Working out in the weight room every day requires some planning. For instance, it’s not unusual for strength training practitioners to split their workouts between upper and lower body muscle groups to allow enough time for recovery. But working your arms doesn’t mean your legs are taking the day off, even when you’re seated. Consider the findings of a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.

Researchers had 11 male subjects perform seated arm cranks in incremental and maximum effort trials. On one occasion, they sat normally and on another had their legs secured to prevent feet from touching the floor. Maximal oxygen consumption was reduced by around 14% during the incremental stage with restricted legs. Maximum power also decreased by an average of 29% in the restricted condition.

Originally posted on optimumnutrition.com