CALF TRAINING

Calf training. Now a big thing in the world of body building and in society. I think everyone has heard the term 'chicken legs' or something like that when describing someone with a big upper torso and skinny legs. Now this 'banter' does really effect people but i'm not here to talk about that, i'm here to talk about how to add some mass and definition to those lower parts of your legs.

Now my legs are not the biggest by far, I genetically don't have big calves. This is not me blaming it on my genetics because I used to leave out calf training all the time. You might even want to find some other information from someone with bigger legs than me after finding that out but I suggest you don't. If you are reading this you are probably going through the same thing as me so I can relate and I will give you the most honest straight up advice I possibly can. I started training my calves seriously since January now and I can see significant difference so i'm here to share what i'v learnt to turn those 'chicken legs' in to something spectacular.

So we've established that genetics play a big part in this, if you are one of those lucky ones who have big calves and just need to shape them well, fair play but if you are like me with smaller legs we have to work our arses off training. This muscle is very stubborn. It takes your weight every day, when you stand, walk, run and anything else. This means it is a very hardened and dense muscle which will take time and dedication to make grow. I was reading about Arnold Schwarzenegger and he used to half small calves, this even cost him a competition. He vowed to never let his calves effect his presence on stage again and so he began shaping his legendary calf muscles. He was told to train these muscles like you would any other, not to just put it at the end of the workout and put not much effort or intensity into the exercise. So with this information I started hitting my lower legs hard.

As they are so stubborn, I train them 3 times a week (I may even increase this amount). Don't blow this off now and lecture the computer screen about overtraining, THIS MUSCLE IS VERY STUBBORN. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HIT IT VERY HARD, and they recover much quicker than other muscles!

There are two main things you will need  for calf training, discipline and a tolerance to pain. The pain can be unbearable at times with the sole of your foot cramping, all of your little muscles in your leg tightening, your calves hardening and feeling like lead so its hard to walk but this is something you have to endure. FIGHT IT. Shrug it off and go into your next set. You should not leave that machine/exercise and walk off fine and dandy you should look like you have just been kicked in the legs by Bruce Lee. Now i'm not a believer in using muscle pain for a sign that I have had a good set but with this muscle it is a necessity. Just remember pain is temporary. I always think to myself, in a few years i'll have people coming up to me and asking how I got these booming calves and that alone gets me through it.

There are three main calf training movements. By this I mean where you place your feet:

1. Inner placement
This hits the outer head.

2. Center placement
This hits the back of the calves.

3. Outer placement
This hits the inner head for that diamond like shape.

So, one day I hit inner, the next center and the next outer. You want to hit heavy weights with high reps to shock the muscle into growing. I spend about half an hour each day I train calves and I usually do 3-4 calf related exercises.  I will change my rep range every four weeks but I will do four sets for every exercise. So at first I will go very heavy and get 10-15 reps out for each set. When I change the rep range I will lighten the load and get 20-25 out. Supersetting and dropsetting is also a brilliant way to keep the tension on the muscle. As it is so stubborn the added stress and less time to rest you give it the better your results will be. Make sure you get a full stretch in. All the way down and all the way up, do not sacrifice form and technique for weight.

So at the moment I am doing:

4 sets, 20-25 reps of seated calf raise
4 sets, 20-25 reps of standing calf raise
4 sets, 15-20 reps of leg press calf raise supersetted with 4 sets, 10 reps of angled standing calf raise.

I do this three days a week and each day has a different foot placement. Do what works for you though. Some gyms do not offer calf machines so be inventive and think outside the box. Remember your workout is not set in stone, difference is a good thing to promote muscle growth.

Don't think they will come quickly because they will not. Stop blaming your genetics as that is a way of saying you can't be bothered trying to change. The great Arnold had tiny lower legs and now they are legendary. Keep your discipline and go get some amazing calves. Keep in mind also: A young bodybuilder once said to Arnold that he wanted legs like him. He pointed to his lower legs and said to the young one 'this cost me 600 hours of painful training'. Remember it wont come easy but it will be worth it.

Just to show you not the biggest, but getting there.

MY ENERGY BOOSTING FLAPJACKS

Well as i'm a student currently living at home my Mum was not impressed with the increased food bill, healthy food is not cheap! So with this is mind I needed to create something I could snack on that doesn't cost much, I rummaged through the cupboards and this is what I came up with: 

Mixture A:

150g crunchy peanut butter

50g unsalted butter

200g clear honey

Mixture B: 

350g porridge oats

50g of myprotein, protein powder (optional) 

50g dried fruit (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees. Prep oven proof dish by coating it in butter or lining it with grease proof paper. Put all of mixture A into a small saucepan on a low heat. Stirring occasionally make sure it all melts and creates a liquid. While this is heating put all of mixture B into a separate mixing bowl and stir together so it is evenly mixed.

Add mixture mixture A to B and stir it all in. The dry mixture should be coated evenly and have a nice gloss on it. Transfer this mixture into the prepped oven proof dish making sure it's spread evenly. Now put it into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Once you take them out cut them into squares carefully with a sharp knife while they are soft and then leave to cool and harden. They will then be ready to eat! Enjoy.

Now for the interesting stuff:

This mixture made ten flapjacks for me. I made a crude calorie count for this recipe just to get a basic outline on what was in it nutritionally. I can't be sure on how accurate this is. 

Now I think the first thing you will notice is there is the fat, but it doesn't identify what fats they are. As most of the fat comes from the peanut butter it is good fats. As the peanut butter is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, the flapjacks will be as well. Now monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats have been proven to aid weight-loss, reduce belly fat, reduce your cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease and aid joint movement. 

We can see per serving it gives you a massive 42g of carbohydrates which will give you that slow release of energy. It  also contains a lot of natural sugars from the honey which will give you and immediate boost of energy. There is also more protein in this than a normal flapjack which is a plus due to it nourishing the muscles. The fruit is there for taste mostly and it adds fiber into the mix which is always good because most people these days don't get enough of it. 

The salt content is quite high. I think to remedy this I will cut the butter and just add peanut butter next time. The only reason the butter is in there is because I ran out of the peanutty goodness. BUT salt has it's good points, as you are going to sweat alot when exercising you will lose alot of salt in your body so the boost of salt before hand will in fact keep you hydrated for longer, this is because salt helps us maintain the fluid in our blood cells. It is also used to transmit information to your muscles this means salt will make your muscle more efficient when training. It will also reduce the risk of you getting cramp which is brilliant because that's painful.

These are portable and  great tasting. They were just a snack for me but have now ended up as something I eat pre workout because the energy boost is so great. I was alert and focused throughout my session and I didn't feel tired during at all. Now for the working person they would be great to start your day with so you don't skip breakfast.They would also be great for snacking on during an endurance race. They are cheap to make, easy to make, healthy and taste great. Go try it for yourselves!

FEEDING STRATEGIES FOR ENDURANCE EVENTS

I have been asked to write about something a little new and today. I will be talking to you about feeding strategies for long distance events and in this case cycling. Now this is important during endurance events. If you do it wrong you could promote gastrointestinal discomfort (stomach pains) or even not have enough energy to sustain your activity level which would impair your performance.

Firstly I will talk to you about what foods. Well this is the easy part, you need carbohydrates. Something that is high in carbs but low in fat. Why? This is because carbs are full of sugar which will increase your energy levels while fats will store themselves. You need something easily carried so pasta would be stupid to bring along as you would have to stop to eat. Dried fruit, low fat cookies, energy bars, sports drinks etc are a great source of carbs. < all very easily bought in a sports shop.

After much research on this field I have found a lot of 'eat before you're hungry and drink before you're thirsty' which is good in theory but by the time you are starting to get hungry your glycogen stores have already dropped which is the first stage of fatigue. There is also the mistake of having large meals during the race. This is completely wrong due the high possibility of stomach cramps.

So step by step this is what I recommend:

The night before: Carbo-load - this is so you liver glycogen stores are full the next morning.

Breakfast: Eat a high carbohydrate breakfast.

During: Eat every 30 minutes during the race to keep your stores at a steady level. These must be little bite sized pieces of food. This way you will avoid cramps and you will keep a steady blood sugar level throughout the race. This is because there will not be much depletion in your glycogen levels meaning you will feel less fatigued during the race. You must also be sure to drink energy drinks with electrolytes. This way you become less dehydrated which will mean you become more mentally focused on the task ahead.

After: Eat a mixture of a protein rich and carb rich meal to replenish and repair your muscles. This will decrease your recovery time so you will feel much better the next day.

This was a very new subject for me to write on. All of the data is accurate to my knowledge and I hope it helps if you are about to compete in a long distance event.

This is me competing in my first half marathon last year for charity. 

PADDED LIFTING BELT

I decided I needed a belt. I wasn't at my bodybuilding gym anymore so there wasn't a belt to share around. I decided I needed one after I started deadlifting pretty heavy and I could feel the strain on my back. I picked up my padded lifting belt at bodymax performance fitness in Nottingham at £14.99.

It's not genuine leather but it looks the real deal. It is thick at steardy and has a two prong locking system on it like most belts have. It also has a cushiony pad at the back which is very comfortable.

There are pro's and con's to belts:

Pro's -

• Prevents injury
• Can actually increase performance
• Prevents the back from curving inward

Con's -

• Can make your back less strong
• Can diminish core strength 

Now after looking at both the pro's and the con's its fairly easy to understand that the pro's out weight the con's. You don't agree? Well let me persuade you. It prevents injury. This means I will not have to take any time out of the gym or my sport because I will be healthy and strong. No time will be wasted on recovering as my back will not be hurt. Now your back is one of your most important parts of your body. You don't want to be getting older and having a bad back because what i'v seen it doesn't look very nice. So take care of it!

I have seen significant differences in the way I lift with the belt. I can lift more and my technique increases; that's a win win. Before you get to this stage of loving your belt though you will hate it. Why? Because you have to wear it in. I don't know if this is with everyone but certainly with me it was painful. This is because the belt is becoming less ridged and more molded to your body. I came out with cuts and bruises around my waist from it but I got through it and now it is very comfortable. 

As I think most padded belts are the same i'm not going to rate a certain brand. there is no point. All I will say is if you are getting serious with your lifting a belt is a must.

YOU'VE STOPPED MAKING PROGRESS IN THE GYM OR IN YOUR SPORT.

I think we've all see that one guy or girl in the gym ALL the time that makes no progress. You could even be one of them. This could be from not gaining muscle to not losing weight. There is alot of mistakes, reasons and solutions why people hit walls and stop making progress. Alot of the time people stop making progress due to not having enough knowledge on what to do to reach they're goal. Although you can buy a personal trainer they can be abit pricey. Do not get me wrong some personal trainers can be experts in the field of fitness and can help you reach your goals, although people do not have the spare money to spend on them so i'm doing this post to help you reach your goals without spending any money. It'll take ten minutes to read but  i'm sure the gained knowledge will help you with all of your goals.

Basically alot of people start out exercising make substantial gains with muscle gain or weight loss and then carry on with the same routine because they saw it work for themselves so well previously. They will keep the same diet and the same exercise timetable and then no longer see any change, get disheartened and stop. The reason that the routine and diet plan works so well at the beginning is because your body is shocked into the new health style (beginner gains). This is the easiest weight to gain or lose. I feel even though you are making a substantial difference to your body there actually isn't that much change, it just seems that way due to everyone saying you look different etc. Now these beginner gains last up to six weeks (about the length of a training programme) it is different with everyone though.

If you stick with your programme for ages and ages you will reach something called a Plateau. Reaching a workout plateau is the point where your body stops responding to your exercise routine anymore. So what do you think you need to do? Obviously change it up. You'll see alot of stuff on the internet on what to do but through personal experience and learning off of guys in the gym that have been through it before I have narrowed it down to 4 key points.

1. Train outside your comfort zone/ up the intensity
Make things hard for yourself, if your there boshing out a set while holding a conversation with your gym partner you are not working hard enough. The only words I will say in the middle of a set will be 'ONE MORE REP' just to notify my spotter for what i'm going for (even saying that is a struggle). Up your intensity by decreasing rest periods, start timing them on a stop watch, start whacking in supersets and drop sets anything to tear that muscle up a little bit more.
2. Change rep & set range
So changing your rep range is a big deal. I used to do 3 sets of 8-10 reps for months when I first began last year, that was wrong of me but I knew no better. Start doing 4 or even 5 sets. Switch your reps up from anywhere between 4 and 14. I'm currently doing four weeks of 6-8 reps, and then two weeks of 8-10 and then four weeks of 12-14. It's just something new i'm trying.
3. Change the weight
Don't just stay on the same weight week in week out. Push yourself to go up a level. decrease the weight and up the reps or increase the weight and decrease the reps. The only way to gain lean substantial muscle is to lift them heavy weights but to get there you MUST mix it up and then in no time what you thought was a heavy weight will start becoming your light weight.
4. Up your intake
One of the most important aspects. How do you think you are going to be able to perform at your best without having alot of energy. The more food you consume the more energy will be available to your muscles to lift or exercise. Gradually add calories into your diet, not all at once though as you do not want your body to store the left over energy you do not use.

These four key points are essential to mixing things up and keeping your muscles confused. The reason behind these tips are that your muscles adapt. This is a survival thing that everyone has to make the body more efficient in what you do everyday. So if you do not change things up the muscle will adapt to the exercise because you do it all the time, the effect of this will be there will be a significant reduction in muscle soreness the next day. That sounds good but infact if you are trying to change the way you look it's bad. Muscle soreness shows us that our body is responding to the stress we are putting on it. It tells us that the muscle is tearing which leads to greater growth and strength.

These are my views from personal experience and communicating with many gym based friends. Although I have talked about the gym alot you can apply these tips to most sports very easily. I also know this is very male orientated so to any girls reading this applies to you also. Although I see guys doing it aswell I will always see a line of girls jogging on a treadmill 4 or 5 days a week. You will not get anywhere by doing this. How do I know? I see constant Facebook and twitter things about how you are not getting anywhere. All you have to do is stop being lazy in the gym start doing some explosive training like sprints and lightweight jump squats etc and you will soon be there. You have a whole gym full of people into fitness so ask them what to do instead of just plodding along on that running machine. Don't stop after the first week otherwise you will not make it. If you don't work hard you will not end up like the girls you compare yourselves too on the internet who have probably put years of training in. If you want it you are going to have to work for it. This is not a dig at all just something I see all the time & it's abit of advice to help you along.