Actor Sonam Bajwa is celebrated not just for her screen presence, but for her incredible fitness. A recent glimpse into her leg day routine showed the hard work involved, featuring foundational exercises that build serious lower-body strength.
Why a Strong Lower Body Is Crucial
A dedicated
leg day isn't just for aesthetics; it's the bedrock of a balanced physique and functional strength. Training large muscle groups like the quads, hamstrings, and glutes boosts your overall metabolism, helping to burn more calories even at rest. Strong legs provide stability for your entire body, improve your posture, and power everyday movements like walking, climbing stairs, or lifting objects. These exercises strengthen the muscles surrounding the hips, knees, and ankles, which can reduce stress on the joints and lower the risk of injury in the long run. A powerful lower body is essential for everything from athletic performance to maintaining bone density as you age.
The Foundation: Barbell Squats
The barbell squat is often called the king of leg exercises for a reason. It's a compound movement that engages multiple muscles at once, including the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core. When Sonam Bajwa performs squats, she's building not just strength but also enhancing her balance and muscular endurance. For proper form, it is key to keep your spine neutral and your chest up. The bar should rest on your upper back, not your neck. Lower yourself as if sitting in a chair, aiming for a depth where your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, or as low as your mobility allows while maintaining good form. Drive through your entire foot to return to the starting position. Beginners should master the bodyweight version before adding weight.
The Power Builder: Leg Press
The leg press is another powerhouse exercise for building mass and strength in the lower body. Unlike squats, this machine-based movement provides back support, allowing you to focus on pushing heavy weight with your legs. To perform it correctly, sit firmly with your back and hips flat against the seat pad. Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform. Inhale as you lower the weight in a controlled manner until your knees form roughly a 90-degree angle, but stop if your lower back starts to lift off the pad. Exhale and press the platform back to the starting position, but avoid forcefully locking out your knees at the top to keep tension on the muscles and protect your joints.
The Finisher: Walking Lunges
Walking lunges, as seen in Sonam’s routine, are a fantastic exercise for improving unilateral strength (working each leg independently), balance, and coordination. Holding dumbbells increases the challenge. To begin, stand tall and take a large step forward with one foot. Bend both knees to approximately 90-degree angles, ensuring your front knee stays aligned over your ankle and your back knee hovers just above the floor. Keep your torso upright and core engaged. Push off the heel of your front foot and step your back foot forward to transition smoothly into the next lunge on the opposite side. This continuous movement challenges your stability far more than a stationary lunge.
Isolation and Definition: Leg Extensions and Curls
To ensure balanced development, it's crucial to work opposing muscle groups. Leg extensions and leg curls are perfect for this. Leg extensions specifically isolate the quadriceps, the muscles on the front of your thighs, helping to build definition and strength. In contrast, leg curls target the hamstrings on the back of your thighs. Training both is vital for knee stability and preventing muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. These machine exercises are great for all fitness levels because they offer a controlled movement pattern, allowing you to focus on contracting the specific muscle you're targeting without needing to worry about balance.
