I occasionally hear some people talk about “leg day” during a warm-up and I always chuckle a little when I hear it. First of all, I have to admit that I’m guilty of using that term as well. Before I started training this way, I used to have a “leg day”. It was always my third training day of the week, which was preceded by chest and tri’s Monday and back and bi’s Tuesday. Ever try to get a bench station at a globo gym on Monday? Good luck my friends!
So what is “leg day”? I have to go back a ways, so bear with me. Somewhere in the late 1970/80s when guys like Arnold Schwarzenneger and Lou Ferrigno became household names, there was a serious paradigm shift in what people regarded as healthy, good looking, and athletic. Bodybuilding became the new fitness model for Americans. Bro, if you don’t look like Conan, you aren’t training hard! I’m not poking fun at bodybuilders, the disciple those folks have is incredible, but that’s not what most of us are training for. The problem began when everyone started training like a bodybuilder and they didn’t know it. “Leg Day” became the feared training day. Everyone looked for an excuse to avoid it because standing up out of bed the next day required a small miracle. It’s the day with hamstring curls, leg extensions, the awkward adduction machine (that you wouldn’t let your friends see you use), the leg press, calf raises, and quarter depth squats if you were a real studmuffin.
Why do I chuckle when I hear “leg day”? I laugh because it reminds me how different most peoples idea of training legs is. At Flow every day is “leg day”. Why? The primary function of leg day is mostly negated when training like a bodybuilder. We squat, deadlift, clean, snatch, and swing kettlebells because it improves hip-drive. Hip-drive is fundamental to athletic success and carries over to nearly every movement we do. Kipping pull-ups, farmer carries, wall balls, push press, jerks, and even box jumps are made easier by having strong hips.
We program at Flow to get you in shape to make life easier outside the gym. Having strong legs is the best way to do that. That’s why everyday is “leg day”.
So what is “leg day”? I have to go back a ways, so bear with me. Somewhere in the late 1970/80s when guys like Arnold Schwarzenneger and Lou Ferrigno became household names, there was a serious paradigm shift in what people regarded as healthy, good looking, and athletic. Bodybuilding became the new fitness model for Americans. Bro, if you don’t look like Conan, you aren’t training hard! I’m not poking fun at bodybuilders, the disciple those folks have is incredible, but that’s not what most of us are training for. The problem began when everyone started training like a bodybuilder and they didn’t know it. “Leg Day” became the feared training day. Everyone looked for an excuse to avoid it because standing up out of bed the next day required a small miracle. It’s the day with hamstring curls, leg extensions, the awkward adduction machine (that you wouldn’t let your friends see you use), the leg press, calf raises, and quarter depth squats if you were a real studmuffin.
Why do I chuckle when I hear “leg day”? I laugh because it reminds me how different most peoples idea of training legs is. At Flow every day is “leg day”. Why? The primary function of leg day is mostly negated when training like a bodybuilder. We squat, deadlift, clean, snatch, and swing kettlebells because it improves hip-drive. Hip-drive is fundamental to athletic success and carries over to nearly every movement we do. Kipping pull-ups, farmer carries, wall balls, push press, jerks, and even box jumps are made easier by having strong hips.
We program at Flow to get you in shape to make life easier outside the gym. Having strong legs is the best way to do that. That’s why everyday is “leg day”.
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