- Thread starter
- #2,151
or this:
Strength Weight Training: Anything and Everything II
- Thread starter cptkirk
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Any tips for leg and hip mass? Can't seem to put any mass on my legs at all especially my calves. Tried high reps low weight, low reps high weight and all I get is Achilles problems. Is it the genetics that is stopping me from gaining much mass? I got a high calf insertion and my fathers side of the family is indigenous with skinny legs and ankles/knees which I have as well. Thanks!
- Thread starter
- #2,153
legs/hip mass - very deep single leg exercises like step ups, split squats, reverse lunges, bulgarian split squats, walking lunges and dynamic lunges and then the deficits versions of each...work your way up to an appreciable amount of load with these too
for calves they are highly genetic but if you want size increases then you MUST train them at least 5/week using a variety of set/rep schemes and load
for calves they are highly genetic but if you want size increases then you MUST train them at least 5/week using a variety of set/rep schemes and load
- Aug 1, 2002
- 22,826
- 10,715
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
- Other Teams
- NMFC
evo
Let's hit the f*ken road!
yeah, it really isolates them.
You have to drop the weight a bit. I used to standing bent barbell row 90kgs for 8 reps. Doing those I can only do 65kg for 6 at the moment.
It just goes to show I was obviously cheating previously by engaging the traps.
- Thread starter
- #2,156
db's will give a much greater squeeze as you'll get as much range of motion as you can muster though the shoulders
I have the skinniest calves and have given up on trying to grow them
Shupe
Brownlow Medallist
- Jun 21, 2011
- 13,335
- 10,396
- AFL Club
- West Coast
- Other Teams
- Indianapolis Colts
I think 90% of the world would be unhappy with their calves. Persistence.
If the only answer is training them 5 days a week then I cbf to be honest
Shupe
Brownlow Medallist
- Jun 21, 2011
- 13,335
- 10,396
- AFL Club
- West Coast
- Other Teams
- Indianapolis Colts
An extra 5 minutes tacked onto the end of your workout? You don't deserve them
- Mar 2, 2007
- 43,126
- 61,323
- AFL Club
- Fremantle
- Other Teams
- Liverpool, Cowboys, Packers, Scorchers
My calves make Kate Moss look bulky, but I have noticed a distinct improvement since I started following the advice I read about avoiding the 'kangaroo bounce'.
For those unfamiliar with the concept - they've found that kangaroos can leap with barely any muscle effort thanks to their extra long achilles which acts like a rubber band - storing elastic energy as it expands, then releasing it as it springs back into place. (This also explains why North can never stay consistent winners without rebounding back to where they belong)
Guys who do their calf raises quickly are apparently activating the same reflex in their achilles - they're bouncing up and down with the elasticity in their achilles driving the movement instead of their muscles.
So the recommended form is:
- Explode up to the top of the movement until you're on the tips of your toes
- Hold at the top for 2 seconds
- Slowly come down over 2 seconds
- Pause at the bottom for 2 seconds to allow the elastic energy in your achilles to dissipate
- Explode up again
Your sets take a lot longer to do properly but they hurt so bad. My neighbours are probably wondering if I'm torturing someone in the backyard from the noises I make when I do them.
For those unfamiliar with the concept - they've found that kangaroos can leap with barely any muscle effort thanks to their extra long achilles which acts like a rubber band - storing elastic energy as it expands, then releasing it as it springs back into place. (This also explains why North can never stay consistent winners without rebounding back to where they belong
)Guys who do their calf raises quickly are apparently activating the same reflex in their achilles - they're bouncing up and down with the elasticity in their achilles driving the movement instead of their muscles.
So the recommended form is:
- Explode up to the top of the movement until you're on the tips of your toes
- Hold at the top for 2 seconds
- Slowly come down over 2 seconds
- Pause at the bottom for 2 seconds to allow the elastic energy in your achilles to dissipate
- Explode up again
Your sets take a lot longer to do properly but they hurt so bad. My neighbours are probably wondering if I'm torturing someone in the backyard from the noises I make when I do them.
Last edited:
Alright, alright... my calf quest begins today.An extra 5 minutes tacked onto the end of your workout? You don't deserve them
- Aug 30, 2007
- 9,004
- 6,155
- AFL Club
- Melbourne
- Other Teams
- Warney's IPL team!
RE calves,
Genetics comes in on the insertion point, if you have a high insertion point it will be hard to have a full, bulky looking calf. But others can lean on the genetics to much and use it as a reason not to work them.
Personally 2-3 times a week is enough for me, the important thing is range of motion and getting a full stretch. People who simply bounce up and down on them are wasting there time. A full range of motion is required, hold at the top and bottom of the lift. I only do 3-4 sets of standing and 3-4 seated, you hit either of the two calf muscles when either seated or standing so important to do both. Usually 15-20 reps per set.
For those who don't have a seated calf raise machine, you can improvise with a smith machine;
Genetics comes in on the insertion point, if you have a high insertion point it will be hard to have a full, bulky looking calf. But others can lean on the genetics to much and use it as a reason not to work them.
Personally 2-3 times a week is enough for me, the important thing is range of motion and getting a full stretch. People who simply bounce up and down on them are wasting there time. A full range of motion is required, hold at the top and bottom of the lift. I only do 3-4 sets of standing and 3-4 seated, you hit either of the two calf muscles when either seated or standing so important to do both. Usually 15-20 reps per set.
For those who don't have a seated calf raise machine, you can improvise with a smith machine;
- Thread starter
- #2,164
My calves make Kate Moss look bulky, but I have noticed a distinct improvement since I started following the advice I read about avoiding the 'kangaroo bounce'.
For those unfamiliar with the concept - they've found that kangaroos can leap with barely any muscle effort thanks to their extra long achilles which acts like a rubber band - storing elastic energy as it expands, then releasing it as it springs back into place. (This also explains why North can never stay consistent winners without rebounding back to where they belong
Guys who do their calf raises quickly are apparently activating the same reflex in their achilles - they're bouncing up and down with the elasticity in their achilles driving the movement instead of their muscles.
So the recommended form is:
- Explode up to the top of the movement until you're on the tips of your toes
- Hold at the top for 2 seconds
- Slowly come down over 2 seconds
- Pause at the bottom for 2 seconds to allow the elastic energy in your achilles to dissipate
- Explode up again
Your sets take a lot longer to do properly but they hurt so bad. My neighbours are probably wondering if I'm torturing someone in the backyard from the noises I make when I do them.
you need at minimum 3secs of complete isometric in the bottom position to take away the stretch shortening effect (achilles)
Hurt my wrist, about 2 weeks ago, pushing a cable drum up a few steps at work. Left wrist got a sudden short sharp pain and then swelled up a little bit as the day progressed. Just thought it was a standard sprain and iced it etc. Next day it was the same, tried to go gym and couldn't even grip a 7.5kg dumbell without it hurting so did cardio. There has still been no improvement in two weeks, struggle to do push-ups even. I went and got xrays yesterday and there is no break. I got a ultrasound this morning and get the results back this afternoon but the lady who did the ultrasound reckons everything looks normal. If it comes back okay then I am stumped as to what the F is going on.
evo
Let's hit the f*ken road!
tendons are just slow to heal - not much bloodflow. Try to stay of it as much as you can. Thats all you can do.
- Jan 21, 2013
- 11,359
- 23,986
- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
- May 8, 2007
- 48,686
- 71,373
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Banned
- #2,172
These 3 blokes and 3 chicks were selected to compete in an Ironman event, thats why the lower number, you only need to look at the 10 reps from Ironman Matt Pool. Even the beep test was on sand.
- Thread starter
- #2,173
a lot of sportsman aren't as strong as we think they might be - except in strength sports like rugby and gridiron and obviously olympic throwers and wt lifters
heard an interview with ryan shoemakers from hawthorn when he was coming back from his knee or whatever he did a few yrs ago and he was putting up 105kgs he says which for him is just over bw
buddy couldn't do a push up when he first got to hawthorn
heard an interview with ryan shoemakers from hawthorn when he was coming back from his knee or whatever he did a few yrs ago and he was putting up 105kgs he says which for him is just over bw
buddy couldn't do a push up when he first got to hawthorn
Mofra
Moderator
- Dec 6, 2005
- 67,107
- 198,407
- AFL Club
- Western Bulldogs
- Other Teams
- Footscray, Coney Island Warriors
- Moderator
- #2,174
Gia couldn't manage a single chin up when he got to the Bulldogs either
Interesting that North seem to shy away from traditional weights sessions and the Bulldogs this preseason are spending more time on the oval and less time in the gym.
