One of the most amusing things I see at the local gym is people who have enormous upper body strength but failed to strength train their lower body. This leaves them with a rather unbalanced musculature -- something that I call the "punk look." The punk look is what happens when you focus on bench press, curls, triceps, and other upper body excercises without strength trainig your lower body, and the punk look is surprisingly common, especially among younger males.
What people who sport the punk look may not realize is that their bodies look absolutely silly to those who are serious about strength training and overall health. In order to be healthy you have to have a balanced physiology that's made up of both lower body and upper body strength. Gym punks also like to cover their skinny legs by wearing extremely long basketball shorts. Doing this, they hope that nobody notices their legs and only looks at their upper body which is normally quite large.
This is what I call the "cosmetic approach" to strength training. It's the result of someone who is interested only in the way they appear and not their actual health. But it's even worse than that: avoiding strength training your lower body actually hampers your ability to build a strong upper body as well. Here's why: the largest muscles in your body are found in your lower body -- your glutes and hamstrings. By strength training these muscles, your body generates an enormous quantity of growth hormone. Once this growth hormone is circulating in your bloodstream, it actually enhances the growth of muscles throughout your body. In this way, working out your lower body actually helps you build more muscle mass in your upper body and gives you a much more balanced, healthy, fit look.
It's not just for looks, either: when you have a strong lower body, you are able to engage in more physical activities. You can jump higher, lift more, run faster, and basically be a more active, higher performing human being. Are you currently following a punk workout? It's easy to tell. Just look in the mirror. If your biceps are bigger than your calves, you're probably following a punk workout. You need to lay off the bench press and spend more time doing leg extensions, leg curls, squats, leg press, and other lower body excercises. Doing so will not only rapidly enhance your production of growth hormone and increase your muscle mass, it will also make you appear a far more balanced individual -- someone who is interested in holistic health, not just large biceps for showing off in public.
###
Related Articles
 |
Popular Topics:
upper body strength, muscle mass, leg exercises, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury |
Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com
Email this article to a friend
Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us
Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/001506.html
Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.
|
 |
 |
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE
Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber!
- Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more.
- Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.
|
|
 |
 |
Recommended Special Report:
Seven Words that can Change the World
by Joseph R. Simonetta
Read this special report now...
"Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com
|
More on NaturalNews.com:
• Streaming Health Ranger Videos
• CounterThink Cartoons
• FREE Special Reports
• Podcasts
|
 |
|
 |
 |
NEW 6-CD audio set reveals amazing new protocol for reversing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Click to learn more. |
 |
Own the first 8 Health Ranger Report audio programs on 6 CDs. Covers weight loss, ADHD, vaccinations, processed meats, bone health and more. Click to learn more. |
Featured Videos
Short clip on Aspartame
A short clip on aspartame from the documentary All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive video on Aspartame
The dangers of aspartame! Exclusive interview footage from Cori Brackett of Sweet Remedy.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive Footage from All Jacked Up!
See interview footage featuring the Health Ranger in the upcoming junk food film, All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Drug Ad Parody
See the Health Ranger's satire parody of Merck's cholesterol drug ad.
Click here to view now... |
|
Read recommendations on supplement companies, health food manufacturers and personal care product makers that you can trust. Our 100% independent review list tells you who to trust and who to avoid in the natural health industry. Click to read. |
|