Why women should train their chest and men their legs –

You’ve probably seen cases like this around: the man who only works his chest and arms at the gym and the woman who is addicted to leg and glute workouts. Work out the whole body it is important for many reasons – including health! – but today we’re going to show you the importance of men working their legs and women working their upper body! Let’s go?

FOLLOWED TRAINING, FASTER RESULTS?

Second Eduardo Curacao, Trainiac by Gympass personal trainer, most men want to develop their chest, back and arms. In the case of women, the focus is on thighs and buttocks. Motivations always vary, but aesthetics and even beauty standards are largely responsible for this division of muscle groups.

“These people give preference to these muscle groups thinking that the more they train them, in a short time, they will have more results”, he explains. “However, I am sorry to say, they are totally wrong! The process of muscle hypertrophy occurs at rest, not when that muscle is being stimulated. The muscle, after being stimulated, needs 48 to 72 hours of recovery for the total regeneration of the fibers that were injured during training.”

Translation: even if the idea is to work the same muscle group more, rest between stimuli it is essential to promote hypertrophy in that region.

MEN: WHY TRAIN LOWER LIMBS?

Going by parts, let’s start with men: having muscular arms and a defined chest – in addition to the infamous six pack – may be the goal of many gym lovers. However, it is important to add the legs into this equation.

“Training lower limbs brings countless benefits for men, such as an increase in the production of hormones that are fundamental for muscle hypertrophy (testosterone and GH, the growth hormone), enhancing muscle mass gains not only in the legs, but in the whole body” , explains Eduardo.

And it doesn’t stop there: other benefits include the balance gain, in the prevention of injuries and also in the significant burning of calories. “Then commit to leg training!” says the personal. “Focus on core exercises, no need to use every leg machine at the gym. Do 3 to 5 exercises, pay attention to the execution of the movement, and, if possible, seek help from a personal trainer.”

In fact, professional assistance is a great ally in these cases, after all, planning the training well, with a balanced and specific periodization, prioritizing the proper division of exercises is essential.

“Training for all muscle groups must happen at the same frequency, to avoid imbalance, compromising the results and hindering the symmetry of the whole body”, he says.

WOMEN: WHY TRAIN UPPER MEMBERS?

Believe it or not: training the upper limbs improves performance in lower limb training. “This happens because, when training upper limbs, we improve the strength and stability of this region, which contributes to more complex exercises and with high loads in lower limb training”, explains the personal.

In addition, by including arms, back and chest in the bodybuilding routine, the erector spinae muscles are strengthened, which prevents pain, avoids injuries and, of course, improves posture.

And if the fear of women who train is a masculine silhouette… There is no reason to panic. “The levels of testosterone produced by women are much lower compared to men”, explains Eduardo. “Talk to a personal trainer and have a balanced periodization of upper limbs. Give preference to short workouts and focus on executing the movement.”