It’s time for Fitness Friday! As part of my constant battle to become one of those ‘fit people,’ I am sharing my fitness tips, routines and stories with you all. Today I wanted to talk about 5 easy things you can do to make your leg day more effective. Squats and other leg exercises have become a necessity in a fitness routine but that doesn’t mean everyone does it right. Hopefully my five steps will help you get more out of your gym session:

1. Take off your trainers

This seems like a slightly weird one, but take off your trainers for leg day. It allows you to really see what your feet are doing – are you pushing down on your heels? Are you lifting your toes? Are your feet straight? Your technique will be instantly better; after all, if Arnie does it, then take note!

2. Place a bench behind you

My flexibility is my weakness and this shows when I squat. A great tip to make sure you get the right depth is to place a bench behind you. As you squat, try to sit down on the bench (without actually sitting down and letting the tension go!) It gives you something physical to focus on to improve your squat technique.

3. Increase the weight

If you squat just with your bodyweight, then get some weight on! Squats with a bar in the squat rack are so much more effective than doing so without. Try the bar empty on its own first, then build up.

4. Decrease the weight

Wait, you just told me to increase the weight? I know but there is a balance – increasing too quickly can cause bad technique. If you’re depth isn’t right, try dropping the weight down to focus on technique for a few sessions and see the difference.

5. Stretch!

My final piece of advice is something I need to do myself – stretch! After all, I am the idiot who physically had to crawl up the stairs after a particularly hard leg day this week. It may feel good to push yourself that much, but not the next morning when you can’t walk! Invest in a foam roller and make sure you warm up and cool down There are great tutorials all over YouTube and Pinterest, but this gives you a good basic routine. 

What are your tips to get the most out of your leg day?