16/12/2014
Upper-Body vs. Lower-Body Exercises
Winner: When You Work Your Lower Body
Rep per rep, you burn a lot more calories churning out squats than biceps curls. And while we mean no disrespect to a perfectly sculpted upper body, your largest muscles — you know, the ones that use the most energy — are in your legs. Plus, by working bigger muscles, and thus, more muscle fibers, you create more of those micro-tears your body has to spend calories to repair, says Chris Jordan, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, ACSM HFI/APT, director of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Institute, and creator of the Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout App. By working your glutes, quads, and hamstrings, you actually have a better shot at burning the fat that's currently hiding your biceps. Try squats, lunges, and deadlifts to hit the most muscle fibers, and mix them up with different variations when the moves start feeling easier. Last but not least, when you do work your arms, stand up whenever possible. As soon as you sit down, those big calorie-burning muscles go all but dormant.
