Build a Ripped Body by Starting with Your Legs

Legs are the neglected stepchild in physical training. Instead of building muscle, you can always hide stilts under sweatpants, and it's so easy to display a massive chest and big arms by washing your T-shirts in hot water.

But as a speed, strength, and conditioning coach, I've watched both athletes and nonathletes transform their bodies by shifting their training focus to their legs and building muscle there. Developing the largest muscle groups in your lower body -- your quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles -- boosts your metabolism by increasing your body's lean muscle mass. It also revs up production of hormones that help you build muscle.

You'll look leaner and more muscular, and you'll feel stronger. Check that -- you'll be stronger.

A Stronger Upper Body

Training large muscle groups with heavy lifting produces a natural surge in growth hormone and testosterone. And there's nothing like squats to involve the large muscle groups. To perform the following variation on the squat, you have to activate most of your body's muscles simultaneously

Bulgarian split squat

Stand with a bench behind you and a barbell across the back of your shoulders. Place your left foot on the bench. Keeping your torso upright, lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then push yourself back up. Perform three or four sets of eight to 10 repetitions on each leg.