Calves, Forearms, Abs

[rock_and_God]

I noticed a lot of people neglect these 3, or at least consider them least important to train. And if they do train them, they barely tickle them. They spend a lot more time on the other more popular muscles: Chest, Back, Legs, etc. Why? What is the reason? Aren't these just as important to train?

[Machdiesel]

I would think it's because they just don't care. Not everyone is a bodybuilder and needs to have every muscle perfectly defined. I personally love training all 3 and would feel "unbalanced" if I didnt, but not everyone is that obsessive

[HawaiianPride.]

Because you can't impress others with core/calve/and forearm training. Many guys lift to impress others and to boost their ego. That's the way I see it in many gyms.

[rock_and_God]

Because you can't impress others with core/calve/and forearm training. Many guys lift to impress others and to boost their ego. That's the way I see it in many gyms.

BUt if you train these and make them grow, won't all your other lifts in turn also increase!?

[HawaiianPride.]

Of course. Especially core. Are they aware of this? Maybe, maybe not, Like I said, many do it for ego.

There could be many other reasons of course, but I see no reason to neglect core. I personally don't train forearms anymore, and I'm genetically blessed with shitty calves. So I'm always hitting core and calves.

[Damienm05]

I can say that I don't train mine directly not due to laziness or anything; simply because straight bar curls and actually, most compound movements kill my forearms as is. My abs are always sore following leg day due to the sheer full body exhaustion that incurs via squats, leg press, and heavy straight-leg deads. In fact, back day works my abs pretty good too. As for calves, I've trained them directly on-and-off but really, i think they r just fine without direct training with consistent leg training, stairmaster sessions, and running. Did I mention I don't do shrugs either and they r possibly my best feature?

If you're sedentary other than your upper body isolation movements and a few leg machine sets; I think these should all be trained but I think it may be overkill if you really go hard in the gym 6 days per week.

[rock_and_God]

I can say that I don't train mine directly not due to laziness or anything; simply because straight bar curls and actually, most compound movements kill my forearms as is. My abs are always sore following leg day due to the sheer full body exhaustion that incurs via squats, leg press, and heavy straight-leg deads. In fact, back day works my abs pretty good too. As for calves, I've trained them directly on-and-off but really, i think they r just fine without direct training with consistent leg training, stairmaster sessions, and running. Did I mention I don't do shrugs either and they r possibly my best feature?

If you're sedentary other than your upper body isolation movements and a few leg machine sets; I think these should all be trained but I think it may be overkill if you really go hard in the gym 6 days per week.

my abs never hurt after leg day... am i lifting wrong!?

[HawaiianPride.]

DOMS is not an indication of a good workout. You don't have to be sore to lift correctly or make progress.

[rock_and_God]

doms is not an indication of a good workout. You don't have to be sore to lift correctly or make progress.

doms?

[HawaiianPride.]

Delayed onset muscle soreness.

[rock_and_God]

Delayed onset muscle soreness.

wow been meaning to ask about that for the longest time... thanks for bringing that up...

So, if you are not sore the next day, doesn't mean it wasn't a good workout? How come then, when someone comes back from training after 2-3 weeks, they train super hard, and all their muscles are extremely sore the next day, but the week after they train hard again, but there is no soreness felt? Do you know what I am talking about?

[Damienm05]

Delayed onset muscle soreness.

No hijack intended but while you're here Hawaiian - I do have a related query.

My triceps always get quite sore. This week, I tried a completely different routine. Similar rep range and technique emphasizing the negative but all new exercises. I'm not even slightly sore. Perhaps it was a misfire or just enough?

[HawaiianPride.]

wow been meaning to ask about that for the longest time... thanks for bringing that up...

So, if you are not sore the next day, doesn't mean it wasn't a good workout? How come then, when someone comes back from training after 2-3 weeks, they train super hard, and all their muscles are extremely sore the next day, but the week after they train hard again, but there is no soreness felt? Do you know what I am talking about?

It's because your conditioning after weeks of not training gets worse. If you sit on your ass and take a month off, then go in the gym and do a grueling leg session, you better believe your going to be sore. Because you haven't been training your legs, your conditioning is shot.

[rock_and_God]

It's because your conditioning after weeks of not training gets worse. If you sit on your ass and take a month off, then go in the gym and do a grueling leg session, you better believe your going to be sore. Because you haven't been training your legs, your conditioning is shot.

i see...

[HawaiianPride.]

No hijack intended but while you're here Hawaiian - I do have a related query.

My triceps always get quite sore. This week, I tried a completely different routine. Similar rep range and technique emphasizing the negative but all new exercises. I'm not even slightly sore. Perhaps it was a misfire or just enough?

This is something that has puzzled me as well. Certain movements do not bring DOMS whatsoever. Others have the ability to make me crippled the next 72 hours.

I believe it has something to do with the way the exercise is affecting your muscle. Different variations of form with different free weight movements or machines will bring a whole new way of taxing the fibers. Your tissue isn't use to this, which may be an indicator that your old habits have been counter-productive. Though there is no real way of proving this until you give your new routine some time, and compare results and effectiveness of each.

[rock_and_God]

This is something that has puzzled me as well. Certain movements do not bring DOMS whatsoever. Others have the ability to make me crippled the next 72 hours.

I believe it has something to do with the way the exercise is affecting your muscle. Different variations of form with different free weight movements or machines will bring a whole new way of taxing the fibers. Your tissue isn't use to this, which may be an indicator that your old habits have been counter-productive. Though there is no real way of proving this until you give your new routine some time, and compare results and effectiveness of each.

Are our bodies so different to the point that something that has been proven GOOD and RIGHT for the millions, would do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for a certain individual? Or is there some sort of common ground we can all relate to that will make us grow in size and strength?

[HawaiianPride.]

Yep. What will work for 90% of the people you know or have heard of, may not work for you.

[rock_and_God]

Yep. What will work for 90% of the people you know or have heard of, may not work for you.

Ronnie Rowland seems like an extreme believer in the old school techniques. He is completely against techniques like drop sets, pause and rest, supersets. He says nobody should be doing that. Is he wrong?

[rock_and_God]

Yep. What will work for 90% of the people you know or have heard of, may not work for you.

how about extreme things like for me, i get good results from training calves every second day, abs too... but everybody would say that's overtraining... but it works for me?!

[HawaiianPride.]

Ronnie Rowland seems like an extreme believer in the old school techniques. He is completely against techniques like drop sets, pause and rest, supersets. He says nobody should be doing that. Is he wrong?

Ronnie has a great explanation behind a lot of what he says. It isn't my place to say he is wrong.

how about extreme things like for me, i get good results from training calves every second day, abs too... but everybody would say that's overtraining... but it works for me?!

Hey if it works for you, then no one has the right to tell you any different.

[rock_and_God]

Ronnie has a great explanation behind a lot of what he says. It isn't my place to say he is wrong.



Hey if it works for you, then no one has the right to tell you any different.

thank u for ur input

[Gaspari1255]

Abs,Forearms, and Calves are the top 3 most genetically gifted or genetically cursed muscle groups a BBer has to deal with. Some of us will try numerous training techniques on all 3 and make zero progress.Where as some guys will only in directly hit those 3 muscle groups and they explode in growth. Genetics plays the role of god when it comes to BBing...No one can argue that.