?
Your lower half is comprised of quite a few muscles that need to see great work done. Each will allow for better stability and strength, while also aiding in power and explosivity depending on what workouts or functional movements you decide to perform.
Quads: One of the strongest muscles in the body, these work for power and explosive movements while also stabilizing the knee and absorbing force.
Hamstrings: The large muscle in the back of your leg, these work to extend your hips and bend your knee. Strengthening these is key to avoid any injuries and unwanted pain.
Calves: These are used to extend your foot and offer support for walking, running, and other sport specific and functional movements.
Adductors: These are the inner thigh muscles and work to stabilize and balance your body as you move from side to side.
Abductors: These focus on stability with one leg movements and perform the opposite as the adductors, although are equally important.
Benefits Of Strong Legs
The benefit of having strong legs goes far beyond simply a larger lower half. Able to help with sport specific and functional movements, skipping leg day would be a huge disservice. Make the most out of leg day and really capitalize on the benefits of strong legs. Benefits include:
Increased strength and size: Work on nailing PRs and really lifting big weight with strong legs while also providing for more functional movements (1).
Power and explosive movements: These will aid in those powerful and explosive movements to keep performance high and you hitting those desired results.
Better balance and stability: With stronger legs, your balance and stability will be enhanced to keep you grounded and lifting heavier weight (2).
Increased core strength: Since your core is vital for many leg exercises, by keeping it constantly engaged you work to increase core strength (3).
Larger lower aesthetic: Strong legs can give your lower half a nice aesthetic that others will envy which lets them know you don’t skip leg day.
Best Dumbbell Exercises For Leg Growth
Goblet Squat
A great squat variation to use with dumbbells, this works all those muscles in your lower body and limits the need for a barbell. By mainly working your quads and glutes, it also requires good core engagement to aid in that increased core strength. This will also enhance the squatting movement as a whole.
Bulgarian Split Squat
This compound exercise is great for targeting similar muscles to the squat and can aid in muscle imbalances as well as hip mobility (4). A challenging exercise, it does offer variety and the chance to really give yourself a great challenge as you increase weight. Core engagement is also key with this exercise.
Walking Lunges
Walking lunges work all of those lower body muscles and require good form as you keep a tight core and neutral spine. This exercise is great for functional movements and increasing your range of motion, thus enhancing flexibility and improving your overall posture.
Dumbbell Swings
Dumbbell swings are performed in a similar manner as the kettlebell swings exercise with great benefits attached. This exercise can provide balance, build strength, and is an awesome conditioning exercise to get your heart rate going as you look to burn more calories.
Calf Raises
With many variations, the calf raise is great for increasing the size of your calves and is rather simple to perform. As an easy and low impact exercise, calf raises can provide for better stability and balance and decrease ankle and foot injuries (5). Staying controlled with this movement is key so as to not injure yourself or cause unwanted pain and strain.
Featured Fixed Dumbbell & Adjustable Dumbbell
When it comes to your dumbbell needs, you have the option to use a fixed dumbbell or an adjustable one, depending on your goals and what you want to get out of them most. A fixed dumbbell can be great for it is comfortable and the grip is more than likely very secure, but you need many pairs of different weights for an effective workout. Adjustable dumbbells are perfect for saving time and money and can prove worthwhile for efficient and convenient workouts. While it is a preference, we wanted to share an option of each so you can better optimize your gains.
Best Fixed Dumbbells: papababe Dumbbells
papababe Dumbbells are perfect for free weight strength training. Made from solid cast iron with a rubber head, this ensures durability, longevity, and protection.
Check out our list of the Best Dumbbells for more great products!
Best Adjustable Dumbbells: Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells
Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells adjust from 5 to 52.5 lbs. and allow for quick switching. With 15 sets of weight in one, the unique dial system works perfectly for convenience.
Check out our list of the Best Adjustable Dumbbells for more great lifting equipment!
Wrap Up
The best dumbbell workouts for leg growth can greatly affect training and performance while giving you the edge for functional movements as well. By putting an emphasis on leg day, you give yourself the best chance at seeing growth and succeeding with your goals. Add these dumbbell workouts into your routine to see that lower half thrive. With the right approach and the right exercises, all of your goals are easily attainable.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Bean, J.; Leveille, S.; Kiely, D.; Bandinelli, S. (2003). “A Comparison of Leg Power and Leg Strength Within the InCHIANTI Study: Which Influences Mobility More?”. (source)
Hasselgren, L.; Olsson, L.; Nyberg, L. (2011). “Is leg muscle strength correlated with functional balance and mobility among inpatients in geriatric rehabilitation?”. (source)
Iacono, A.; Padulo, J.; Ayalon, M. (2016). “Core stability training on lower limb balance strength”. (source)
Aguilera-Castells, J.; Busca, B.; Morales, J.; Solana-Tramunt, M.; et al. (2019). “Muscle activity of Bulgarian squat. Effects of additional vibration, suspension and unstable surface”. (source)
Schaardenburgh, M.; Wohlwend, M.; Rognmo, O.; Mattsson, E. (2017). “Calf raise exercise increases walking performance in patients with intermittent claudication”. (source)