Can anyone give me a bicep and calf routine that is proven to work?

[FreakMonster]

These are my most lagging body parts and since I just hurt my pec I won't be doing chest for awhile and wanted to concentrate on my lagging body parts. Anyone have any good work outs to put some size on these body parts? Thanks

 

[view]

rows, rows, rows. squats, squats, squats.

 

[FreakMonster]

rows, rows, rows. squats, squats, squats.

How do squats make your biceps grow?

 

[blut wump]

One of weightlifting's mysteries. I'd add in deadlifts on your off days.

The idea is that squats make everything grow. What's more, unlike doing curls in all their variety, when a squat makes something grow it stays grown until you give up lifting or decide to shrink.

 

[kansasfarmman]

Continue to stick with your basic core exercises. For direct work, here is what I would recommend:

BICEPS

1. Incline Dumbbell Curls - 3 sets x 8-12 reps
2. Close Grip Curls (w EZ Bar) - 3 sets x 8-12 reps

CALVES

1. Calf Raises (either with machine or barbell) - 3 sets x 20
2. Seated Calf Raises - 3 sets to failure

Keep in mind that the biceps are small, so it won't take much to break them down, especially since you train the back.

BTW, only you can prove this program to work. I don't think many people carry around scientific evidence with them proving that a program works.

Visual results is the key.

 

[casualbb]

all you can really do is curls and calf raises. if you're doing these and it's not working... the problem is something else

 

[FreakMonster]

One of weightlifting's mysteries. I'd add in deadlifts on your off days.

The idea is that squats make everything grow. What's more, unlike doing curls in all their variety, when a squat makes something grow it stays grown until you give up lifting or decide to shrink.

So do you grow more with high reps on squats or low reps and heavy weights?

 

[RottenWillow]

Also, it's been theorized that squats and DL's may illicit more of a T release than any other single exercise and hence by a hormonal mechanism make your biceps, or any other muscle, a little more likely to respond.

I'm not much on reading research, but the effect of squats on T release may actually be spported by empirical evidence too.

 

[thelion2005]

Of all the calf raise variations I've done, nothing seems to work like One Leg, Standing Calf Raises with a dumbell.

6 sets of 12, right leg/left leg, 55 lb db, ball of foot on 2 X 4 block. Back and forth, no stop until you are done. Stretch before and after for one minute.

Second is Donkeys, again 6 X 12. The calves are pre-stretched by the position and you can stare at them as you go up and down.

Biceps? Lots of standing curls with a straight bar. 4-5 sets, 8, 8, 6, 6, 4
First three reps strict ... then get it up anyway possible. Raise the base weight each set, if only 5 lbs.

Then 3-4 sets of inclines, super strict, 8, 8, 6, 6. Pause at the bottom to lengthen the bi.

 

[NorgePrecision]

The best calf routine that I have found is standing on your tip toes while going backwards on the elliptical. Try on a high resistance setting too. I couldn't be happier with the results.

 

[casualbb]

hey you wanna know something interesting?

I used to be all about the calves. Through consistent work they were up to 15.5 inches

Then i took a layoff and lost some bodyweight, calves down to 14.5-ish. When I started back up, i was more into performance, so i stopped doing calf raises entirely. no calves at all

Once I got back to my previous bodyweight... low and behold, my calves had reached their old size! my arms did too, also without any direct work

the moral is, do big compound stuff, put on bodyweight, and the little things will grow.

 

[Yarg!]

my calves are alway ssore after jogging on one place, but where i bring the knees to my waist. do this for 1 min at a time, for 4-5 times then do jumping jacks 50x for 3 times- good cardio to boot. do this today infact, post again, and i can gurantee they will be sore as fuck.

 

[MrRTTB]

try something you have never tried before. This is an example that have worked great for me:

Mon: Chest, shoulders, triceps(light)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednsday: Back, biceps(light)
Thu: OFF
Fri: Legs
Sat: OFF
Sun: OFF

week 2:

Mon: Chest, triceps(heavy 5-7sets DC style)
Tue: Back: Biceps(heavy 5-7sets DC style)
Wedn: Legs, delts, sides of delts(side laterals)(no press movements for shoulders)
Thu: OFF
Fri: Shoulderpresses, biceps + triceps(10-15sets)
Saturday + sunday: OFF

Week 3:

Mon: Quads
Tue: Off
Wedn: Hammies, lower back, calfs
Thu: Back, shoulders(no press movements for shoulders)
Fri: Off
Sat: Chest, shoulders(only press movements like militarypresses)

Week 4: Start over

 

[musketeer]

My calves grew well from lots of sets and heavy weight as well as higher reps on occasion. I hit them 3 x a week, seated, standing, and leg press machine. I just blast at them for about 10 mins at the end of 3 workouts a week.

Biceps are just biceps...

 

[Tedster]

I took a weight lifting class back in my college days and was taught that abdominal, calve and heart muscles are all made of smooth muscle. Smooth muscle is able to recover much quicker than regular muscles and can hence be worked twice as often as your other muscles.

So in theory, if you have some lagging abs or calves, you could double your workout frequency for these muscle groups. Can anyone else confirm or deny this information?




Tedster

 

[blut wump]

For many people that'd bump it to once per month.

Calves and abs are quite amenable to reasonably frequent low-intensity workouts but if you hammer them then even twice a week can be hard work.

 

[rbtrout]

Squats, deads and rowing. I've been on the 5X5 and have done maybe 6 sets of curls (of any kind) in the last 10 weeks and my arms are about 1/2" bigger.

 

[Guinness5.0]

the moral is, do big compound stuff, put on bodyweight, and the little things will grow.

amen. It's just not as simple as picking exactly where you grow. I'd say it's a little like trying to spot reduce bodyfat- a myth. Downright neglect of a bodypart will cause it to NOT grow, but if proper stimulus and diet are in place, there's not much else you can do.