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View Full Version : Skull Crushing Calves---Exercise of the Week!!!!!!!!!!!


Adam Knowlden
01-11-2004, 12:48 AM
Aside from possibly, expanded lat syndrome, theres nothing quite as pathetic as the lightbulb syndrome.

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/magazine/expand1.gif

This mental disease seems to play on the weaker species of the genus, "gymius ratimus".

This disease begins very subtely, but becomes more profound as summer draws nigh...The symptoms are well known, the gym rat proceeds to work their upper body faithfully day in and day out, while habitually ignoring their thighs and calves.

When summer rolls around and shorts season is in, they sport their tank tops and cut offs only to reveal a 200lb muscular torso atop two toothpicks for legs.

<font color="red"> Why? What has went wrong? </font>

Well to put it bluntly, working legs hurts, and that is a fact. Anyone who is giggling or goofing around between sets during a leg routine, is not working out, they are socializing. A true leg workout leaves only room for pain, not talking or showing off.

The simple truth is most can not handle the mind boggling pain of a calf workout. Proceeding further down in the abyss of self inflicted torture, only a insane person, or body builder, could understand what need is fulfilled in this performance.

The President explains this pecuiliar mindset in a early article on ABC:

[ QUOTE ]
My Gym Nightmare Comes True
by Jacob Wilson

It had finally happened, my worst nightmare had finally become a reality. I began to believe that all the gym idiots and morons were plotting against me! Upper body man was doing his normal 2 hour bench press routine. 130 pound lat man walked around with his puny arms expanded, somehow imagining that he had a pair of wings! Three people talked busily on their cell phones. Hysterical man screamed at the top of his lungs while performing barbell curls with a total of 45 pounds. And to top things off, a fat, hairy, overweight slob, with a huge weight belt and expanded lat syndrome was walking around giving people advice! It was horrible. I felt surrounded, as if there was no place to turn! I grabbed a dumbbell in case I had to do battle with these creatures!

Then it happened. Out of all this turmoil I would find solace! As if a beacon shone from an endless sea of darkness. There, on the other side of the gym, untouched and clear as crystal stood the almighty squat rack! Yes, I had almost forgotten. Like a vampire is repelled by a crucifix so too are gym morons repelled by the squat rack! In it I found relief from the madness as I had done so many times before!


The End


[/ QUOTE ]

For most of us(curses on ye who liveth in sunny states! /forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif) its winter and summer is far off...its time to redeem thyself! This weeks exercise of the week will help start you on thy journey of brutality young warrior!!!!!

This weeks exercises will include:

Leg Press Calf Raises (http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/legg_press_calf_raise.htm)

supersetted with,

Free Handed Standing Calf Raises (http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/excercise/stnding%20calf%20raises.htm)

Begin by performing leg press calf raises in the 6-15 rep range to failure on the maching.

Next go immediately to a calf block--

I recommend setting it between a power rack as shown in this illustration:

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/excercise/standingcalfraise1.JPG

You will be performing the standing raises with just your body weight to failure. But the key is to use no hands and balance yourself on the calf block. This will thrash your stabalizers!!!

Be sure to go all the way down, feeling an intense stretch across the gastroc, and all the way up the the very peaks of your tippy toe. If you begin to lose balance you can lightly brace yourself on the sides of the power rack. But as soon as you balance again, remove your hands.

Continue to failure with full reps, then continue with partial reps, again going to failure. From here, hold the last rep statically for 30-60 seconds!!! Next, fascia stretch the calfs for 30 seconds.

For more intensity, I will repeatedly adjust my toe positioning to target different heads throughout the set. I especially like to do this during the static phase. When enter the static portion of the set, hold the toes out statically for 20 seconds, in statically for 20 seconds and straight on for 20 seconds!!! /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Good luck, and get those legs in shape! Summer is closer than you think!!!!! /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif

http://www.femalemuscle.com/library/graphics/calves04.jpg

PS- Yes I know the pic is kind of crude, but hey those calves are monsters!!!! /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Steel Warrior
01-11-2004, 12:59 AM
Hey Oldschool don't you think training calves is fun?

amerkazmoswantd
01-11-2004, 02:13 AM
i love the burn i get while training calves, it's almost like the burn you get while training abs or forearms. sounds like a great workout man, thanks.

Boka
01-11-2004, 02:15 AM
I like the weird feeling I get just before failure. Very weird... /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Adam Knowlden
01-11-2004, 02:25 AM
[ QUOTE ]
Hey Oldschool don't you think training calves is fun?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, in a sick way. /forum/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Satch
01-11-2004, 04:13 AM
I love the feeling of all the lactic acid and oxidants pooling at my ankles. Nothing else gets me to work harder because I know that I'm more hardcore than anyone in the gym at that second in time.

Muu
01-11-2004, 07:10 AM
Love the diagram! Theres nothing better than almost falling after pushing yourself for that final drop set on my calves to squeeze the last out of them, pushing it so hard my legs can hardly support me when am finished.

soccerchick
01-11-2004, 10:27 AM
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hey Oldschool don't you think training calves is fun?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, in a sick way. /forum/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

me too /forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif

which is why reading this is torture to me now. why OS, why? /forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Tuf
01-11-2004, 10:54 AM
Perfect! Calves are one of my priorities on my current bulk. /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif Thanks, OldSchool!

Venom
01-11-2004, 02:01 PM
Sweet! /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif

MMouse
01-12-2004, 12:36 AM
Awesome Old School, my calves are still my weakest point. I am going to give this a try!

jlong
01-12-2004, 01:58 AM
Good thing that I have a job that requires sitting.

mr.selfdestruct
01-12-2004, 02:15 AM
The best bit about calf training is when you finish the set and sit down, and after the burn goes away your left with the wonderful warm feeling of all that blood pumping into your calves. I don't get it with anything else, but when I do calves I always get that tingling, warm, soothing sensation from the pump after a set. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

William Ustav
01-12-2004, 02:39 PM
Nice /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif, but it doesn't seem intense and insane enough for me /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Tuf
01-12-2004, 08:08 PM
Just did this superset tonight! /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif The free handed standing calf raises take much more balance and concentration than I had imagined! /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

bennyhanna1
01-12-2004, 09:00 PM
cool bro! theres a kid at my school who has maybe 18 inch arms, but has no calves, it looks so goofy! if i new how to work my scanner, i could scan in one of the sickest pictures of calves i've ever seen! it was in the flex magazine with richard jones on the front... they were wicked!

Adam Knowlden
01-12-2004, 10:23 PM
[ QUOTE ]
but it doesn't seem intense and insane enough for me

[/ QUOTE ]

You can't please everyone! /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
The free handed standing calf raises take much more balance and concentration than I had imagined!

[/ QUOTE ]

It gives a great burn! Besides just body building, this is also very good for athletic purposes!

Arnold&Dorian
01-12-2004, 11:28 PM
i need to get a block, i wonder where i can get one.

Adam Knowlden
01-13-2004, 12:06 AM
Here's one A&amp;D:

http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/9006.html

I have this one in my home gym. But if you're tight for money you could make one out of wood pretty easily.

You can also use the edge of your stairs.

ChosenSoldier
01-13-2004, 07:19 PM
nice just in time cause today is leg day for me thanks oldschool

the_devils_son88
01-14-2004, 02:26 AM
There will absolutely give a burning feeling on those calves... Awesome! Can't wait to have a shot at this exercise.

brgrman
01-14-2004, 05:51 PM
My gym doesn't have a calf machine of any kind. So I have used the "free handed" calf raises for all my calf training. I normally superset these with seated calf raises by holding heavy dumbells (60lbs, or greater)on top of my thighs just behind my kneecaps. We do have a leg press machine and I will certainly give this a try!! I can feel the burn already.

Instead of blocks, which we also do not have, I have used two 45 lb. plates stacked under a squat rack so that the flat side faces up. This gives good range of motion for "free handed" calf raises. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Adam Knowlden
01-14-2004, 07:05 PM
Those will work Great brgrman! /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif

In fact the President recommends switching up to as many different surfaces for calf raises as you can find.

Just a block or step with a different texture can be a shock to your calves!

Tuf
01-14-2004, 09:10 PM
DOMS in full effect. /forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Thanks again, OldSchool! /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Venom
01-14-2004, 10:33 PM
[ QUOTE ]
For most of us(curses on ye who liveth in sunny states! )

[/ QUOTE ]

lol sorry O.S /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif I am going to try this now. Wish me luck. /forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Venom
01-14-2004, 11:34 PM
That was incredible brother! Awesome pump thanks. /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

HBOMBRULES0105
01-16-2004, 09:20 AM
hay i was wundering if you could get a good trap exercise some time. i want to get the end of my traps by the shoulder highter. what can i do?

Pacman
02-18-2004, 02:20 PM
bump!