Killer Calves

Description

The best calf building workout does not and should not have to be long and complicated. There is no noticeable benefit from doing many sets of various types of calf exercises. Unlike chest, legs, and triceps there is only 1 way to work each muscle of the calf. Standing motions that raise your body up with toes will work the gastrocnemius; seated calf raises will work your soleus, reverse calf raises will work your tibialis anterior. ******************************************************************************************************** This is the whole calf building workout. Note that on Monday there are 15 reps listed, while on Thursday there are 6 reps listed. This is done because Monday's calf workout is aimed to build size while Thursday's workout is aimed to increase strength. You should use maximum weight for the reps done, thus on Monday you will use less weight than on Thursday. As your calves get stronger, continue to increase the weight. ******************************************************************************************************** An effective calf workout does not have to be long to be effective. It is actually not ideal to workout your calves more than 20 minutes max, or any other body part for that matter. More is not better. There is a law called the law of diminishing returns, and it applies to many things in life, including bodybuilding. ******************************************************************************************************** Basically what it states is that the longer you exercise a body part, the less muscle you will gain per set. This runs to the point where eventually you start to lose muscle. ******************************************************************************************************** For instance the first set of calf raises will earn you 3 points of muscle (just an illustration). The second set will only earn you an additional 2; the third will earn you 1. Doing a fourth will yield no muscle benefit. Doing a fifth and higher will subtract a point away from overtraining. This shows why it is ideal to keep calves and other body parts in the three set range. Of course these aren't hard numbers, but the same principle still applies. ******************************************************************************************************** So for instance : On Monday you will be doing three sets of the barbell seated calf raises for your soleus muscle. Each set should take no longer than 30 seconds plus 90 seconds rest in between sets. So the maximum time the first exercise will take to complete would be, 3 sets * 30 seconds = 1.5 minutes + (1.5 minutes rest * 3 sets) = 6 minutes. Since there are three calf exercises a day, (6 minutes * 3) = 18 minutes max - of total calf work. ******************************************************************************************************** Here are some tips that will accelerate your calf development, and improve your workouts. Warm-up for 5-10 minutes before each workout to decrease the risk of injury, and fill your target muscles with blood. Avoid training with thick rigid footwear, or any footwear, to ensure your calves do all of the work. Incorporate training techniques to accelerate your progress. Change your workouts frequently, to avoid reaching a plateau. Train your entire body to maintain balance and symmetry. Take a week off from training every 2 to 3 months, to ensure your muscles fully recover.

Suggested Schedule

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