Gustavo Badell was born on November 3, 1972 in Venezuela. He currently resides in Puerto Rico with his wife and two kids. Gustavo stands only 5′8″ but weighs in on stage at a ripped 240 pounds. Of course, Gustavo must do a clean bulk prior to a contest where his weight can get as high as 270 pounds. He still keeps a low bodyfat during his pre-contest bulk, which is why Gustavo can easily switch from off-season to pre-contest mode very easily.
At the age of 15, Gustavo was actively involved with contact sports such as boxing and kickboxing. Two years later he started becoming involved with amateur boxing but was too skinny make a name for himself. His trainer suggested that he should start weight lifting to put on weight, and he then followed the rigors of an intense workout. After noticing his great genetics, and arms that were almost too big for his body, his fellow gym members suggested that he should get into bodybuilding. Gustavo never thought twice!
Gustavo`s bodybuilding career started slowly, but once he found a better rythm for himself, he has become one of the better pro bodybuilders in the IFBB. The following contest results of Gustavo Badell proves this:
1997 World Amateur Championships-10th
1998 Grand Prix Germany-9th
1999 Grand Prix England-17th
1999 Night of Champions-Did Not Place
1999 World Pro Championships-14th
2000 Ironman Pro-18th
2000 Night of Champions Did Not Place
2000 Toronto Pro -Did Not Place
2000 World Pro Championships -11th
2001 Grand Prix England Did Not Place
2001 Ironman Pro Invitational -16th
2001 San Francisco Pro Invitational-11th
2002 Ironman Pro Invitational -13th
2002 Night of Champions-10th
2002 Mr. Olympia-24th
2002 Southwest Pro Cup-6th
2002 Toronto Pro Invitational-3rd
2004 Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic-7th
2004 Ironman Pro Invitational-3rd
2004 San Francisco Pro Invitational-4th
2004 Show of Strength Pro Championship-3rd
2004 Mr. Olympia-3rd
Gustavo`s fan base continues to rise at an alarming rate, and he even has his own video`s that allow you to see inside information in the life of Gustavo Badell:
1)Gustavo “The Great” Badell (DVD)
2)Gustavo Badell - Common Sense (DVD)
This edition will focus on building mass for your chest, which in turn helps create explosive power for your bench! As always, the size you are going to put on will take time and patience, but focusing on the correct exercises and workouts along with a strict diet will speed this process up tenfold.
When focusing on building mass these following exercises will tend to define and sculpt more so instead of building power and mass.
• Dumbbell Fly’s
• Machine Fly’s
• Cable Fly’s
Top Bodybuilder.com recommends the following chest workout for mass building:
• Warm up 2 sets flat bench
• Heavy flat bench 4 sets, 5-8 reps
• Heavy Smith machine Incline Press 4 sets, 6-9 reps
• Heavy dumbbell presses on flat bench 4 sets, 6-8 reps
During your workout incorporate one of our tips which is called negatives. Negative repetitions are a great way to get your tendons and muscles ready to handle a much heavier workload. These are performed with a training partner. Pick a heavy weight that you cannot perform a full repetition with, lower it or perform the negative part of the rep very slowly and have your training partner help you lift it back up through the positive part of the repetition. Repeat this 2-5 times.
Congratulations! You’re on your way to a more explosive bench and a much bigger chest.
Brought to you by Patrick Flaven owner of TopBodybuilder.com
Locanda di Palazzo Cicala has all the magic of a "hotel de charme". It occupies the first floor of the historic and newly renovated Palazzo Cicala.. There are the remains of a medieval loggia on the façade overlooking Piazza Duomo, while the eighteenth-century main building front features magnificent stucco decorations. The hotel building has recently undergone a complete restoration in the original style. The interiors, on the other hand, have been refurbished according to the precepts of contemporary design, with minimalist lines and sober colours creating an elegance that is offset by a few carefully chosen period pieces.
The large, airy rooms, with high arched ceilings embellished with stucco work and decorations, evoke the magic of the past while offering every modern convenience.
The rooms give onto a spacious lounge overlooking Piazza San Lorenzo, where guests can sip an aperitif while enjoying a delightful view of the Duomo.
The hotel is strategically situated for tourists and business visitors to Genoa alike. In fact, Locanda di Palazzo Cicala is in the very heart of the historic city centre, opposite the Duomo, and gives onto the sixteenth-century Piazza San Lorenzo, just a short walk from Palazzo Ducale and the Old Harbour, where guests can visit the aquarium or depart on boat tours of the Riviera di Levante to Camogli or Portofino.
The marvellously quiet rooms, overlooking the picturesque Piazza Scuola Pie, are all on the first floor of the palazzo; they have high arched ceilings with rich stucco work and decorations, and range from 30 to 40 square metres in size; all with en suite bathrooms.
There are a total of six rooms, of which three with double bed, and three with two three-quarter beds; the latter are large enough to easily accommodate up to four people.
The interiors, inspired by the canons of contemporary design, use minimalist lines and sober colours to create an understated elegance that is offset by a few carefully chosen period pieces.
In these rooms of rare artistic and architectural beauty, in addition to all the standard amenities you will find a full suite of technological services: telephone, fax, personal computer, internet connection, satellite TV and DVD films.
With a view to creating an "office away from the office", every room is equipped with a telephone, fax, personal computer, always-on internet connection, radio and satellite TV.
Other general services include: safe, laundry, luggage porters.
If you think that Palazzo Cicala is not exactly what you are looking for, click here to visit our catalogue for Hotels in Italy, and make a search for another hotel in Genoa: we are pretty sure that you can easy find the Genoa accommodation that can best fit your need for a perfect stay in Italy.
In my 20 years of performing Bodybuilding and Powerlifting routines. I have found that exercise is only a small fraction of the muscle mass equation. In order for you to keep your body in a state of muscle growth, these steps I will outline below must all work together to produce the results you want.
Step (1)
You must eat every 2.5 to 3 hours (this might mean 6-7 small meals per day)
Wake up 15 minutes early every day to eat breakfast (meal 1). This is the most important meal of the day. Your body has just spent hopefully 8-9 hours in a fasting state all night long. So you must feed your machine.
Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and more depending on how active you are. You must also have a healthy carbohydrate range between 1.5 and 2.5 grams per pound of bodyweight for muscle growth. Carbohydrates are meant to fuel our bodies not protein or fat. The best range I have found for healthy fats is 0.4 or 10 grams per meal.
This would mean if you were 180 pounds six meals would be divided like this: 45 grams of carbohydrates 30 grams of protein and 10 grams of fats split into six meals every 3 hrs. These numbers will increase or decrease depending on your activity level. Only you know your body and how it will react.
Step (2)
Sleep, Sleep and more Sleep.
If you are expecting to get the most out of your training routines in the gym, but only giving yourself 5-6 hours of sleep per night then you might not reach your full potential. Sleep is a key factor in the muscle building process.
This is when are bodies repair the damage and recover from muscle tearing we have done that day. A good example of this muscle tearing process would be weight training. Without 8-9 hrs. each night or 7-8 hrs and a small mid-day nap your muscle gains might suffer.
Step (3)
Mind Muscle Connection with Controlled Intensity
Next time you go to your local gym or fitness center try this little experiment. Watch some of the people train. Are they pushing or pulling the weights with a rhythm? Does it look like they are thinking about lifting the weight or is the weight controlling them? and YES there is a difference.
Now stop and look around again. This time for the people who look like there in a really good shape. I mean extreme condition. I bet there is a look of determination and concentration in every single rep they do. They are not just simply moving the weight. They are controlling the weight.
This is called Mind Muscle Connection. Without this you are just spinning your wheels. You can easily develop Mind Muscle Connection without weights. I want you to Flex your biceps muscle. Do it very slow and controlled feeling the muscle work through a full range of motion while concentrating on contracting your bicep at the top. That is Mind Muscle Connection.
Now it’s time to put these tools in place and get you to the next level in your training.
Eric Schneider is a C.P.T Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Program Specialist. You can contact him for performance program information at http://www.Expect2getFit.com/
Comming soon http://www.myperformanceprogram.com for specialized performance programs to give you that all important edge in your diet and training.
We know what it’s like to want something so badly you’d almost sell your left kidney to get it. Well that’s how we felt about building a strong and muscular physique.
Let’s face it - a strong build can open doors that were never open to you before. You can command a new found respect from friends and family - and get a whole lot more attention from the opposite sex as well.
We know this might sound a little simplistic - but being well built is one of the best goals you can set for yourself. It can change your life in ways you’d never imagine.
You will find people responding to you in a different way - and this in turn can make you see yourself in a more confident and self-assured light. We know from personal experience.
But in our haste to achieve my physique goals we committed the “cardinal sin” of training too often and for too long. We made the mistake of overtraining. And we know that we’re not the only “hard-gainer” out there who’s made the same mistake.
So by all means strive to build muscle fast, but remember that you need to make sure that you are training only as often and for as long as you need to. Don’t make the mistake of training for too often and for too long.
Hoods are worn over the gowns to show your achievements at commencement events. The velvet on an academic hood represents the degree earned. The lining colors of the academic hood represent the school where the degree was earned. The size of the academic hood (both the length of the hood and the width of the velvet and lining) represents whether the academic hood is a doctoral hood, master’s hood, or bachelor’s hood.
Academic Hoods
Here, you will find almost all types of College hoods available at our internet store and you can usually get two qualities, either deluxe or souvenir, which is generally less expensive. You name it and you will have it. They are available also in custom styling with or without piping on them. Following a custom established in the 14th century, modern scholars display their academic accomplishments by wearing academic graduation hoods on their commencements together with their academic gowns and caps.
Guidelines
University regalia strictly comply with the guidelines set forth by the Committee on Academic Customs and Ceremonies, appointed in 1959 by the American Council on Education. The academic hood is comprised of a fabric shell (usually black), “degree velvet” and “school lining”. The velvet of the hood represents your degree or the discipline of your doctorate.
In addition to the degree colors, each school generally has its own colors. These “school colors” are represented by the colors of the satin lining in the back of the hood. There are literally thousands of color combinations to combine to get what is right for your doctoral hood or whichever hood you need Master, BA… they are all different.
There is nothing like seeing an accomplished student at commencement exercised all decked out in their gown and graduation hood no matter the color or degree it represents.There are so many combinations that when you are ordering yours you will need to be specific on your degree as the colors are different for example a PhD has different colors than a Doctor of…
Searching for suitable hood
Do your basic shopping on our site for your prices and discounts that are available and save some time and money.Make sure, you have plenty of time to order your hood. No matter where it is coming from, it is better to have it ahead of time then not have it. You can find plenty of fine examples to check out and see exactly what you will be getting for your graduation hood, for an important milestone in your life.
Now, all you have to do it is to surf through our numerous products, choose your desired hood. Every thing is at your fingertips!
Where do individuals buy anabolic steroids? They really only have two choices; from a physician or the black market. At one time it wasn’t that difficult to find a sympathetic doctor who would prescribe anabolic steroids to athletes. With the reclassification of anabolic steroids as a controlled substance in the early 1990’s, most doctors now avoid having anything to do with the prescribing of anabolic steroids - even for legitimate medical reasons. The penalties are just too harsh. In response to this, bodybuilders have turned to steroid suppliers on the black market for their anabolic steroid cycles. This industry that has always existed for bodybuilders to buy anabolic steroids and other drugs.
The majority of the different types of steroids available on the black market originate in Mexico. They are first smuggled into the U.S. where they are distributed throughout the North American continent. Given its close proximity to Mexico, it’s not surprising that one of the major centers of this black market is California. From here the anabolic steroids are usually sent by mail or by courier to anabolic steroid suppliers in other U.S. states or Canada.
The problem with the existence of any black market is that invariably it becomes a nucleus around which criminal activities grow and prosper. After stricter laws regarding using and buying anabolic steroids were passed in the early 1990’s, many small-time anabolic steroid suppliers got out of the market altogether. As black market prices increased because of reduced supply and higher risk, the profits to be made became attractive to dealers of other drugs, such as cocaine and heroin. The only reasonable way to buy anabolic steroids was to go out of the country. The result was a marked change in the character of the anabolic steroid black market, with violence becoming a key factor in maintaining control. Instead of going to some otherwise law-abiding citizen at the local gym for their steroid cycles, users had to start dealing direct with hardcore dealers when buying anabolic steroids. It’s not surprising that the market for anabolic steroid alternatives has exploded over the last decade.
Okay here’s a subject that really gets my blood boiling. Bodybuilding is intended to be the creation of the perfect physique…right? That means that the chest, shoulders, legs, arms and back are suppose to be developed to their full potential while keeping the waist muscular but small. Some bodybuilders may have one genetically gifted part that has a tendency to be superior to another part. The normal goal is to emphasize the training of the weaker body part while curtailing training to the more responsive body part. This is done to obtain proportional muscle size. In achieving the perfect physique, the waist is meant to be small compared to upper body parts and the legs. The smaller the waist the more dramatic the surrounding muscles appear. The Back will look like a flared cobra’s head when attached to a tiny waist.
I remember the physiques of the past, Arnold, Bob Birdsong, Franco Columbo, Bob Paris and Frank Zane achieved this dynamic look. Darin Lannaghan, Bill Davey and Stan McQuay have produced this look in modern day bodybuilding though they may never be seen at the Arnold Classic Competition.
So What’s Changed?
In mid 80’s, Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and Insulin became popular drugs with professional bodybuilders. The net result, with these top level competitors, is the “Roid Gut”. Now days, we have bodybuilders sporting a 40-46″ waists. I am guessing, of course, since no competitor would dare share the mammoth size of their waistlines. If they did, I would bet they would shave the number down an inch or two. Unfortunately, the Roid Gut has a repulsive appearance contrary to the original intent of the sport. When Jay Cutler in his early years hit national prominence, his youthful physique still had the small waist. Today, Jay’s waist is absolutely gross. Sure he may weighs 270+ lbs, but also he sports a waist line of a sumo wrestler. Most of the top bodybuilders, Ronnie Coleman, Dorian Yates and Craig Titus, all exhibit this similar phenomenon. These competitors are simply meeting the expectation of what the judges are condoning and encouraging by accepting this look at as the “champion” physique.
I am writing this article to discourage the use of these drugs. They are sucking the lifeblood out of the Sport, destroying the potential aesthetics of the physique, and taking the bodybuilding back to the freak show era of the past. THIS SHOULD NOT BE!
HGH, “Huge Gut Hormone?”
Okay so what does HGH do to the body? In a normal person, HGH is produced by the body and causes the normal body growth process. The HGH drug was originally developed for children that exhibited stunted growth and were found to have a low production of this hormone. Doctors would administer HGH in small amounts to stimulate a normal growth pattern.
In a few people, HGH production is overactive (from birth) it can also create person of gigantic proportions. Andre the Giant had this condition. Robert Wadlow was another and he grew to be 7′11″. He had many health problems and died at a very early age.
If HGH is administered to an adult, muscle growth restarts. HGH is very different than steroids. HGH causes production of new cells. Steroids cause only the enlargement of existing cells. The new cell growth seems to target only with the soft tissues and rarely skeletal system. Unfortunately, not only are the muscles cells multiplying but so are the internal muscles like the intestines and heart. Furthermore, organs, like the liver, kidneys and pancreas are growing too. When the growth of these internal muscles and organs occur in a fixed chest cavity, there is only one direction for this extra mass to go and that is out the abdominal area. Starting to get the picture?
Insulin’s Additive Affect
Now what is insulin’s affect on the body? Insulin is a super steroid that funnels the nutrients and sugar into muscle. When combined with hard workouts, recovery is very quick. Properly taken, it drives cell growth better than any other steroid. However if you screw up in taking insulin at the wrong time or dosage, you can throw yourself into insulin shock and die. Also long term use can make you a diabetic, a condition that shortens life. When Insulin is combined with HGH, the muscles are set to make significant gains.
The downside of insulin is that it is also active in creating the storage of fat in the body in the event of starvation. These fat deposits are stored internally to body and not on the exterior muscles. This is wonderful for the bodybuilder’s appearance but not for this health. These fat deposits called visceral fat are found around the internal organs of the liver, pancreas, heart and kidneys. Couple this additional weight with growth of the internal muscles and organs and you have enough extra mass to create a really protruding Roid Gut.
“Side Bar” Story
Let me tell you one story that comes to mind back in the very early 80’s. Tim Belknap, then a great in the world of bodybuilding, announced that he was diabetic. I have no reason to doubt he was, but I am now convinced that Tim found the secret to using insulin to maximize his bodybuilding potential. During that era, Tim was by far the most vascular bodybuilder on the scene. I also notice, he had a semi-protruding waistline. At the time I felt sorry for Tim being handicapped with diabetes but admired that he had accomplish a world class physique under this condition. Now looking back, I am sure Tim was able to apply his insulin to his bodybuilding benefit.
You be the Judge
I am convinced that these “super heavy weight” competitors at 270+ lbs might really weigh 240 or so if you stripped the mass out of their guts. But then again they might only weigh 220 if they lost the additional muscularity as a result of these two drugs. Let’s return to the aesthetic builds of a few years past. I hope that even if judges don’t award the small waist competitor the winning trophy, you will agree, that creating a Roid Gut is neither attractive nor healthy!
Scott Jameson is a bodybuilder and trainer for over 30 years. He has a passion for bodybuilding and helping other achieve this success. He regularly applies the techniques in this article. See more of his articles at http://www.bodybuildingprogramzone.com
If you want to more information on a Bodybuilding Program - Check out the Zone, the site with a passion for you to succeed.
This article may reproduced on your website provided you acknowledge Scott Jameson as the author and must show link to http://www.bodybuildingprogramzone.com
Creatine is very widely used by athletes as it offers many benefits with the least number of side effects compared to other drugs. Creatine provides instant energy to the body and is used when an individual is into high intensity sports like bodybuilding or weightlifting. It sets back fatigue and helps a person work out more. Individuals who have undergone surgeries can get back to exercising using this drug. It increases heart function and is widely used by patients post surgery. Athletes would find this drug very useful as it releases bursts of energy that would be required during intense training sessions. Even though it works short term, the drug can be used long term as long as the individual is able to take care of the weight gain, which is the most active side effect of the drug till date.
It is very important to go through the reviews regarding this drug before starting to use it. Even though Creatine is an over the counter medicine, long term usage of the drug might result in a few side effects that are not always favorable to the body. Short term, it can be used in a similar manner as multivitamins as long as the individual does indeed require the excess Creatine during workouts. It is important to note that Creatine is produced by the body and the supplement is only when the body requires that excess Creatine for intense exercises that the athletes put the body through. A physician would sometimes be able to advice on the usage of this drug even though self-medication is a common practice among athletes.
A number of reviews are available on the Internet that would be able to provide an insight of the various Creatine drugs available in the market and their usage options. Creatine products are available in a wide range and an athlete would find these reviews useful to decide on a particular drug and dosage that would be required for a particular body based on the exercises the body is subjected to.
Since Creatine is a dietary supplement, many of these reviews also provide a diet control chart that would result in maximum advantage when used with Creatine. It is very common to find all the ingredients used in a particular Creatine drug, based on which an individual can decide on the best buy.
These reviews help in providing the customer with the advantages in using a particular Creatine drug. Also, athletes currently using the drug would be putting up their reviews online so others browsing the site might find it useful to hear from someone actually on the drug.
Creatine provides detailed information about creatine, creatine benefits, creatine monohydrate, and more. Creatine is affiliated with Body Mass Index Chart.
You have been pounding away at the iron game for years, set after set and repetition after repetition. You have literally put blood, sweat, and tears into your calf training routine. You step back to look at the view in the mirror only to notice that you are still lacking lower leg development. How can that be? You have trained calves a million and one ways, you have eaten properly, received adequate rest and still fail to see any distinct results. Do you suffer from small calf syndrome? Are you tired of putting in 100% effort and receiving only 10% results? Does any of this sound familiar?
Have you ever seen someone who doesn’t workout at all or exercises very little, yet they possess beautiful and balanced calves? Just as with any other muscle, calves are genetic. The length of a muscle and the tendon’s insertion point will determine how great your calves will be. Those with short calf muscles and a long tendon insertion will have a much more difficult time building them to greatness, as this makes them smaller and higher.
Building calves can be frustrating and it has to be the most difficult muscle in the body to deliver desired results. Even if you are not genetically gifted in the calf department, there are some tactics that you can employ to maximize your lower leg development.
Calf Structure
Before you can maximize muscle gains in the calves, it is important to understand how they work and what is involved. Calf training requires a different type of intensity, not just more sets, more repetitions, more rest, etc. You have to understand what is involved to capitalize on gains. Train hard, yet smart. Use your calf muscles as well as your mind. You must focus and visualize.
The calves are composed of two major muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus. These two muscles add size, width, and symmetry to the lower portion of the leg. In addition, there is a smaller muscle that comes into play, the tibialis anterior. Even though it is small and may seem insignificant, it is an important muscle to develop for strength, size, power, endurance, and shape.
The Gastrocnemius
The gastrocnemius is the larger of the two major calf muscles and it gives shape to the rear lower leg. It is located at the top back of the lower leg and it extends from the knee joint to the ankle joint. It is composed of two heads (medial and lateral) that lie next to each other. The gastrocnemius can be easily seen when it is well developed and accompanied with low body fat. This muscle portrays that well-known diamond shape or the appearance of an upside down heart.
Best Targeted
The gastrocnemius is best targeted with straight legged-heel raises, such as donkey calf raises and standing calf raises. Some people put a slight bend in their legs to relive some pressure, but this will only target the soleus more, putting less emphasis on the gastrocnemius. If you are going to train the gastrocnemius, lock your knees to target it solely. Don’t bring other muscles into play.
Donkey raises are superior to standing calf raises due to the position it puts you in. The gastrocnemius ties in with the hamstrings at the back of the leg. When you are in the bent over position, the hamstrings and gastrocnemius are stretched out, giving the donkey calf raise an advantage over standing calf raises, due to the intensity and localization.
The gastrocnemius muscle responds well to heavy poundage, using more sets and fewer repetitions, due to the great number of fast-twitch (white) muscle fibers.
The Soleus
The soleus is the smaller, yet slightly wider, of the two major calf muscles. It is not visible because it lies under the gastrocnemius. The soleus muscle gives width to the back of the lower leg.
The soleus comes into play in many endurance activities. The gastrocnemius usually has a lot of fast-twitch muscle fibers or an equal number of fast and slow-twitch fibers. This allows the soleus to take over in many cases when the gastrocnemius becomes fatigued.
How many times have you done endless sets and repetitions of straight-legged calf raises with nothing to show for it? Straight-legged calf exercises build power and strength. If you want to build larger calves you must put effort and focus into training the soleus as well.
Best Targeted
The soleus can be best trained with any bent-knee exercises, such as seated calf raises. The gastrocnemius is not strongly involved in this movement.
The soleus responds well to light weight, fewer sets, and more repetitions since it is composed mainly of slow-twitch muscle fibers (red).
Tibialis
The anterior tibialis is located at the front portion of the lower leg. A well-developed anterior tibialis adds more depth and symmetry. It will make your calves appear larger from the front and side.
Best Targeted
This overlooked muscle can be best trained with toe raises. Simply place the heel of your foot on a platform, such as a weight plate placed on the floor. Place a dumbbell across your foot and raise your toes as high as you can in a controlled fashion. Lower and repeat.
Finisher
Rebound training is a great finisher for a calf routine. It is simply jumping rope or jumping onto and off a box, landing on the balls of your feet. This will give your calves a good burn and an electrifying pump. Finish off with one set of as many as possible.
Maximizing Gains
Grab on to something supportive and do a calf raise. Use your own body’s resistance and push down, adding pressure to the calves. Hold the contraction for as long as possible. Repeat three to four more times.
How many times have you seen lifters using the popular “toes-in” and “toes-out” approach to calf training? Were you intrigued? Did you know that it is a complete waste of time and energy since all the muscle fibers run in the same direction? It is also dangerous to internally and externally rotate your ankle or knee. The ball-and-socket joint in the hip allows for the foot rotation, and it produces zero emphasis on the calves since there is no calf muscle that crosses the hip joint. Those who claim they feel the difference has nothing to do with the external or internal rotation of the hip, but rather bad form and excessive poundage. The secret to targeting the different areas of the calf muscle is to angle the pressure by rolling over on your big toe (inversion) or rolling over on your little toes (eversion). You should be angling the soles of your feet. Targeting has everything to do with form and technique, not rotating the knees. At least with angling you can actually take advantage of a movement that occurs in the ankle. Rolling over on the big toe will stress the lateral head more, while rolling over on the smaller toes will direct more of the resistance to the medial head. Roll and angle the pressure rather than turning and twisting.
You can increases the intensity of calf training by holding the contraction at the top position for a count of two, lower to the intermediate position for a count of two and lower until your calf muscle is fully stretched, and repeat.
The soleus is largely composed of red (slow-twitch or endurance) fibers, but you can develop some of the white fibers by training the soleus in a very fast, yet controlled manner.
Train flat footed. Forget the stylish athletic shoes that give you an artificial arch. Train calves in your bare feet or wear combat boots or some other shoe that is flat in structure. If you want to build bigger calves, you are going to have to get to the bottom of things.
Lock the knees with standing and donkey raises to keep the tension on the gastrocnemius. Don’t allow the tension to shift to other areas by putting a bend in your knees.
Since the calves are a very different type of muscle, they can be trained more than other muscle groups. You can train the calves every other day, unless you are sore from the previous calf training workout. You can also split up your gastrocnemius and soleus training so you are training them separately.
Calf Training Program #1
Monday
Standing Raises - heavy poundage - 3 sets of 4 repetitions
Seated Raises - light poundage - 6 sets of 20 repetitions
Toe Raises - light poundage - 4 sets of 10 repetitions
Wednesday
Donkey Raises - heavy poundage - 3 sets of 4 repetitions
Seated Raises - light poundage - 6 sets of 20 repetitions
Toe Raises - moderate poundage - 3 sets of 8 repetitions
Rebound Training - 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Friday
Leg Press Calf Raises - heavy poundage - 3 sets of 4 repetitions
Seated Raises - light poundage - 6 sets of 20 repetitions
Toe Raises - light poundage - 4 sets of 10 repetitions
Calf Training Program #2
Monday
Standing Raises - heavy poundage - 3 sets of 4 repetitions
Rebound Training - 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Wednesday
Seated Raises - light poundage - 6 sets of 20 repetitions
Toe Raises - moderate poundage - 3 sets of 8 repetitions
Friday
Donkey Raises - heavy poundage - 3 sets of 4 repetitions
Rebound Training - 3 sets of 10 repetitions
The following Monday begin with soleus training rather than gastrocnemius training.
Now that you have more facts on the structure of the calf muscle, you have the power to train them to their full potential. Use this information and take your lower leg development to the next level and blow away the competition.
Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988. She embarked on weight training to overcome an eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa in its early stages. She overcame the eating disorder, received her personal training certificate, competed in many local bodybuilding contests, and qualified for Nationals. Since then she’s went on to write six e-books (weight loss, female bodybuilding, contest preparation, leg training, figure/fitness secrets, and cellulite removal). She writes articles for several fitness websites, as well as her own, www.theelitephysique.com, and also distributes a monthly e-newsletter. She has a very active and lively forum, filled with positive and supportive people with informative content. Karen’s sole goal is to educate others and help them apply that knowledge.
