The Quick Cut:

• I used to skip leg day because I was stupid.

• Training legs is hard, but the rewards are big, especially when it comes to weight loss.

• Training legs gives you a stronger overall body, better mobility, improves your willpower, and helps you burn fat all over.

• You can say that training legs is like a six-pack hack.

• Do my 20-minute Leg Day Blast advanced routine to train your legs like a rockstar and get out of the gym in a flash.

The Long Slice: 

When I was young, I was stupid.

I would only focus on training my ‘beach muscles’ (i.e. chest and arms). I never paid much mind to train legs, because legs were usually less visible, usually covered in clothes, and less of a 'chick magnet.'

In fact, I remember telling my training buddy one day, "I don’t need to do legs, I ski in the winter." (I wasn't very smart.)

How Training Legs Helps You Burn Fat Faster

There are many advantages to properly training your legs, not to mention, doing legs helps you burn fat faster.

Here’s why:

Your quads are your biggest muscle group. Exercises that work the quads are the most taxing.

Thus, training your legs, with heavy compound movements such as squats and lunges, burns significant calories and causes the greatest spike in your metabolism and fat-burning hormones, such as testosterone and human growth hormone.

More importantly, your lower body is where your biggest muscle (i.e. your glutes!) and biggest muscle group (your quads) reside.

Because of this, working out your lower body can add valuable muscle, which boosts your resting metabolic rate, helping you burn more fat from all over your body, around the clock.

In other words, training your legs burns more fat all over.

More Benefits To Training Legs

Aside from the fat burning / weight loss benefits, training legs can make you more mobile and protect you from injury.

Experienced runners know that training legs is one of the best ways to improve their running power and pace.

Plus, the stronger your legs are, the more protection available for your knees and ankles. This becomes important for any kind of sport, physical labor, and day-to-day activities, especially as we age.

In my opinion, one of the more rewarding benefits of training legs is the way it improves your willpower.

You hear people complaining about the dreaded ‘leg day’ all the time. That's because training legs is tough, both physically and mentally.

The willpower and mental focus you build through pushing yourself to do another challenging set of painful squats makes it seem easier to do your upper body and cardio work.

In fact, this boost in willpower and focus will help you do everything in your life with greater ease and confidence.

Finally, doing legs makes you look firmer by having a toned lower body and glutes. (Gotta look good for the ladies!)

A Swiss Bodybuilder Gave Me This Sound Advice

Some years ago, while spending some time in Miami Beach, I met a wise, Swiss bodybuilder named 'CK', who told me (in his Swiss accent):

"If you want to have 6-pack abs, you need to train legs."

Said another way, training legs is like a hack for getting a 6-pack.

So, the next time you feel tempted to skip legs, like a stupid, young Deekron, listen instead to CK, and get those squats and lunges done.

In fact, here's an efficient-but-challenging leg day workout I came up with that will help you blast your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves in around 20 minutes.

Do My 'Leg Day Blast' Workout To Burn Fat Fast (and Leave The Gym Faster)

If you’re not focused, leg day can easily take over an hour.

However, with my Leg Day Blast workout, you'll be done fast. It can be completed in about 20 minutes.

It's fast, it's effective, but it's NOT easy. (In fact, some of you may find it a bit too advanced from a mobility and intensity standpoint.)

But if you're feeling brave and ready for a challenge, then give this routine a go for your next leg day.

1. Goblet Squat Challenge: 15-20 reps x 2-3 sets (This was invented by strength coach Erich Bach). Grab a fairly heavy kettlebell or dumbbell at chest height, squat down, and hold this isometric position for 15 seconds (it will get tough!). Then crank out 15 - 20 reps of goblet squats. That's one set. Rest one minute. Do another set or two.

https://vimeo.com/360892403

Goblet Squat Challenge!

2. Lunge/Squat Superset: 12 Lunges / Squats to failure You can do this combo with a barbell or with dumbbells at your side, which will make it easier to balance. Do 12 rear lunges (a.k.a. step-back lunges) immediately followed by a set of squats to failure without rest. The lunges pre-exhaust our legs, leaving you very little strength with which to do the squats. Your legs WILL be burning. Try to do at least 6 reps of squats. It will take mental focus to get them done! Do another set (if you dare).

https://vimeo.com/360892806

Lunge/Squat Superset

3. Single-Leg Press Combo: 2-3 sets single leg / both legs x 1 set Set up your leg press. I suggest you start with a very light weight on this one. Do single-leg presses with one leg for 10-12 reps, then immediately switch to the other leg for 10-12 reps. Then, switch back to the first leg and do another set. You will most likely get fewer reps than on the first set (which is fine). Keep switching legs until you've completed 3 sets with each leg. Then, without resting, press with both legs to failure for a killer superset finisher.

https://vimeo.com/360893047

Single-Leg Press Combo

4. Calf Raises / Calf Presses: 12-15 reps x 2-3 sets You can stay on and do calf presses on the leg press machine, or find a calf press / raise machine. Do 12-15 reps for 3 sets with a 45-second rest in between. Alternatively, you can do your first full set of 12-15 reps, followed by a drop set. In other words, after finishing the first set, immediately drop the weight and do another set without resting. Then, do another drop set. Your calves will be burning for sure. Make sure you're going to failure on this and all the exercises you do.

https://vimeo.com/360893373

So, now that you know the importance of training legs, and are armed with my efficient, Leg Day Blast workout, you too, can be smart about training legs (not stupid like I was) and get all the benefits of leg day, including burning more fat all over.

Happy leg blasting.