3 Easy Reasons You Have Chicken Legs

If you’ve been pouring yourself into your workouts for some time, the worst thing that could happen is going from a Weeble-Wobble shape to Mr. Chicken legs.

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It’s true, aesthetic goals get boring, but if you have pin legs, you may find your strength is also unbalanced. Your legs contribute so much of the picture when it comes to lifting things in the real world. Skip developing them, and you might as well have them removed. [kidding]

Stop blaming your genetics.

Instead, consider these three possible reasons why your chicken legs aren’t the pillars you want them to be. If you start today, redirecting your energy to the rest of your body, eating better, but also doing the right exercises, then by this time next month you could see better-development.

Program Holes

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When you first started going to the gym, you noticed one part of your body was more responsive than the rest. Your chest, arms, back or shoulders started to show some shape they’d never shown before.

So, what did you do? You went back to train that responsive muscle again. In fact, you gave that muscle a little pump every time you went to the gym.

As friends started to notice your improvements, like an immaculate fireplace centered into a home sale, comments were focused on your favorite part, reinforcing your attention to it.

Funny how rarely legs take center stage. Maybe it’s because of pants or the fact that when someone flexes for the camera it’s usually the upper body that is featured. Biceps get way too much attention.

In any case, by the time you realize you’ve left your gams in the dust, they are so painfully behind your upper body, growth seems impossible.

Exercise Missteps

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While it’s true, growth will be more a matter of food than lift, if you’re not focused on the right exercises, you won’t be accurately telling your body where to direct that food.

Best case scenario, it’s directing those building blocks (calories) to your biceps. In the worst case scenario, those building blocks are going straight to your belly.

In either case, legs are not getting the love because you’re not training them correctly. At least 2-3 time per week, you should be squatting or leg pressing, performing walking lunges and standing calf raises.

The intensity of these exercises should be above a seven on a scale of 1-10, either through weight increases or speed of movement. Note: You can make lighter weights more intense by moving very slowly.

Nutritional Roadblocks

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For both men and women, there is often a goal continuity issue. We want to get gain muscle and lose body fat at the same time. Most people settle on the fat loss goal but secretly wish for growth at the same time.

The body doesn’t work like this. You can’t slim your waist while growing your thighs.

If you are in a deficit, then this is not a time where your legs will be growing. That’s like trying to build a wall with hopes and dreams.

Walls take bricks and mortar to be built (or some such materials). Your denial of nutrients isn’t just starving your body fat, it’s starving your muscle.

If building up those hammies is more important to you than a six pack, then you are going to have to eat a little above your maintenance calorie levels until they grow.

You will probably gain a little more body fat in the process, but you can lose that later if it bothers you.

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Genetics aside, acquire the legs your upper body wants. Consider that your legs are the foundation upon which you build your house. The  stronger your legs, the stronger you upper body.

Strength doesn’t guarantee size, but they are related, especially if you’re eating enough food. It’s time slap some buffalo sauce on those drumsticks.