Bodyweight workouts are great for getting your heart rate up, but they're not what your legs are looking for. "Your body will not build muscle until it is stressed," says Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S., co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab and advisor to Promix Nutrition. While upper-body strength training can be taken to a very high level without weights, lower-body training requires added weight in order to see major changes in lean muscle, he says. This is because your lower-body is stronger than your upper-body (think about it, we spend the day walking with our legs, not our arms). In order to see results, add weight to your leg workouts at a level that feels challenging but not impossible. Steadily continue to increase the amount of weight you're using as the moves become easier.
Cardio is an important part of any fitness routine, but if your results are MIA, you might want to give the treadmill a break. You've probably heard that mixing up your fitness routine is important to keep your body guessing and that's because it's true, says Matheny. Your body is adaptive, so if you do a ton of cardio exercises—at least 20 minutes of prolonged activity—and no strength training, you'll have a low level of muscle mass. Excess muscle is actually a hindrance to cardio performance, since excess weight will slow you down, therefore running often can leave your legs with very little muscle to show.
Again, the solution here is to strength train, says Matheny. When you push your muscles to work at a higher percentage of their capacity, that's when they grow.
So we know you need to push your muscles to the limit when it comes to strength, but pushing them to a full range of motion is just as essential, says Matheny. You'll never see the full potential of your muscles if you don't engage them in every way possible.
An obvious solution is literal stretching before and after workouts. But it's also important that you're constantly trying new moves and exercises in order to target your muscles in the most dynamic way possible. This could be as simple as trying a new lunge variation or signing up for a Pilates class.
The saddest truth on earth is that you can never achieve results through fitness alone. Every person has muscles, but what determines whether or not we can see those muscles has to do with the amount of fat on your body, says Matheny. Of course, you can lower your body fat through exercise, but when it comes to getting that percentage low enough to really see those muscles, it's what you're eating that really counts.
That means sticking to a diet of lean proteins, vegetables, complex carbs, and fruit, he says. Cheeseburgers and fries are (sadly) not going to do your calves and quads any favors.
You can do squats until you collapse, but if your form is off, it's all useless. If you're not performing exercises in a way that properly targets the muscles, you won't see the results you want, says Matheny. Not hitting your #quadgoals? Do some research to see what proper form really looks like. Then, next time you hit the gym, grab a spot by the mirrors to check yourself out. If you're still feeling less than confident, consider asking a trainer or fitness instructor if they can help correct you.
SOURCE: Womenshealthmag
