calf exercises - JP Fitness Forums

dp1727 · 02-06-2007, 10:55 AM

i am in the second week of TBT. why all the calf exercises? i have to say i could absolutely care less about my calfs. i do squats and deadlifts regularly and an struggling to understand how isolating the calfs assist me at all in other lower body lifts.

TBT is ok but i dont find it very challenging. im at or near failure on the last rep of each set i do but am augmenting the workout with more upper and lower body work. i like the workouts but why so much emphasis on the calfs.

one other question please. is it ok to do ab wheel every day or only on lifting days. i love the ab wheel.

Grant · 02-06-2007, 12:11 PM

I don't know about your first question, but I would not do the ab wheel everyday.

If you can do it every day you are not doing it right. I did 10 x 3 with it Saturday, last night I tried to do just one to see how it felt, I could not even do one.

Make sure your arms are straight and are not absorbing any of the load. Go down as far as you can, really concentrate on using your stomach. If you can still do that with no problem, do it from your feet instead of your knees. I do not see how I could do the ab wheel more than three times a week.

Lost Dog · 02-06-2007, 06:36 PM

Have you seen most people's calves? Tiny. Yours, maybe not. I don't think he put them in to help with your other lifts, rather just to make them grow.

Agreed on the ab wheel. But, if you love it so much, you could do it twice a week. Once, from the feet with lower reps, and once on your knees with higher reps. Abs are like any other muscle, you don't want to work them every day. They need to recover, too.

ParanoidAndroid · 02-06-2007, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dp1727

i am in the second week of TBT. why all the calf exercises? i have to say i could absolutely care less about my calfs. i do squats and deadlifts regularly and an struggling to understand how isolating the calfs assist me at all in other lower body lifts.

TBT is ok but i dont find it very challenging. im at or near failure on the last rep of each set i do but am augmenting the workout with more upper and lower body work. i like the workouts but why so much emphasis on the calfs.

one other question please. is it ok to do ab wheel every day or only on lifting days. i love the ab wheel.

I'm with you man, I HATE working out my calves and don't really care if they grow. You can take out the calf lifts and put in another isolation lift if you want;you can choose your own excercises for TBT.

Simon C · 02-07-2007, 02:03 AM

I don't care about my calves size at all either.... For the ab wheel thing, who can actually do one proper repetition from their feet? i cant

Waittz · 02-07-2007, 06:56 AM

You guys say you dont care about your caves but you should. I went almost 1.5 years with no direct calf work untill I started MR. Needless to say my big thighs made me look funny. Plus it has allot of carry over to your explosive lifts.

He-man · 02-07-2007, 07:16 AM

Calves are the show me muscles when you where shorts during summer. You guys should be hitting them hard for summertime so you could be turnin heads. Plus as steve said, there is a carryover to other leg exercises.

ParanoidAndroid · 02-07-2007, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by He-man

Calves are the show me muscles when you where shorts during summer. You guys should be hitting them hard for summertime so you could be turnin heads.

INobody's really gonna judge you on how big your calves on

Waittz · 02-07-2007, 12:51 PM

ued be suprised. Big calves are allot more impressive than big arms.

dp1727 · 02-07-2007, 01:36 PM

i was pretty clear i could care less about what my calfs look like. this isnt about ego and staring at yourself in the mirror. i work out for myself, nobody else. thanks for the comments but i will just replace the calf stuff. unbelievable replies, really.

Lost Dog · 02-07-2007, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParanoidAndroid

INobody's really gonna judge you on how big your calves on

No. But, they judge you on how small they are.:p

Waittz · 02-12-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dp1727

i was pretty clear i could care less about what my calfs look like.

Just your Chest, abs and bis?

jvernacchio · 02-12-2007, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dp1727

i was pretty clear i could care less about what my calfs look like. this isnt about ego and staring at yourself in the mirror. i work out for myself, nobody else. thanks for the comments but i will just replace the calf stuff. unbelievable replies, really.

So why make a post about it?

Deserve · 02-13-2007, 09:14 AM

My understanding was that the calves are part of the chain that fire in some of the bigger lower body lifts. In order to maximize potential and not constrain strength or hypertrophy gains in those areas then they should be given attention.

My guess is that Chad didn't think there was enough work to not focus on these specifically. Hopefully, he'll chime in on the subject. Something along these lines might also be useful to post in the main training forum.