5 Workouts for Big Calves

Looking for big calves?  I was in that situation a while back, I had chicken legs.  I never had an issue getting a big upper body but it seemed like my leg workouts did nothing to help me with my calves.  I was embarrassed to wear shorts in public because of my twig legs.  I looked so disproportionate and it didn't help when others poked fun at my legs.  I decided there has to be something more I can do about this.

When any part of my body is lagging behind I go to war with my body and attack that muscle group aggressively.  I like to call this priority training, targeting an area of the body with several workouts.  I will work that area out 3 times a week specifically to get the results I want to see.  I did that with my calves for a couple months and finally saw much better results.  I now have legs that don't look like twigs and I feel great in shorts!  To see results in these exercises we need to keep increasing the weight each week to see real results.

Top 3 Ways to Build Muscle Fast

1. Calf Press

We can perform the calf press on the leg press machine.  We want to keep our legs stationary without locking the knees, then using only our toes and the balls of our feet to extend the platform out.  You can see a demonstration in the video below. 3 Sets, 8-10 Reps

Calf Press On The Leg Press Machine Bodybuilding.com

2. Standing Calf Press

Depending on what equipment you have available at your gym you can use either the calf raise machine or the smith machine.  If using the smith machine put a 35 lb plate on the ground to stand on the edge with your toes so you can get further range of motion.  On each set place your feet at a different angle so you can target different muscles, different positions are straight forward, toes pointed inward, toes pointed outward. 3 Sets, 8-10 reps.

3. Barbell Seated Calf Raises

Seated calf raises range of motion helps target other muscles that regular calf raises miss.  Again we will be using a 35 lb plate and use that to in front of a weight bench. 3 Sets, 8-10 reps.

Barbell Seated Calf Raise Bodybuilding.com

4. Running Stairs

Running up stairs can make calves explode!  The best place to run is at a football stadium, check out your local college or high school for stadium stairs you can use.  If that isn't applicable you can use any other flight of stairs you can find.

5. Walking Uphill

If you have knee problems or other issues running then walking up steep inclines are great for building calves.  Find a very steep hill or residential area with big hills to walk in.

Don't Forget Nutrition

If you are not increasing your calorie and protein intake none of this will matter.  Sure you will see some gains in muscle and strength but you will not get the results you desire without proper nutrition to feed your muscles.  The biggest key is increasing your protein intake and keeping it above your current lean body mass.

Top 3 Ways to Build Muscle Fast

Chocolate Milk After a Workout

According to two recent studies out of the University of Texas at Austin show that chocolate milk is the ideal post recovery drink after a workout.  Here you thought it was only for kids!  Though you can always claim it's for your kids when you buy it at the store.

"Serious and amateur athletes alike enjoyed physical recovery benefits when they drank low-fat chocolate milk after a vigorous workout," said Dr. John Ivy, lead researcher on the studies and chair of The University of Texas at Austin College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. "The advantages for the study participants were better body composition in the form of more muscle and less fat, improved times while working out and overall better physical shape than peers who consumed sports beverages that just contained carbohydrates."

It appears that the great tasting low fat chocolate milk has the right ingredients to help build muscle and burn fat.    Compared to three other leading sports drinks, chocolate milk improved maximal oxygen intake by double what other drinks provided tested athletes.  Athletes who drank the chocolate milk compared to athletes who used other sports drinks had a 3lb lean muscle advantage at the end of the study.

To maximize the potential you can mix in half a scoop of chocolate whey protein to double the effectiveness of the drink by maximizing your protein absorption, how much your body can absorb in an hour.

If you would like to read more on the study here is the University of Texas article link, http://www.utexas.edu/news/2011/06/22/milk_studies/

How to Lose Fat for Beginners

Fat loss isn't some big mystery that's a difficult thing to pull off.  The biggest thing is people are misinformed on how to lose weight.  They hear so much bullshit that doesn't work that they give up hope and never turn a corner.  Let's take a look at how effective weight loss can be easily obtainable.

• Record Everything You Eat - This is the most difficult part because it can be easy to forget to record some of your meals.  I recommend using MyFitnessPal.com or their free app for all major smart phone markets.  In this day and age just about everyone has a smart phone and usually they have it on them all the time.  This free app allows you to easily record all your meals and even bar code scan the packaging.

7 "fatty" foods for a flat stomach

• Increase Protein Intake - By increasing your protein intake while you work out you will help build lean muscle.  You will want to consume at least .75 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass daily. This will make you look more attractive and not just skinny once you obtain your goal weight.  Use this equation, lean body mass = total weight - (total weight*body fat %)
• Create Your Calorie Goal - Set your calorie intake 500 calories less than your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).  Calculations are below, you can also use the MyFitnessPal app which can also calculate this for you and the rate of weight loss you are seeking.
• Sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
• Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
• Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
• Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
• Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
• Typical Weight Loss - Typically you should begin losing 1 to 2 lbs per week, you will fluctuate each day so don't flip out.  It's best to weigh yourself once a week or you will easily make yourself discouraged.  If in the first couple weeks you do not start losing weight, don't freak.  You may have just built some muscle so it will cancel out your weight loss but don't worry, you're still burning fat.  If after two weeks you are still not dropping in weight you may need to lower your calorie intake further.
• Exercise - Start working out at least three times a week, preferably by doing weight training.  Weight training burns more calories than cardio and will help you build lean muscle.  Just by working out you will not bulk up but will look toned.  Especially for females, weight training will help any female have a toned body.  Get a steady 45 minute workout with only breaking when you absolutely need to.
• Eliminate Processed Sugars - Processed sugars are your enemy and you should eliminate them as much as possible.

Stick with this plan for two weeks and see if you lose any weight.  I would bet that you will lose a solid 4 to 6 lbs.  That could easily be 10 to 12 lbs a month!  It's a rinse and repeat method, stick with it and you will reach your goal weight.

7 "fatty" foods for a flat stomach