Why do I need to train legs?

[whtx]

I hope i dont get flamed for this but why do i need to train legs? Im not a bodybuilder. Im just a regular guy who wants to get upper body muscle and look good. My legs and calves are already big and firm.

[mindraper]

do you want to be muscular and cut on the upper body and have just tiny legs or fat legs!? haha.. That must be one ugly body :P

[Omar]

if u want to be a pelican *** go ahead. Also. Make sure you train chest 5 times a week. dont forget daily ab training as well.

[BigZeke]

Because it's half of your damn body!!!!!

[TricepsNGirls]

even disregarding the irregular proportions that will result from not training legs, you still got the massive strength difference between your legs and upper body that will throw other atheletic activites off sync.

[tyler_tg]

Why do I need to train legs?

because i told you too.

[Gibblets]

it's up to you man. but this IS a BODYBUILDING forum. and unless you don't count your legs as part of your body....

[Force1sTipToppe]

think about it... say u get a huge upperbody and gain 50 lbs of muscle (over exagerating) what holds the muscle up... hmmmm.. YOUR LEGS, now... what happends when ur legs arent worked to be able to hold this extra wait... lets think... they make u fall on ur ass

[Odin87]

Originally posted by Gibblets
it's up to you man. but this IS a BODYBUILDING forum. and unless you don't count your legs as part of your body....

LMFAO ya this is true hahaha.
It would look bad if u had a huge upper body and small ass legs. Theres another good thing about training ur legs. It releases testosterones which is needed to build muscles, and i heard that doing legs can really speed up your upper body progress.

[whtx]

I know im going to get flamed again but traing legs, especially the squats is killing me. Its a pain on the joints and people say to train for muscle, you gotta do height weights and low reps. Well when doing squats, it feels like HELL trying to lift up the heavy weights off my back.

[Force1sTipToppe]

train with lighter weights, then move on to higher weights

[Big Slim DaDDy]

wont you feel stupid if you have a big upperbody and then crappy retard legs?

[QualityRape]

I have heard on this forum that your body wants to stay in proportion as much as possible, so there is a point where your upper body won't get any bigger because ur lower body isn't growing

anyone else here this?

[Heisman]

Only one or two people so far have posted an actual good reason.

If you play sports at all then you need to train legs to keep your body in balance with each other.

Here is a quote from Flavor on fortifiediron.net/invision about why free weights are better than machines. It also applies to this question, in a way.

"It's not about simulating the exact movement pattern. You CAN'T do that in the weight room; that's not the purpose of lifting. You're trying to strengthen the organism in whatever way will make them more proficient in their intended activity. More specifically, if you need to be quick (depending on the kind of quickness you're looking for), you develop starting strength, or you shorten the amortization phase, etc. If you need to be strong, you train the CNS to fire on all cylinders and activate the maximum number of MU's possible, as well as intramuscular coordination. Then there's intermuscular coordination, training your muscles and muscle groups to work in concert. That takes us back to machines vs. free weights, as well as "isolation" movements. Your body's a unit. It functions as a unit. Train it as a unit. Techniques that limit the scope of a movement or muscle's function have their place, but should only be used in that place. A routine shouldn't be based around Hammer Strength Bench Press and barbell curls (but oh so many are... =( ). But I'm a bodybuilder, you say. I want to fatigue the hell out of this specific muscle and make it grow, you say. But there are hormonal reasons to train this way, I say. If you can activate more MU's, doesn't it follow that you'll be able to fatigue more of them as well? Ergh. This is the short (ha) version. Time for class. "

Also, by training the legs you will release natural chemicals that will help and promote upper body size and strength.

As the quote above shows, the body is best trained as a unit, which is why the legs should be trained as well.

[BloodBaneZXY]

No..I see lots of dumbasses with massive upperbodies and chicken legs at the gym, upperbody gains can also be attributed to the growth hormones that are released during a super-taxing lower-body workout..

In n00b-man terms

WORKOUT LEGS = BUILD UPPER BODY FASTER (and look more proportioned)

[smooth_criminal]

you says he wants to have a big upper body.

[exhorder]

I would definetely recommend training legs

I used to neglect them, but once I started training them I was pissed that I never did before......when developed they can become very impressive......more so than the upper body IMO, and it helps you in lots of daily activities

[Muscle D]

I saw a guy once he had an awesome upper body--large and ripped, im talking 18 inch arms on a 6 foot body and i looked down at his legs (he was wearing shorts) and i just started laughing to myself....it looked so crazy! They looked like pencils.

[CanadaBBOY]

if you don't like the hard work of squating and lifting, i suggest you start sewing. Or maybe flower aranging?

Lifting weights is supposed to be hard, if you don't like it, don't do it.

[eL_HuRRiCAnE]

Originally posted by whtx
I hope i dont get flamed for this but why do i need to train legs? Im not a bodybuilder. Im just a regular guy who wants to get upper body muscle and look good. My legs and calves are already big and firm.

'cause if you don't, people on internet forums will yell at you

[Beachbum1546]

even if you dont care about leg growth, the GH and test released from a workout should be enough to convice you. all the test and GH will help your upper grow even more.

think of this too. you body want to be proportional. when your upper body is getting big but your lower body is not, your body will recognize this and will try to correct it. so it will be harder to get your upper body bigger.

[smooth_criminal]

seriously tho bro train legs cuz it really looks worse having a nice upper body and not as well developed legs.

[Big Slim DaDDy]

Originally posted by eL_HuRRiCAnE
'cause if you don't, people on internet forums will yell at you

Best reason so far!

[BIGnaturalBROCK]

Originally posted by BloodBaneZXY
No..I see lots of dumbasses with massive upperbodies and chicken legs at the gym, upperbody gains can also be attributed to the growth hormones that are released during a super-taxing lower-body workout..

In n00b-man terms

WORKOUT LEGS = BUILD UPPER BODY FASTER (and look more proportioned)

bump i see this cut guy with huge upper body that if u saw just from top ud say cool this guys huge, but if u see this guys legs you would be like cool hes a marathon runner,

hes really cut at the moment and his qacky body composition just stands out.

[Lumiere]

Originally posted by whtx
I hope i dont get flamed for this but why do i need to train legs? Im not a bodybuilder. Im just a regular guy who wants to get upper body muscle and look good. My legs and calves are already big and firm.

Continue to train them in order to maintain.

Muscle wont stay if you dont train.

[15u]

squats and deadlifts increase testosterone greatly. this can help gains in other muscles too.

you should also train legs so you don't look stupid

[The Kurgan]

Originally posted by BigZeke
Because it's half of your damn body!!!!!

I think that sums it up pretty well.

[.aeterna]

Bump to all of the above. Working legs DOES indirectly affect the growth of all other muscles.

[XPumperX]

Originally posted by whtx
I know im going to get flamed again but traing legs, especially the squats is killing me. Its a pain on the joints and people say to train for muscle, you gotta do height weights and low reps. Well when doing squats, it feels like HELL trying to lift up the heavy weights off my back.

That's what it takes. Lifting is all about having the balls to do it.

[JimmyBoom]

Dont know if somebody said this, but legs and abs develop core strength, extremely useful for any kind of strength movement--football tackling, lifting something, moving somebody around in a fight, wrestling.

j.bo