by Critical Bench Jan 07, 2005

As with biceps, triceps, chest, back, abs, delts, thighs; every body part there is, there are numerous programs and techniques for developing them. This is true also for calves.

Same old line I always use; "what works for one, may not work for another." Well, here is a calf specialization program worth trying if you need to add an inch or so to your lower legs. I've had some good results from this program and you might also.

You will need to give it four weeks in order to determine if you are going to get results and in any event, your efforts will not go un-rewarded. If after that length of time you feel you are making progress, then naturally, keep going.

Big Calves & Genetics

Many times I have stated, and some agree while others do not; "you are either blessed with good calf muscles or you are not." "There is not a great deal you can do about it." I have seen some people who have never lifted a weight in their lives walk around with some of the largest and well shaped calf muscles you could find on any Mr. Olympia. At the same time, I have seen seasoned professional bodybuilders that are weak in the calf department.

Genetics plays a major role here and although you can improve on any situation, there are limits. Just don't be quick to blame poor calf development on your genetics. I have seen some who have done just that when in reality, their weak calf development was more a result from being lazy than genetics.

I have never been a big supporter of doing weighted 20-or-30 reps for calf development.

I have always been, and even written many times, about keeping the reps in the 10-to-15 range, sometimes even less. This of course is with heavy weights. Now here is a twist but it must be followed as outlined and you cannot make any changes to the routine. You will work your claves four days per week. Two heavy days and two light days and you must leave sufficient time between the days for recovery. This is why I say you cannot alter this program, either exercises or days prescribed.

Start each movement by standing on a block of wood or weight plate at least as high as a 2 x 4. Place your feet so that only your toes and the ball of your feet are on the block. Point your toes slightly outward. Your feet should be spaced about 10-to-12 inches from center of big toe to center of big toe. It is best if you do not wear any shoes. Bare foot is the preferred method.

If you do wear shoes, make certain they have very flexible soles. Stiff shoes have to go. You must stretch all the way down on each rep and you must come all the way up on your toes. Concentrate on placing your weight on your big toe and the toe next to your big toe, contract fully at the top. Do this on each rep of every set for every exercise outlined. THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE A MUST!

Use one 25-pound plate to hit the inner calves.

Roll your feet down to the outsides to work the ankles fully.

On Monday and Thursday you will use heavy weights and on Tuesdays and Fridays you will use bodyweight only. No weights at all. On Tuesdays and Fridays with body weight only, you will perform standing calf raise in the same position, on the same block, using the same technique as you apply on Mondays. Only on Tuesdays and Fridays, using bodyweight only, you are to perform 100 reps of standing calf raises. This will be extremely difficult to do at the beginning so I suggest the following method.

Start by performing four sets of twenty-five reps with not more than 30 seconds rest between sets. Work up to doing two sets of fifty reps. Finally try for one set of 100 reps.

If you can do two sets of 50 reps you can be proud. It is essential that you perform these reps properly. That means no "bouncing" up and down. Do not perform them ultra fast nor ultra slow. You must get a full stretch at the bottom and a full contraction at the top.

I also suggest you massage your calves well after each workout. This will not only help with the soreness that is sure to come, it will help invigorate the calf muscle with blood and help produce gains. If you do not have access to a massage therapist, use a hand held massager. If you do not have one you can use a rough towel and rub your calves briskly for several minutes after each session.

Use these 5 techniques to develop your calves to the very fullest, including the hard-to-reach inner and outer areas.

Find out more right here!

The Program

Standing Calf Raise. Use either a regular standing calf machine or a Smith machine. Perform five sets using the maximum weight you can use to perform the sets and reps correctly. 1 x 15, 1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6.

Bodyweight only standing calf raises. 100 reps.

Seated Calf Raises. Perform five sets using the maximum weight you can use in performing the movement correctly. If you do not have access to a seated calf machine, perform standing calf raises as performed on Mondays. 1 x 15, 1 x 12, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6.

Bodyweight only standing calf raises. 100 reps.

Conclusion

This is an extremely difficult exercise routine for the calves and will produce a great amount of soreness at the start regardless of how advanced you are in your training. Be prepared, I warned you!

 About The AuthorWe offer quite a few programs but we're known across the Web for The Critical Bench Program. Learn how to add 50 lbs to your bench in 10 weeks!

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Tags: Exercise, Specialization

by Al Kavadlo, CSCS – 12/02/2011

In strength and bodybuilding circles, the bench press is considered the king of upper body exercises.

Normal folks exchange pleasantries like "How are ya?" or "How's the wife?" or "How's your mom's bursitis?" But in the commercial gym, "how much do ya bench?" is the most popular conversation starter.

It's not surprising that, given this level of esteem, virtually every fitness center has a bench press area surrounded by beefed up dudes pumping their pecs every Monday.

The problem is, the bench press only works the pushing muscles. No pulling muscles are directly challenged. This isolation isn't necessarily bad – there are dozens of ways to train the pulling muscles after all – but considering the level of respect paid to the bench press, you'd think it'd be more all-encompassing like the squat or deadlift.

In other words, for a movement to deserve the label "the ultimate upper body exercise" shouldn't it have to work the entire upper body?

The muscle-up is a rare beast – an upper-body exercise that requires both pulling and pushing power and phenomenal core strength to boot.

Those unfamiliar with the move say it's just a pull-up combined with a dip, but a muscle-up is much more than that. It's an unparalleled assault to the upper body, and you have to be strong just to do one.

To practice this exercise, you'll need a pull-up bar (or gymnastics rings) with plenty of overhead clearance. That's it – no weights or fancy gym equipment required.

Ironically, many high-tech gyms today have vibrating platforms to simulate working out in an earthquake and treadmills equipped with flat screen TVs, but lack a simple straight bar with which to do muscle-ups. Your best bet might be to go to a local park.

To perform a muscle-up, rather than simply trying to pull your chin past the bar, focus on pulling (and then pushing) your entire upper body up and over.

If you've never done this move before, get ready for a humbling experience. Even if you can do pull-ups and dips like a trooper, you'll likely need some practice to execute just one proper muscle-up.

There's no set rule for how many reps of pull-ups are needed as a prerequisite; some lifters who can only manage six or seven pull-ups can perform a nice muscle-up, while others can bang out twenty dead hang pull-ups like machines and still continually fail at getting through the sticking point. The muscle-up is a unique challenge and must be treated as such.

It's helpful to start off with a modified muscle-up. Set up a bar about chest height and use your legs to jump into the muscle-up. (If you can't find a low bar, stand on a step or a bench under a high bar.)

This will help you get a feel for the crucial transition from being under the bar to getting on top of the bar, but without having to overcome your full bodyweight.

With practice, you'll learn to rely less on your legs and do most of the work with your upper body. You'll almost be ready to attempt the real deal.

The next step is to practice doing pull-ups with an exaggerated range of motion. Instead of stopping when the bar is below your chin, pull until the bar is well past your chest. Get as far over the bar as you can!

It can be helpful to use a false grip when performing a muscle-up. This entails bending the wrists up over the bar so that your palms are facing the ground as you begin the pulling phase.

For some, the false grip can make the transition from pulling to pushing simpler as you don't need to worry about rolling the hand over the bar. If you're learning the muscle-up on rings the false grip becomes a necessity – your hand won't be able to roll as easily as it can on a bar.

Since muscle-ups require considerable upper-body strength and help build power, it's wise to practice them explosively, especially when starting out. You can eventually work up to performing the exercise slow and controlled to reap additional benefits. Once you reach the point where you can perform 10 consecutive slow muscle-ups, you'll be at an elite level of pound-for-pound strength.

Here's a video tutorial to help you learn the muscle up:

I recommend practicing muscle-ups near the beginning of the training session as they require significant energy and coordination, especially when learning the movement.

For those using a split routine, muscle-ups should be placed at the beginning of an upper body workout. Also, since you won't be using additional weights, you can train them more frequently than you might with other exercises. I suggest starting at three times a week to effectively learn the movement pattern.

Most importantly, be patient. It may take a while before you get your first one. The longer you work at it, the more fulfilling it will be when it finally happens!

Once you've got the hang of muscle-ups, you can play around with ways to make them even harder. Just like pull-ups, muscle-ups can be made more challenging by using a close grip or a wide grip. You might even try working up to a clapping muscle-up, or the holy grail of bodyweight strength: the one arm muscle-up.

Just don't get cocky and expect to be looking for ways to make muscle-ups harder right away. Getting just one good, clean rep may be a challenge for many!

Here are some popular variations of the muscle-up.

I've yet to meet a lifter who could successfully perform a muscle-up who didn't try to incorporate them consistently into his or her routine. I've even known lifters that put down the weights altogether and simply used muscle-ups and other bodyweight exercises as their sole means of training – at least temporarily.

It's not as crazy as it sounds, bench press addicts. I haven't trained the bench press in almost five years, and thanks to muscle-ups, my upper body still looks and feels as strong as ever.

Best of all, I never have to wait in line for a bench press station – although I still get asked how much I bench, from time to time.

Questions or comments? Leave them in the LiveSpill.

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Tags: Exercise, MuscleUps, Ultimate, Upper