Training FAQ #2: Is training calves & abs multiple times weekly a bad idea

[monster99]

...I've once read that Arnold trained his weakest bodypart, (his calves) for up to 6 days a weak! I know he's a genetic freak but it might work for some people too. You should give it a try. I'll train my 3 days a weak I guess. And then I'll just gradually train them more frequently.

[simpleguy]

...I've once read that Arnold trained his weakest bodypart, (his calves) for up to 6 days a weak! I know he's a genetic freak but it might work for some people too. You should give it a try. I'll train my 3 days a weak I guess. And then I'll just gradually train them more frequently.

well.... back in the day they never even heard of 'overtraining'... they thought the more they trained the better

[monster99]

well.... back in the day they never even heard of 'overtraining'... they thought the more they trained the better

It really made me wonder how freaky tom platz' legs would've been if he trained like they did today. He'll probably get freakier than Ronnie! And arnold's peaks would probably reach the damn sky.

[ICXC]

I've heard a lot of different opinions when it comes to working out abs and calves. As far as calves go, I've read that your calves are a little different muscle fiber than the rest of your muscles. They take longer to break down, thus, why it is so hard for some people to get them to grow. So they take a little more training than the rest of your bodyparts. I've also read that Arnold worked his calves at the beginning of every workout (that's crazy). I think for the most part, an individual has to find what works for him. Some may not have to work their calves as much as someone else, so their workouts may vary. As whole, calves need to be pushed to their limits more than just once a week. So for those of you that your calves will just absolutely not grow, punish your calves. If they're sore the next day, let them rest a day but no longer. I would also recommend some plyometrics, such as burnouts or step-ups. For the burnouts (for those of you who don't know what that is), it will involve jumping, but only an inch or two off of the ground. You can do these on both feet or one foot at a time. I would recommend starting out around 150 or 200. I usually do them in a split: 50 right foot
For the step-ups, find a platform that is about two or three inches tall. You will be doing these as quickly as possible. As for abs, I would say 2 to 3 times a week. I've read that in most men, the mid section, is where most of your fat is stored and the amount fat more than likely depends on your eating habits and the way you train. Abs, in my opinion, should be treated like any other muscle group. Once you build up a little core strength, a person can start adding weights which will help elongate your abs. No reason to do 1000 sit-ups a day or anything to that extreme. A good rep range for abs, I think, would be anywhere from 15 to 25 a set. Once a person can do more than 25, they should probably start adding a little for some resistance. Also, I think the biggie to ripping out those abs, CARDIO! I hate cardio and I think that it sux whole-heartedly, but I can't say that I've ever seen a runner that doesn't have a flat, ripped stomach.

[ICXC]

I've heard a lot of different opinions when it comes to working out abs and calves. As far as calves go, I've read that your calves are a little different muscle fiber than the rest of your muscles. They take longer to break down, thus, why it is so hard for some people to get them to grow. So they take a little more training than the rest of your bodyparts. I've also read that Arnold worked his calves at the beginning of every workout (that's crazy). I think for the most part, an individual has to find what works for him. Some may not have to work their calves as much as someone else, so their workouts may vary. As a whole, calves need to be pushed to their limits more than just once a week. So for those of you that your calves will just absolutely not grow, punish your calves. If they're sore the next day, let them rest a day but no longer. I would also recommend some plyometrics, such as burnouts or step-ups after calve raises and whatever else. For the burnouts (for those of you who don't know what that is), it will involve jumping kinda of like hopping, but only an inch or two off of the ground. You can do these on both feet or one foot at a time. I would recommend starting out around 150 or 200.
For starting out at 150, I would split them like this:

50 right foot
50 left foot
50 both feet

If any of you have ever heard of the Air Alert 2 program, a 12 week program to increase your vertical 3 to 6 inches, I think by week 12 you are doing around 1000 or more burnouts at the end of your workout. So feel free to do as many as you like starting out. For the step-ups, find a platform that is about two or three inches tall. You will be doing these as quickly as possible. The reasoning behind doing these is to stimulate the growth of the calves through explosion and intensity of the movements. Once you get the feel for these you can increase your reps or add some weight. As for abs, I would say 2 to 3 times a week. I've read that for most men, the mid section is where most of your fat is stored and the amount fat more than likely depends on your eating habits and the way you train. I've read that for most women, fat is stored in your butt, hence the name ghetto booty, and thighs, hence the name thunder thighs. As for training for both men and women, train 'em the same. Abs, in my opinion, should be treated like any other muscle group. Once you build up a little core strength, a person can start adding weights which will help elongate your abs. No reason to do 1000 sit-ups a day or anything to that extreme. A good rep range for abs, I think, would be anywhere from 15 to 25 a set. Once a person can do more than 25, they should probably start adding a little for some resistance. Also, I think the biggie to ripping out those abs, CARDIO! I hate cardio and I think that it sux whole-heartedly, but I can't say that I've ever seen a runner that didn't have a flat, ripped stomach. I will try to find the books where I read this information so you can take a look if you please. Anyway, that's just my opinion on the abs, calves training.

Peace,
ICXC

Quote: "I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees" Gym Jones "300" training

[Bull26187]

I have read that the best way to develope calves is to get major movent at your ankle, getting long stretches and tight squeezes with the calve. Any takes?

[thelunchbox]

I personally feel that calves abs and forearms can be trained alot. I dont know if its just my body but my forearms and calves dont seem to hurt the next day after really hitting them so I started doing them every day and get good results. No I miss a few days here and there because of class but the calf raises really paid off they blew up compaired to foreamrs. I was only doing like sets of twelve at 225 now I'm over 400 without shoes. The forearms are starting to get moving. YOu can set up a thick board at home and drive screws in with a phillips to get a good hurt on the forearms. My abs are my weakest part because of the beer belly but every other day has been going good on them so i have time to kill the soreness.

[bleed_alone]

can set up a thick board at home and drive screws in with a phillips to get a good hurt on the forearms.

that is a bad ass idea. i can't believe i never thought of that. ha

[diesel1976]

I have read that the best way to develope calves is to get major movent at your ankle, getting long stretches and tight squeezes with the calve. Any takes?

Fullest range of motion possible is very important for calves. Hard stretching between sets has always done alot for me also.

I also believe, at least in my case, calves can be trained pretty frequently. When mine are at my biggest in the summer I train them 3-4 times per week, sometimes just nailing one exercise superhard, sometimes with alot of volume. I think they need to be hit from alot of rep ranges and intensities. My calves were 18" untrained so I have been blessed but training them in this manner has had them as big as 20.5".

[Torque757]

...respond better to more frequent training...and higher reps. Since they're used everyday all the time, they're MOSTLY, NOT TOTALLY, composed of slow-twich fibers. Since they're mostly composed of these fibers, it takes alot more work and frequency to fatigue these muscles...to "tear down" these muscles. When the muscle reaches these points, it responds by growing. Just read it in in some book...and studied how pro BB trained these muscle groups

That is true, they are proportionatly higher in slow twitch, fatigue resistant fibers. These fibers, however, are much small in diameter then fast twitch fibers. So, although there are more of these int he muscle than the fast twitch, they are much smaller and they will still account for the roughly the same if not less of the noticable growth of the muscle.

So, the only logical solution I see is to make sure that training challenges the energy systems of both fast and slow twitch fibers.

[ronnie]

The exceptions to the general accepted rule are calves and abs, which tend to respond well to more frequent training. Feel free to blast these regions 2 or more times per week as long as they are no longer sore.

this may hold true to a degree in terms of strength training, however i once ended up in a very bad place because of over working my calves while running.

a couple years ago i decided it was time to get trim, i started running, alot. something you need to know is that a few years prior to this i was a great runner, i could out sprint and out last just about anyone, then i truned 19 and didnt run at all for the drutation of a year and a half.(i was drunk for most of this time) so back to the story, i got fat, started to run to get rid of it. i started to run as if i was still in the same shape i was in 2 years before. bad idea. every day i stepped out of the house and ran about 2-3km. amazingly i still had the cardio to do this, the legs?.. NO. after doin this for about a month or so i started to get horrible pain in my calves and rear lower leg (below calf). i tried to push through it and keep goin but it kept getting worse. it went to the point where i could only jog 100m and have to stop nearly in tears! the doctor sent me to physiotherapy, there they told me that i had broke down the muscle tissue past the point of repair. their resolve, stop running. stop walking. just sit. got me doin some very silly looking and eaaasy workouts for the lower leg to try to slowly build up some strength again. then start a simple run-walk routine untill i could run again.

so be careful and dont over do your calf work. strength training may be ok a few times a week but dont OVER WORK them. they DO need time to recover. be careful.

[Max-Angle]

What are some great Forearm excersises? Please message me

[C.Coronato]

Max -- I do a forearm circuit, check out my post here:

http://forum.animalpak.com/showpost....postcount=2181

[Max-Angle]

What is your close-grip bench compared to your normal bench?

[-RAGE]

What is your close-grip bench compared to your normal bench?

Close-grip bench works your triceps a lot harder than wide grip (same as normal, regular, standard, or olympic grip) bench press would. On a standard olympic bench press bar, you should have your index or middle fingers on the "line" dividing the textured and smooth parts of the bar (putting your hands about 20 or 24 inches apart). However, when doing normal or wide grip bench press, your hands should be much wider (as to recruit more of your chest, less of your tris), your pinky fingers should be on the small smooth "ring" of the bar (a little wider than shoulder width), which will put your hands about 36 or 40 inches apart.

Hope this helps, be easy.

-RAGE

[Nato93]

I dont know if this is true, but I read that because everytimeyou take a step, one calf takes all your body weight and so using double or triple your body weight for 10 to 12 reps is an effective way to build calves, is this true?

[FREAK54]

anyone have ides on getting those calves bigger?? my wife laughs cause i have thighs of a titan, and calves.... well like a 11year old boy whos voice jut dropped. there their, but im blesed with cankcals.
thanks

[toothpicklegs]

anyone have ides on getting those calves bigger?? my wife laughs cause i have thighs of a titan, and calves.... well like a 11year old boy whos voice jut dropped. there their, but im blesed with cankcals.
thanks

Same here, I'm starting to get thick thighs, and jeans that used to be too small around the ass and too big around the thighs are now too big around my ass and too small around my thighs XD

But my calves remain the same...

For a period of 6 months I hit em 3x10 two times a week
For another period of 6 months I hit em 10x20 4 times/week
Right now I've gone about 4 months hitting em 3x15, 3x15 toes pointing inwards, 3x15 toes pointing outwards twice/week

And there is no freaken change no matter which one of these I use... I still go toothpicks for calves...I think they're even weaker than when I started lol...

[C.Coronato]

I dont know if this is true, but I read that because everytimeyou take a step, one calf takes all your body weight and so using double or triple your body weight for 10 to 12 reps is an effective way to build calves, is this true?

I have heard something like this, im not 100% sure.

anyone have ides on getting those calves bigger?? my wife laughs cause i have thighs of a titan, and calves.... well like a 11year old boy whos voice jut dropped. there their, but im blesed with cankcals.
thanks

Same here, I'm starting to get thick thighs, and jeans that used to be too small around the ass and too big around the thighs are now too big around my ass and too small around my thighs XD

But my calves remain the same...

For a period of 6 months I hit em 3x10 two times a week
For another period of 6 months I hit em 10x20 4 times/week
Right now I've gone about 4 months hitting em 3x15, 3x15 toes pointing inwards, 3x15 toes pointing outwards twice/week

And there is no freaken change no matter which one of these I use... I still go toothpicks for calves...I think they're even weaker than when I started lol...

I like to do supersets and do them until failure. I usually keep the reps higher 25+, then do something like donkey calf, standing calf, and seated calf. Do them 3 in a row, then go back to the begining. Do it 4x. Make sure you have full extension and your really squeezing at the top, and letting it stretch at the bottom.

[jandirigma]

Forearms, calves and abs are all body parts that need to be worked more than once a week, due to the fact that you use these body parts everyday, when you eat, walk, breath etc. These muscles are used to being worked, so you have to work them alot harder and more frequently then muscles you don't work hard on a regular basis.

I'd agree with this. These muscles are used to activity daily and recover pretty quickly, so training at least twice a week wouldn't hurt.