Massive Calves

Bodybuilding - Building Massive Calves

The most stubborn and hard to develop body part for most bodybuilders is definitely a pair of diamond shaped calves. Even at the professional level, a great pair of calves is seldom seen on stage.

There are a few reasons why this is the case, especially in today's bodybuilders as opposed to bodybuilders from the past.

Firstly, the top reason that calves elude so many people is simply stated; a lack of effort and an equal lack of understanding just what the calves need to stimulate growth in the area. The majority of trainees tack on a few sloppy half hearted sets at the end of their quad session and then whine about how their calves won't respond and that it's just not in the cards for them to ever have a pair of impressive lower legs.

The key is to use a full range of motion, varied rep ranges, stretching between sets, short rest periods, and lots of intensity techniques. You see a ton of guys in the gym using a veritable ton of weight on calf movements, but they are usually doing a bobbing kind of motion where the body does most of the moving with no ankle flexion. Go all the way up and all the way down on every rep, and when you can do no more full reps, do half reps until you can't stand the pain, then do a few more.

Supersets, Drop Sets, and Giant Sets are killer and will help make them grow fast. Be intense and work hard, with a full range of motion, and lots of stretching, and they will grow. Another thing is to treat them like any other body part, if you do 12 sets for chest, and tack on only a measly 4 sets for calves, you aren't working hard enough or smart enough for that matter.

- Always get a full range of motion during the exercise.

- Keep the calves guessing by doing different workouts at every training session. The calves adapt to training easier than most muscles.

- Use different intensity techniques, such as Supersets, Drop Sets, Tri-sets.

- Always stretch the calves between sets.

Top 10 Lifting Rules

Bodybuilding - Top 10 Lifting Rules

1. Lift Big - To grow in the gym, you have to lift big. Lifting big means going as heavy as you can with strict, form.

2. Mix Things Up - The body resists change. It prefers regimentation. To grow muscles, you need to keep your body guessing. You don't want your muscles to adapt to any exercise or routine. So mix up your routines and exercises from time to time.

3. Stick To The Basics - Too many lifters add too many different exercises for each body part. To get the most out of training, work your routine around basic compound movements like the squat, bench press, military press, barbell rows, and the like.

4. Warm Up - Warming up isn't for pussies. It helps prevent injuries. It keeps you out of bed and in the gym.

5. Minimize Sets, Maximize Intensity - Some hardcore lifters do 40 sets for legs or 20 sets for arms and grow. For most of us, this is not good. Find out what works best for you.

6. Free Weights - While machines can be good for isolating muscles, free weights involve ancillary muscles and are therefore better for putting on maximum size.

7. Minimum Reps - For maximum muscle, keep reps in the 6-10 rep range.

8. Strict Form - What do you want, an impressive physique or to struggle lifting an impressive weight? Strict form is key.

9. Muscle Groups - Focus on working larger muscle groups before working smaller one.

10. Eat Right, Eat Often - Eat 5-6 meals per day. Discipline your body. It craves it. Use supplements like a meal replacement or protein powders only if you need to.

Casein Proteins

Bodybuilding - Milk Proteins (Casein and Micellar Casein)

Milk protein is an old standby that everyone used to use. The only problem is that milk has a high lactose level with a low ratio to protein to carbohydrates. This means that you can't get that much protein from milk without suffering from some stomach problems. But with the new technology we are now able to isolate the protein and achieve a casein isolate. These proteins contain high amounts of glutamine and are very good for anti-catabolism.

They are very slow to digest which is good because the protein will stay in your stomach longer and be secreted slowly over time. Caseinate is very inexpensive and should be incorporated into your blend. Micellar Casein on the other hand is extremely expensive due to it's delicate processing. But it is by far the purest form of casein on the market.

Whey Protein

Bodybuilding - Whey Protein Isolate

The two forms of whey that you should concentrate on is ion exchange and micro filtration. These are the two purest forms of whey currently on the market. Whey contains extremely high levels of BCAA's, which makes an ideal scenario for a post-workout meal.

The only problem is that whey is pretty expensive compared to some of the other proteins available on the market. The best thing to do would be to incorporate a moderate amount of whey into a blend of other, less expensive proteins.

Soy Protein

Bodybuilding - Soy Protein Isolate

Many people believe that soy is only for women, and could never imagine a hardcore bodybuilder drinking a soy protein shake. Soy has some very positive applications for bodybuilding. Soy has a very high quantity of BCAA's and Glutamine, which would be another useful protein to incorporate into your blend. You have to make sure that the soy protein you are getting is isolate and not just regular soy. If it is an isolated protein it is a complete protein even though it is derived from a plant source. 

The only downside is that it does not contain high amounts of BCAA's, but nevertheless it is very inexpensive and it is a nice protein to add to your blend.

Post Workout

Bodybuilding - Don't Miss Your Window of Opportunity

Nutritional procrastination is one of the biggest mistakes you can make after a workout. We've all been there. You've just finished working out, and are literally hallucinating from exhaustion. You shower, change and fancy yourself up.

In the hallway on the way out, you stop to chat with that girl that finally made eye contact. From there you drive home, get situated and check your messages. Then and only then do you decide to mix up a shake. Guess what, you're out of luck.

While it won't be a complete waste, you're much better off premixing your post-workout shake so it's available to you immediately after you've finished your final cool-down rep.

After a brutal workout, your body is like a sponge in the middle of death valley, and capable of absorbing ridiculous amounts of nutrients. It is during this time, that you stand to get the most out of your protein.

Midnight Muscle

Bodybuilding - Midnight Muscle

While you're lost in deep sleep, you're body undergoes a metabolic nervous breakdown. All day long, you calorically spoil it with nutrient-rich snacks every few hours.

As a result it begins to rely on these treats to keep things running in order. How else would you expect it to react when you suddenly neglect it for 6-10 hours each and every night? Simple solution.

Get in the habit of preparing a small protein shake right before bed. Not only will this prevent your muscles from starving all night, but it will also keep your metabolism running strong. If you're not allergic to dairy, certain milk-derived proteins such as Casein and Calcium Caseinate gel in the gut, and digest slowly. This makes it possible to utilize more amino acids and peptides over sustained periods, such as sleep.

If you value your sleep, make sure that your PM shake is free of caffeine or other herbal stimulants. You can't grow if you don't sleep.