Those Pesky Little Calf Muscles - What You May Be Doing Wrong, And How To Make Them Epic

ByAaron Gee

The gastrocnemius muscle, more commonly known as the calf muscle, is easily the most stubborn muscle to train. No matter how hard you train, genetics will define the shape of your calves far more than any amount of effort. Unfortunately, I am one of the unlucky few that was born with short calf muscles. I don't think I've ever dated a girl who has had shorter calves than myself.

As limited as you may be by genetics, there are definitely changes you can make to your exercise routine to spark growth in your calf muscles.

Recovery Interference

The calf muscles differ from others in that their daily use from walking can hinder the muscle recovery process. Remember, as you work out, you are breaking down the muscle, and over the course of the next few days, the muscle grows and strengthens as it recovers. Performing lower body-intensive cardio immediately after you work out your calves can also impede muscle growth.

Intensity

One thing some people don't realize is how quickly the calf muscles can regain their strength in between sets. The typical 1-2 minute rest that most people employ won't work for the calves.

You want to force as much blood into your muscles as possible while lifting. Two things you can do for your calves to increase the intensity are to shorten your rest time in between sets to about 15-20 seconds, and to do standing calf raises to failure in between each set with weight. For example, do your set of 10 reps with weight, step out of the machine and do standing calf raises with both feet until yu can't move anymore. Try that after every set!

Form

Have you ever seen people jumping into their standing calf raises at the gym, resembling bouncing? I don't know if I haven't. The calf raise is supposed to be a slow, controlled movement, but many people tend to overestimate the amount of weight they can lift on a standing calf machine and rely on bending and straightening their legs to generate momentum, rather than using their calf muscles to lift 100% of the weight.

The best way to resolve this form issue is to simply slow down the lift. Try standing on a step with your heels hanging off the edge, and with both feet, lower your heels as low as possible and raise them as high as possible. Imagine you are pushing the balls of your feel through the floor, rather than pushing your body upwards.

You should be able to complete the same full range of motion with and without weight added to this lift. If not, you need to lower the weight! Learn the proper techniques now, because bad habits at the gym are incredibly hard to un-learn.

So now we know what not to do when trying to grow our calves. But what is the right way to work out the calf muscle? Here is a routine that I call the "calf burnout" that I perform at home in just 5 minutes, but keeps me sore for days!

* Use the stairs in your home, or any small ledge that you can step on to that will remain rigid. Ideally, you will be doing this exercise barefoot.

* Begin on one foot, and lower your body while keeping only the ball of your foot on the stair.

* Do NOT bend and straighten your knee at any point of this portion of the exercise! This removes emphasis from your calves to your quads and glutes.

* Push yourself upwards by imagining you are pushing the ball of your foot through the floor. Be sure to go upwards slowly so that the temptation to generate any momentum with other muscles is eliminated.

* Perform 10 reps on one foot, then ten on the other with no break in between. Aim for six sets on each foot. Mix in a few sets with your foot pointed in or out to emphasize certain parts of the calf muscle. If you need a little assistance with the last few reps of a set, it's OK to push yourself up just slightly with the hand rails on our stairs.

* Squat down into a baseball catcher's position and perform as many reps as possible with both feet on the floor. Hold onto something for balance, if necessary. This targets the soleus muscle, the muscle that runs from the base of your calf to your heel.

* Stand back up, put both feet on your stair and perform as many reps as possible.

* One last part! Squat back down into a catcher's position and perform as many more reps as you can.

Try this routine, if you dare!

Check out the FREE Blog at http://EpicFit20.com for more original, high-quality articles posted daily on a wide variety of fitness and health-related topics! Or come check out our workout plans, designed to get you into the best shape of your life from home in just 20 minutes a day!

A G @ EpicFit20

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Health and Fitness: Build-Muscle
Aaron Gee

Email Address:SubscribeBuild Muscle Article FeedFind More ArticlesSearchSimilar ArticlesWork Out Routines To Build Muscle - Finding the Best One For YouBeginner Weightlifting Workout Plan Plus Healthy Nutrition and Cardiovascular ExerciseWeight Training Tips To Tone Your Body, Build Muscle Quickly, And Melt Away FatGet Muscles Even When You've Got a Too-Fast Metabolic RateThe BEST Weightlifting Routines for Men and Women - Bodybuilding BasicsThe Best Bodybuilding Workout - What You Should KnowIntensified Exercise Is Good For Your HealthBodybuilding HIT ProgramMonster SquatDeadlifting for Serious Size and StrengthRecent ArticlesOptimize Your Bodybuilding Efforts With Whey Protein PowderThe Ten Things I Love About Weight TrainingWhat Percentage of Body Fat Will I See A Six Pack?Best Nutrition for Building Muscle - 6 Tips for a Muscle Gain DietTop Ten Superfoods for Perfect AbsHow a Six Pack Can Make You FamousBest Ways to Build Muscle7 Useful Guidelines for Skinny Guys on How to Build Muscle FastQuick Guide To Mastering The Muscle-UpBeat the Odds: How to Build Muscle Fast Without SteroidsSubmitted On March 17, 2012. Viewed 4 times. Word count: 780.

MLA Style Citation:
Gee, Aaron".".17 Mar. 2012EzineArticles.com.22 Mar. 2012 .APA Style Citation:
Gee, A. (2012, March 17). . Retrieved March 22, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Those-­Pesky-­Little-­Calf-­Muscles-­-­-­What-­You-­May-­Be-­Doing-­Wrong,-­And-­How-­To-­Make-­Them-­Epic&id=6946433Chicago Style Citation:
Gee, Aaron "." EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?Those-­Pesky-­Little-­Calf-­Muscles-­-­-­What-­You-­May-­Be-­Doing-­Wrong,-­And-­How-­To-­Make-­Them-­Epic&id=6946433EzineArticles.com© 2012 EzineArticles.com
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How To Get Movie Star Muscles In One Month

ByMatt Marshall

If you want to build muscle and get ripped in just one month, than pay close attention to this article. Because I'm going to reveal a proven method used by Hollywood actors who needed to shape up fast for a movie roles back in the 1960's.

Picture this:

The year is 1961. You are a big shot Hollywood movie producer. You're scheduled to start filming your next blockbuster in less than 30 days but you've got a big problem on your hands.

Your main actor - the star of the film - is a mess. He's been boozing it up every night and chasing anything in a skirt at all hours of the night for the past 6 months. As a result, he looks like hell. 20 pounds overweight, no muscle and dark circles under his eyes.

You need to get him in silver screen shape - and fast. What do you do?

Well in 1961 the obvious move would be to pick up the phone and call Vince Gironda. He was a cranky guy and you didn't relish the thought of making that call. But you knew Gironda would have your leading man in rock-solid condition before the month was up.

How did Vince manage to transform flabby, out-of-shape actors into buff movie stars in as little as 30 days?

Here's his 3-part strategy. You can use this yourself if you want to pack on slabs of muscle and get lean fast.

Rule #1) Eat a high fat diet.

Vince was one of the first to recommend eating high amounts of fat while dramatically slashing carbohydrate intake. This causes dramatic weight loss for most people when used as a short-term approach. Vince advised to eat unlimited amounts of meat and eggs with no carbohydrates for 4 days.

Rule #2) Eat a low-fat, high carbohydrate meal every 4th day.

To maintain the levels of glycogen in your muscles, Vince recommended a high carbohydrate meal every 4th day.

Rule #3) Perform the 8×8 workout.

This workout is brutal, but the results are nothing short of incredible. For this workout, you're going to select an exercise and bang out 8 sets of 8 reps. Here's the real kicker: You only rest 15-30 seconds between sets. As you can imagine, your muscles will be screaming after just a few minutes.

Insider's tip: Vince actually advised trainees to take TWO breaths in between each rep in order to prolong the set and help keep the intensity high.

Choose 2-4 exercises per body part and shoot to finish your workout in less than 45 minutes. You'll train 4 days per week.

Consider the following split:

Monday:

Chest (3 -4 exercises done for 8×8.)

Biceps (3 exercises done for 8×8)

Forearms (2-3 exercises done for 8×8)

Tuesday:

Triceps (3-4 exercises done for 8×8.)

Shoulders (3 exercises done for 8×8)

Wed: Off

Thursday:

Back (4-5 exercises done for 8×8)

Abs (2-3 exercises)

Friday:

Quads: (3 exercises done for 8×8)

Hamstrings: (3 exercises done for 8×8)

Calves: (5 exercises, each done for one set of 20 reps.)

Sat: Off

Sun: Off

Repeat for 4 weeks.

If you're looking to make a dramatic physique transformation in the next 4 weeks, the Gironda 8×8 workout paired with a high-fat/low-carb diet can certainly get the job done.

Matt Marshall is the author of the Tried and True Fitness blog - a site that reveals time-tested methods for building muscle, burning fat and achieving optimum health WITHOUT drugs.

For a free report on how to get lean & muscular without drugs, visit
http://www.triedandtruefitness.com/free-report/

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Health and Fitness: Build-Muscle
Matt Marshall

Email Address:SubscribeBuild Muscle Article FeedFind More ArticlesSearchSimilar ArticlesTop 10 Controversial Vince Gironda BeliefsHow to Gain the Most Muscle in the Quickest TimeHow to Get in Shape Fast With a Fat Burning Weights RoutineRecent ArticlesIt Is Easy To Do Strength Training At HomeEffective, Best Muscle Building DrinkEssential Diet Plan For Building MuscleContents Of Body Building SuplementsIntensive Training And Body Building SupplementsYoung Teens That Body Build, It's Not What You ThinkImportant Best Foods For Building MuscleIf You Are in Great Shape, Consider High Intensity TrainingThe Case Against Lean ProteinImportant Role of Amino Acids For Muscle BuildingSubmitted On March 07, 2012. Viewed 17 times. Word count: 557.

MLA Style Citation:
Marshall, Matt".".7 Mar. 2012EzineArticles.com.8 Mar. 2012 .APA Style Citation:
Marshall, M. (2012, March 7). . Retrieved March 8, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?How-­To-­Get-­Movie-­Star-­Muscles-­In-­One-­Month&id=6926151Chicago Style Citation:
Marshall, Matt "." EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?How-­To-­Get-­Movie-­Star-­Muscles-­In-­One-­Month&id=6926151EzineArticles.com© 2012 EzineArticles.com
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4 Tips To Remember On Building Muscles

ByMary Joy Lacson

There are a lot of programs out there that can help you build muscles. Each of them has its own trainings and procedures on how to do it. Most of what we see in the advertisements is true but not all of the information they give us is helpful. Not all guides they give are compatible with your body. There is always a definite set of workouts, tips and guides that is right for you.

There are 4 tips to remember when building muscles.

1. EAT. When you want to build muscles, we do not recommend you to go on a diet. If you want your body to bulk up then eat foods that will make your body bigger and larger. Eat heavy breakfast, lunch and dinner. You have to eat more to gain more. Eat foods rich in protein such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy. If you are a vegetarian then you should eat whole foods. Whole foods are foods rich in carbohydrates. Eat veggies, fruits and fat rich foods. Being a vegetarian isn't bad but if you want to build muscles then you should double up or triple up the amount of food you eat in one meal.

2. DRINK. Drink at least two glasses of water in every meal. If you are not fond of just water then you can replace it with fruit juices in each meal but at least try to have a glass of water in each meal. I recommend you to at least drink 10 glasses of water and fruit juices every day. Avoid drinking sodas and carbonated drinks. I also recommend you to drink milk at least two glasses in a day. One for breakfast and one before going to sleep.

3. EXERCISE. Engage yourself in strength training. Start with a light workout then slowly adjust your training into a more intensive training regularly. If you think you can do the training easily then shift to the heavier one. Use weights, dumbbells are helpful in this but you should stay away from machines. Why do we stay away from machines? That is because machines cannot control balance for you. You should use free weights so you yourself can control on how far you can go. Try to do compound exercises. Do not forget to do curl ups. Curl ups make your arm muscles stronger and bigger. Do pull ups, chin ups and squats. This will make your whole body work for better strength. Do these exercises about three or four times per week. It should be one hour per exercise.

4. REST. Allow your body to rest at least two or three times in a week. Schedule your training days and rest days. Resting allows your muscles to regain their energy and will also make them grow. Sleep at least 8 hours a day. Never cut yourself from giving enough time to rest.

Follow these tips on building muscles and try to do it regularly. Never try to cheat on yourself since when you cheat on yourself; you will not achieve the product that you want to have.

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Health and Fitness: Build-Muscle
Mary Joy Lacson

Email Address:SubscribeBuild Muscle Article FeedFind More ArticlesSearchSimilar ArticlesMuscle Building Work Outs For A Button-Popping ChestWhat Every Major League Muscle Building Program Should HaveMuscle Building WorkoutsBest Muscle Building Workout? Follow These 3 RulesMuscle Building Routines - How to Gain Muscle Mass EffectivelyMuscle Building Tips - 4 Muscle Building Myths ExposedNo-Nonsense Muscle Building Review - Unlock Your True Muscle Building Potential?Muscle Building Tips - What Can I Do to Build Muscle Faster?Build Muscle Fast - 4 Tips For Super Fast Muscle BuildingWeight Lifting Programs - Three Muscle Building Secrets Personal Trainers Don't Want You To KnowRecent ArticlesHow To Make Your Buttocks Bigger Naturally With Just 3 Exercises3 Simple and Easy Ab Workouts That You Need to Know!How To Improve Your Pull Ups!Full Body Vs Split Body Building RoutineBest Exercise for the BicepsBSN NO-Xplode Supplement ReviewMuscle Building Tips for a Rock-Hard Six PackQuick Shortcuts For Insane Six Pack AbsThe Artistry of Muscle BuildingKnow Your Muslce Groups For A More Effective Body Building WorkoutSubmitted On February 29, 2012. Viewed 2 times. Word count: 518.

MLA Style Citation:
Lacson, Mary J.".".29 Feb. 2012EzineArticles.com.2 Mar. 2012 .APA Style Citation:
Lacson, M. J. (2012, February 29). . Retrieved March 2, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?4-­Tips-­To-­Remember-­On-­Building-­Muscles&id=6910997Chicago Style Citation:
Lacson, Mary J. "." EzineArticles.com. http://ezinearticles.com/?4-­Tips-­To-­Remember-­On-­Building-­Muscles&id=6910997EzineArticles.com© 2012 EzineArticles.com
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