TOUCH AND GO DEADLIFT SPECIAL

I have written a lot on touch and go deadlifts in the past.  This will be a compilation of those thoughts/posts.

(For those unaware, I only train my deadlifting touch and go.  I picked up this style after a massive back injury prevented me from deadlifting for over 3 years, and this was the only painfree way I could return to training.)

All Deadlifts Should be Touch and Go

Hear me out first

“A deadlift starts from a dead stop on the floor.  That’s why it’s called a deadlift.  If you don’t pause on the floor, it’s not a deadlift.”

I will agree with that, purely because I am a semantic asshole.  That said, it’s a terrible reason to choose how you do an exercise.  Anyone who has done a deadlift knows that breaking off the floor tends to be more the most stressful portion of the lift, even if you are strong off the floor.  Breaking a very heavy weight off the floor is taxing.  Doing it multiple times in a workout is very taxing.  Doing this multiple times a week/month in turn is incredibly taxing.  In many cases, it makes recovery between workouts difficult without excessive eating/sleeping (which I am very much in favor of, but also realize that many have lifestyle that will not support this/don’t want to get excessively fat).

The touch and go style ensures that you break off the floor significantly less in a workout (I’ll still break off the floor at least twice, once for the initial, and one more time after the first put down to see how many more reps I can eek out), making the entire process less taxing.  Additionally, many make the argument that dead stop deadlifts are more analogous to a competition deadlift, since you only do one rep in competition.  I argue that with this logic, the touch and go is actually a better tool for training for a heavy single.  Anyone that has ever seen or taken part in a grinder deadlift has see the common 7-8 second agonizing single.  When you perform deadstop deadlifts with a weight you can do for 5 reps (for the sake of argument), none of these reps are going to last longer than 1-2 seconds, and thus your body learns how to strain for this long when it comes to deadlifting.  When placed in a situation where it needs to take 7 seconds to get from floor to lockout, it is in foreign territory.  When you perform a touch and go set for the same amount of reps, you in turn are maintaining tension for 5-10 seconds, meaning that your body is able to handle this sort of tension and knows how to remain tight.  Though the weight you will be using during the deadlift will be heavier in competition compared to your touch and go training lifts (which can be remedied with ROM progression training, which I have addressed here http://mythicalstrength.blogspot.com/2012/12/range-of-motion-rom-progression.html), the time you are straining will be equal.

Though some may make the counter argument that dead stop deads get you stronger since you get better at breaking off the floor, and anything you can break off the floor for a working set you can definitely do in competition, I would argue that since touch and go deads are less taxing and make it easier to recover between training, your strength will increase at a faster rate (due to less needed deloads/resets/time off), and you will either at least meet or surpass the deadstop crowd, and be less burnt out/injury prone as you do.  With breaking off the floor being the most stressful and taxing part of the lift, it is going to be the part most prone to causing injury as you fatigue toward the end of the set and experienced form deviation.
Additionally, use straps with touch and go.  The bar is going to be off the floor for a LONG time, don’t let your grip ruin your workout.

Weak From The Floor

A question that was asked of me about touch and gos, and my answer.

"Sort of an intro question here, but have you ever found that you're weak off the floor?"

So your question actually ties into a rant I've had before. I will attempt to be succinct but make no promises.

Did I mention my education is in politics?

Short answer: No.

I don't believe there is such a thing as "weak off the floor" for a raw lifter. It logically makes no sense, as the floor by definition is the hardest part of the lift for a raw lifter, much like how off the chest is the hardest part of the lift for a raw bencher. In my deadlift training, anything I can get off the floor, I can lockout, because I have accomplished the hardest part of the lift at the beginning and now simply have to complete the lift. If I cannot break the weight off the floor, I am not "weak off the floor", I am simply weak. Once I get strong enough to be able to break a weight off of the floor, I will be strong enough to deadlift it.

Now at the same time, I do recognize the limitations of touch and go deads in that there is not as much practice in breaking weight off the floor compared to deadstop reps. This is why, in my training, I break the weight off the floor twice in a set. I do as many reps as I can in one go, set the bar down, rest, and then repeat for one more set. Not only is this more practice, but additionally it's practice in breaking weight off the floor in a fatigued state, which bears a similar benefit to breaking all of your reps off the floor, but at the same time allows for a significantly higher weight to be utilized compared to a pure dead stop set.

To put in perspective, I recently did a touch and go set of 5 reps of 590. I managed to do 4 reps before I had to put the bar down, rested for about 90 seconds, and then did one more rep. Realistically, if I were to do a deadstop set of 590, I most likely would've been able to manage 2 reps. Maybe a triple. I essentially broke the exact same amount of reps off the ground, but got WAY more time under tension with the former over the latter.

But lets be real and acknowledge that, even in the raw training world, there are guys who are very fast off the floor and struggle at lockout (I won't name names, as I don't want it to be construed that I am in any way "calling people out".  I respect these guys, because that's pretty crazy).  What ultimately is the benefit of being fast off the ground in a training perspective?  Being "strong off the floor" by definition means you are also "weak at lockout", as you can't simply be "strong all over".

I suppose there are exceptions

With this acknowledgement, one also realizes that, in the realm of missed training lifts, the percentage increases significantly with one who is weak at lockout versus weak off the floor.  When you are weak off the floor and go to pull a weight you cannot handle, the lift is missed before it starts.  The weight is welded to the floor and not going anywhere.  In terms of energy/time invested and impact to your recovery, it's going to be minimal.  You also aren't going to be grooving much of anything into your motor pathway, as you simply aren't moving. 

The alternative is not the same.  When you are strong off the floor, you can very much pull a weight off the floor that you are not capable of locking out, which you won't discover UNTIL it's time to lock it out.  This is going to be far more energy and time invested in a failed lift, which will in turn impact your recovery as well.  You will have to keep in mind that this is entirely theorycraft for me, as I have never had the issue of being strong off the floor, and it may perhaps be the case that someone who has this attribute can indicate from their warm ups what can be accomplished in that training session, but this is what I see as being a potential issue.

MORE THOUGHTS

-If you want to lose weight or stay on a diet, only use a hand basket when you shop.  You will prioritize high value stuff like meat and veggies over chips and snacks, as the latter takes up way more space compared to how much value it provides.  Also, gallons of milk and pounds of meat tend to smash squishy stuff like bread and twinkies, and will crush your chips.  This also ensures that you eat fresh food and nothing goes to waste, since you will only be able to carry a week's worth of food.  To really drive the experience home, walk to the grocery store instead of drive if you can.

-When you start a new program, pick assistance work that is easy to go heavy (bar weight) on.  Your primary work sets will be light, so you can handle heavier assistance work.  It should auto-regulate such that, when the primary sets get heavy, you stall on assistance work and have to change movements.  Pick something where bar weight is light due to other variables (bands, chains, fat gripz, angles, etc).

-A deadlift is just a weighted hinge.  You should move like one of those mechanical drinking birds.

Seen here

If you feel something contracting, you need to get tighter.  Once you get your whole body tight, it's just grip and hinge.

-This has been my conditioning work as of recently.  10 KB swings-5 dips-5 chin ups.  As many rounds as you can do in 15 minutes.  Real ass kicker, and hits just about everything.

-I haven't locked out a rep since my meet 4 months ago.  I have also put on 20lbs and my joint pain is gone. Coincidence?

-Doing a long set of band pull aparts/pushdowns?  When you reach failure, let your hands drift a little out toward the ends of the band.  Its effectively a drop set.  The less you let your hands drift, the longer the set can go on.

-Are there any 600lb raw squatters running smolov?  I really want to know.

-I am getting to the point where I can't even read about programming anymore.  As cool, unique and nifty everything seems, it's all just lifting weights.

-I am going to be training in commercial gym for an extended period of time due to an upcoming move.  Rather than give up my deadlift mats, I am going to cut 7 of them in half to make "mini-mats" that I can carry in a gym bag.  When there is a will, there is a way.

-My gym hasn't had a mirror in 5 years.  My form is the best it's ever been.  If you are checking your form in the mirror, you are lying to yourself.  Go by feel.

-If one day of bad sleep or one missed meal impacts your training, you have deeper issues that you need to address.

-Almost every deadlift problem can be solved by two things.  1: Bring your feet in.  2: Lose fat.

-Things I don't know how I lived without them.  13mm belt.  Ironmind straps.  Meadows row handle w/landmine.  Texas Deadlift Bar.  GHR.  Reverse Hyper.  Safety Squat Bar.

-If you aren't doing conditioning because you don't know how to do it, you are making excuses.  Do SOMETHING.  Play a sport, go for a walk, drag something heavy, do some yardwork, just be active.  

-People that say they prefer chalk to straps are missing the point.

-Stop looking at movements in terms of pros and cons against each other and just ask if they help meet your goals.  If they do, use them.  If you can't use them now, wait until you stall, and then use them.

RANT VIDEO: OVERTHINKING

Done by request.  Video speaks for itself.

Qualifications in fitness for Mauritians. By Vic Goyaram

Qualifications in Exercise and Nutrition for Mauritians

Researched and composed by Vic Goyaram

Fitness qualifications

I decided to write this article after having received several queries from friends in Mauritius about fitness qualifications that they can obtain. To my knowledge there isn't any institution offering courses yet in Mauritius. I am sure there will be in the future given the growing interest in fitness education and the number of qualified and experienced people. We need more qualified professionals in Mauritius because we need to reach out to the maximum people, not only those in bodybuilding. 

I am putting together whatever I know about courses and qualifications in this article. It has been many years that I haven't been in Mauritius and if there has been any change, please feel free to add your own input.  Although I am writing this article from a Mauritian perspective, many readers from other countries may also benefit. Rest assured that there is something for everyone, irrespective of educational background. 

How can qualifications help you?

First of all, let it be clear that having qualifications does not qualify you automatically to be an expert. We have all known people who can be classified as follows:

• People who flaunt their qualifications but whose level of knowledge is rather low. There are lots of personal trainers who don't even look like they are into any form of exercise, let alone lift. 

• People who do not have any qualification but whose genuine interest for learning and long experience in the field really shows in how much they know in the field.  

• People who have no interest in the fitness world but who view fitness-related jobs as a way to make quick money and one good day decide to pursue a personal training course. A couple of weeks down the line you will see them teach the wrong things in gyms.

I have personally learned a lot from people whose qualifications I didn't care to look up. From their knowledge it is evident that they know a lot from experience, continuing study and open-mindedness to consider new ideas. Knowledge is constantly accumulating, more new things are becoming known and a lot of old ideas and beliefs are being disproved.  Therefore, we must be flexible enough.  

Qualifications can help you in the following ways:

• If you want to become a personal trainer, advisor, PE teacher or have a gym and want to give better coaching to others.

• If you are an athlete and want to increase your knowledge on sports training and nutrition that can give you an edge.

Routes to qualifications

1. The academic-formal education route

There are two ways to go about with this one. The first way is as follows:

Specialised degrees

Doing an undergraduate degree in the field of Biology, Biochemistry, Nutrition, Physiology and allied disciplines. After this degree you can either go into other professions (industry, teaching etc) but this qualifies you to a number of certifications that you can pursue which require that you have a degree in the above disciplines. I will tell you more about these later.

Courses at the University of Mauritius

The University of Mauritius offers good quality undergraduate courses in disciplines that prepare you for sports/ exercise related fields. Undergraduate education at the University of Mauritius is very good. Don't let anyone tell you that their degree is not good. The one who discourages you from studying a field you are passionate about deserves a slap.

There may be shortcomings at the postgraduate level in certain fields but undergraduate education at UoM is very good. A lot of UoM graduates remain unemployed in Mauritius but once they decide to let go of mommy and daddy's house and stand on their own feet abroad they will see the edge their UoM degree gives them. Even if foreign universities may require you to do equivalence exams you will be better than most students abroad. The following are the qualifications from the University of Mauritius that I have short-listed.

1. The Diploma in Sports Science & Recreational Activities. click for details

2. The BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy: Physiotherapists are key people in sports. Respect to physiotherapists. They are also trained to help children and elderly as their training is not sports-specific. I have a friend who is the physiotherapist for the South African Canoeing national team. She is very good and has a gratifying career. More details on the UoM BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy course click here. 

3. The BSc (Hons) Biology: This is the degree that I did with UoM 12 years ago. It is an excellent degree with the curriculum encompassing all aspects of living systems and the environment. With respect to our field you will be adequately trained in biochemistry, cellular biology, physiology as well as plants of pharmaceutical importance. With this degree in your pocket you will be equipped to go into any field dealing with living things.  For my final year I did my research project on human nutrition (mineral bio-availability). I was also able to do mini-research projects on plant antioxidant biochemistry. Personally speaking, this qualification helped me obtain employment in the field of Agriculture, horticulture, plant pathology and medical diagnostics before I undertook exercise biology as my future career course. Every single thing that I have learned from my degree has helped me subsequently. Click here for more details. 

4. Specialised Physiology/ Biochemistry/ Nutrition/ Food Science degrees: If you decide to be a specialist from undergraduate level itself then you need to fly abroad to study. There are many options in the UK, the Americas, Australia and other European countries but not everybody has the money to go to such countries. An excellent foreign study option remains India. There are many good universities in India that you can afford with more or less the same amount of money you'd spend for a degree in Mauritius. There are also South African universities that rank among the world's finest but the downside is that they are quite expensive, although not as expensive as Europe/ US/ Canada/ Australia. An undergraduate degree may cost about Rs. 1.5 million. I recommend the following universities in South Africa:

University of Cape Town

University of Kwa-Zulu Natal

University of Stellenbosch

Some can take it further and go on higher degrees. The job prospects are numerous provided one is versatile. University Lecturer/ researcher in exercise science, formulations R&D scientists for supplement companies, scientific writer for magazines, scientific coaches. It takes so much time and massive efforts that sometimes it pains and you have to be really passionate about it or else don’t do it. It is really tough. You may need to spend 10 years at a university to reach this level and spend a boatload of money and undergo sacrifice. This is especially true if you choose to be independent or do not come from a family who has money. Ask me about it. 

For people having degrees in other fields

If you are pursuing a degree in other fields (commerce, accounting, engineering etc) and are interested in getting a training/nutrition certification then it is possible as there are many reliable ones that you can acquire that do not require a specialised degree. You will learn more about these below.

2. Online Accreditations

You have to be very careful with online course providers. There are many scam artists on the Internet offering one-day fitness certifications. In my opinion, one of the best online course provider is the International Sports Science Organisation (ISSA).  It is based in the USA among it's panellists are Dr. Sal Arria, Dr. Fred Hatfield, Dr. Thomas D. Fahey, Dr. John Berardi, Dr. William J. Kraemer as well as highly knowledgeable bodybuilding legends like Bill Pearl and John DeFendis. I have helped friends obtain their ISSA qualifications, especially their nutrition certification. 

The ISSA offer training and nutrition certifications and it is not difficult to pass exams provided you put the effort in. With an SC certificate these courses can be done from Mauritius itself. For more information:

Click here to visit the ISSA website

2. Professional Certifications

a. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN)  

Click here to visit the ISSN website

The ISSN was founded by Dr. Jose Antonio, Dr. Richard Kreider, Dr. Susan Kleiner, Dr. Doug Kalman and Anthony Almada. It is a non-profit and academically-based society for the promotion of sports nutrition and applied nutrition. The ISSN is recognized by leading organisations and universities worldwide and also has a scientific journal where research and reviews are published by researchers worldwide. ISSN is the real deal. 

The ISSN offers two main sports nutrition certifications, namely the:

• The Sports Nutrition Specialist (SNS): If you have an HSC and are above 18 you can do the SNS.  You require a knowledge of basic exercise training, general nutrition and sports supplements. If you are in Mauritius you will need to get a Biology/ Health professor at a university invigilate you while you write the exams at a pre-determined time.  The SNS is definitely worth the investment. For more details about the SNS click here. (Yo! I didn't mean "lick" but click)

• The Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN): If you have a master’s degree or a 4-yr undergraduate degree in the related disciplines you can do this. If you have a degree in an unrelated field there are some conditions that should be met.  You must get a professor to invigilate you for the exams or you can take the exams in America at the ISSN conference (expenive). For more details on the CISSN credential and how to obtain it please click here to find out more. 

b. National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

Click here to visit the NSCA website

When it comes to training certifications honestly I don't know better than the US-based NSCA which has been founded in 1978. The NSCA bridges the gap between science and its application and its certifications are the most sought-after in the industry. NSCA certifications are also recognised worldwide. The famous Journal of Strength and Conditioning research (JSCR) is published by the NSCA.

Below are the major certification courses offered by the NSCA:

The NSCA-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer)
To become an NSCA-CPT you will need HSC plus some experience in training. You will have to take an intensive exam at an examination centre. The closest for Mauritius is South Africa. The NSCA qualifies CPT specialists as follows:

"Health/fitness professionals who, using an individualized approach, assess, motivate, educate and train clients regarding their health and fitness needs. They design safe and effective exercise programs, provide the guidance to help clients achieve their personal health/fitness goals and respond appropriately in emergency situations. Recognizing their own area of expertise, personal trainers refer clients to other health care professionals when appropriate". More details here.

The NSCA-CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist)

This uses a more scientific approach to training and coaching. It requires a post-secondary qualification. Exams are held abroad. South Africa is the option for Mauritians. A lot of professionals have it. The NSCA qualifies CSCS specialists as follows:

"Professionals who apply scientific knowledge to train athletes for the primary goal of improving athletic performance. They conduct sport-specific testing sessions, design and implement safe and effective strength training and conditioning programs and provide guidance regarding nutrition and injury prevention. Recognizing that their area of expertise is separate and distinct, CSCSs consult with and refer athletes to other professionals when appropriate". More about the CSCS certification". More details here. 

The NSCA-CSPS (Certified Special Populations Specialist)

People with special needs like those with disabilities or medical conditions can also benefit from exercise. Special populations specialists are well equipped to attend to these people. The NSCA qualifies CSPS specialists as follows:

"fitness professionals who, using an individualized approach, assess, motivate, educate, and train special population clients of all ages regarding their health and fitness needs, preventively, and in collaboration with healthcare professionals. Special populations include those with chronic and temporary health conditions. CSPSs design safe and effective exercise programs, provide the guidance to help clients achieve their personal health/fitness goals, and recognize and respond to emergency situations. Recognizing their own areas of expertise, CSPSs receive referrals from and refer clients to other healthcare providers as appropriate". More details here.

Feel free to write to me if you need any guidance about the fields of study to choose. Also chat with others who are experienced in this field. My email address is vicgoyaram@gmail.com.  It takes a lot of sacrifice to get these qualifications but at the end of the day it is worth it. There is no easy way out. You have to sacrifice to gain. 

NEW DEADLIFT VIDEO: 590 FOR 5 REPS

See, I train too.

UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS

Got some thoughts clunking around in my head.  Want to get them down on paper.

I don't have a meet coming up.  Not as in "not in a while", but simply not at all.  I will be moving soon, and don't know when I will compete next as a result.  I have entered a prolonged "off season", and it's allowed me to become inventive.

Here are my thoughts on training assistance work.

1: Jim Wendler said it best.  Don't major in the minors.  If you don't have your shit together on the primary lifts, figure that out first before you even worry about assistance work.  That said, what I am writing here is going to be very intensive on the assistance work, mainly because the primary stuff tends to take care of itself.

2: There are known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns.

Thank you Donald Rumsfeld/Samuel L. Jackson

What's a known known?  We KNOW that you become a better bencher by benching, a better squatter by squatting, and a better deadlifter by deadlifting.  When everything else in your world has fallen apart and you are clinging to a tub of protein powder and listening to AM radio to hear if it's safe to come outside, you can take solace in these facts.

Like this, if the book was "Supertraining"

What is a known unknown?  This is going to depend on your own personal level of knowledge and investment in training.  There are many people much smarter than me when it comes to training.  These people can calculate band tension, understand WTF a circa-max cycle is, understand all the little biological nuances that are involved in muscle and strength building, etc.  I don't know these things, but I KNOW that I don't know them.  I know the information is out there, and if I really wanted to, I could learn it.

What is an unknown unknown?  It's something that we don't know that we don't know.  We are unaware of something even being relevant that we don't even realize that we don't know it.

How do these all come into play?  It depends on where you are in your training.
When I am closing in on a meet, I default to known knowns.  My assistance work is very specific and deliberate.  I bench to become a better bencher, and I pause the bench on my chest and lock out each rep, because I know that is what is expected of me in competition.  It's the same for the squat as well.  I use what I know works.

In my current off season?  I am in the realm of unknown unknowns.  I am intentionally avoiding specificity as much as possible, and doing things I have never done before.  I don't lockout my reps, I don't pause on the chest, I use bands, chains, fat gripz, dumbbells, etc.  Variety is the name of the game here.
Why would I do this?  Because it's possible that there is something that could make me stronger that I simply don't know about.  It's possible that I could "accidentally" get stronger by doing this.  I will be bringing up muscle groups that I didn't even realize were lagging, hitting angles that I didn't know were relevant to a movement, and developing a skillset that was apparently vital to a lift that I completely lacked.  Is it a total shot in the dark?  Hell yeah it is, but I've got no meet in sight, what do I care?  And really, if my bench doesn't increase, but my incline swiss bar fat gripz bench went from 135lbs to 200lbs, who am I to say that I didn't still get stronger?

Once I DO find something that works, it's now become a known unknown.  I have identified a potential valuable asset, and it becomes my responsibility to research, dissect and understand it.  I do myself a disservice by not exploiting this newfound tool, and the more I understand and am able to manipulate it, the more I am able to progress with it, to the point that it may soon become a known known in terms of what exists in my toolbox.

As I stated, close to a meet is a poor time to experiment, but without experimentation and change one will eventually reach stagnation, thus it becomes imperative that, in these times of offseason, you don't give in to fear and simply stick with "what works", but use that time to find out if there is something you are missing.  In a program like 5/3/1, you still have basic heavy work to keep your strength in check, and this in turn allows you to really let off the breaks and see what you are capable of.

Ignore the naysayers who speak of how the smith machine is garbage or how barbells are the only way to get stronger.  If something makes you bigger or stronger, who cares what it is?  There are no points granted to how you got to the destination, simply that you reached it.  I would rather reach paradise in a Pinto than be broken down on the side of the road in a Corvette.

Powerlifting training for bodybuilders. By John Bubb, former NABBA Pro bodybuilder

Powerlifting-type training for bodybuilding

By John Bubb, former NABBA pro bodybuilder

John Bubb on the legendary NABBA Universe stage

Introduction by Vic Goyaram

This article is for those willing to use powerlifting-type training to improve their strength and physique. Most people imagine big butts and waists when thinking of a power lifter’s physique. Incorrect! Improper diet is more to blame than powerlifting exercises and style of training. There are many great powerlifters who display envious physiques with virtually no bodybuilding training. One example is Vince Anello, the legendary US-based powerlifter. Likewise, most of us diehard fans know about bodybuilders with a powerlifting background and whose training borrows a lot from powerlifting. We all know about Johnny Jackson and Franco Columbu. The dangerous physique that John Bubb sported in his prime is also courtesy of his powerlifting background and his style of training. As usual, we are more than pleased to have John sharing his pearls of wisdom with us but before “leaving the floor” to our guru allow me to give you some basics on this topic.

Powerlifting legend Vince Anello was built like a
bodybuilder. He even did bodybuilding shows like Mr. America

IFBB Pro Johnny Jackson is a competitive powerlifter in the offseason.
When Bob Cicherillo announced Johnny "O" Jackson at the Olympia
you'll always see the thickest muscle in the pro league.

John Bubb's suggested plan for BULKING up

(12-week program)

John holding his own next to Reg Park and Arnold

The main trouble with giving out this type of advice is that I have no idea how long you have been training or how advanced you are. Obviously the type of exercise schedule that I’m going to advise would be far too advanced for somebody who had only been training for a few months. I’m going to assume that you’ve done at least a year.

If you want to put on size and get much stronger, you’ve got to forget you are a bodybuilder for 6 months and pretend you are a POWERLIFTER. Train for size and strength and then when you go back to pure bodybuilding you will be able to perform the conventional exercises with a lot more weight and thus make them more effective. Before I became a professional I used to enter power lifting contests quite regularly and the preparation for these contests used to really help my bodybuilding training. In fact I found that I gained size all over (even my arms) when I was literally only doing Bench Press, Squats and Dead Lifts. It thickens your muscularity or, gives you more muscle density.

If you do decide to follow this plan you will probably feel that you are not doing enough, but trust me, you will be. And remember, most bodybuilders over train. Especially beginners because they are over anxious to make progress. You grow while you are resting, not when you are pumping. Talking of resting, when you are doing power training you need nice long rests between sets. If you rush you won’t make the poundages so you will be diluting the effect.

Always warm-up with a little Cardio before you start.

The training program

Mondays and Thursdays (Chest, triceps, calves and abs)

First exercise: Bench Press – FLAT

Execution of the bench press

• 1 set of 15, really silly light
• 1 set of 8 using a weight with which you could get 10 if you were really trying. 
• Add weight and do 1 set of 5 using a weight with which you could get 8 if you were really trying.
• Add a little weight and perform 1 set of 5.
• Add a little weight. 1 set of five flat out. Make sure you do get five.
• Add a little weight. 1 set of five to failure. On this set you might only get three or four to start with, but that’s fine.
• 1 set of five using the same weight as you used for the third set of five. This time do as many as you can. You’ll probably surprise yourself and get seven or eight. If you manage eight you can finish. If not do:-
• 1 set of eight or ten using the same weight as you used for the first set of five.

After you’ve done this four or five times you should be able to add a little extra weight on all the sets of five. It’s particularly satisfying when you suddenly find you are getting five on that fourth set and you can add even more weight. You’re on the move and this is the first day of the rest of your life!!

Second exercise: Triceps Extensions lying on a bench (Head Crushers)

Execution of the skull crushers

1 set of ten quite light.
4 sets of eight heavy

Third exercise: Your favourite Calf Raises.5 sets of 15 to 20.

Click for full article on calf training

Fourth exercise: Abdominals

Finish up with 3 or 4 sets of abdominal exercises, that is crunches or leg raises. Don’t go mad. These are just to make sure that no part of your body gets left out.

Tuesdays and Fridays (Legs, Back, Biceps, calves)
First exercise: Conventional Squats.

Squat execution

• 1 set of 20 really silly light, then:-
• 1 set of eight – easy, then:-
• 5 x 5 performed exactly as the Bench Press.
• 1 set of as many as you can manage using the same weight as you used for the first set of five. Finish.

Second exercise: T-Bar Rowing

T-bar row execution

• 1 set of eight - quite light
• 4 sets of six – heavy
• Bend your knees slightly and make sure you keep your back really flat throughout the complete movement.

Third exercise: Conventional Barbell Curls

Barbell curl execution

• 1 set of 8 or 10 - fairly light.
• 5 sets of 6 – heavy. Do these in a fairly loose style with just a little bit of heave and swing. DON’T overdo it however. Just enough heave to get the heavy weight moving.

Fourth exercise: Choose another Calf Raise (different from Monday & Thursday)

5 sets of 15 to 20.

Every third work-out (on the legs and back days) leave out Squats and do DEAD LIFTS as follows:-

• 1 set of ten really light and easy.
• 1 set of six a bit heavier, but well within your capability.
• 1 set of four fairly heavy, but still not flat out.
• 1 single rep – heavy.
• Add a little weight. 1 single rep. 
• Add a little weight. 1 single rep. 
• Add a little weight. 1 single rep. 
• Take off a little weight. 1 single rep. 

Drop the weight way down and do four or six to finish off. 

If you follow this recipe to the letter you will be amazed and thrilled at how quickly your poundages shoot up after a few workouts. And remember, there is nothing like Dead Lifts to thicken your back. giving you that muscle density you are looking for.

Do all of this for twelve weeks.

Regards,

John Bubb for Bodybuilding Mauritius

________________________________________________________________

About the Author

John Bubb is a former NABBA professional bodybuilder with more than half a century of experience in the iron game. John has six top four finishes at the NABBA Pro Mr. Universe from 1967 to 1971, including a runner-up placing to Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1968. 

John has trained several bodybuilders from many countries and has remained very active in the bodybuilding arena decades after hanging his posing trunks. He is one of our most prized contributors at Bodybuilding Mauritius and we feel very honoured to have someone of the calibre of John dispensing advice to all of us with such enthusiasm. 

We at Bodybuilding Mauritius are very keen about old-school bodybuilding as we believe that in order for bodybuilding to have a future it must look back at its past. We couldn't ask for a better guru of Golden era bodybuilding than "Iron Grandpa Bubb". 

ASSISTANCE EXERCISE VARIATIONS

I was stuck in a meeting at work and started charting out what sort of assistance exercises I could do for my bench press, thought I'd pass on my notes here to inspire others. If you have followed my training, you know I train in my garage, and everything I own has been personally funded, which means I don't have nearly the variety of equipment available to me that most people in a well stocked gym do. That said, I found I actually could do 2000 different variations of bench alone based on what I had.

Here is how I broke down the variables available to me in order to develop variations

Platform:
Flat bench
Incline bench
Floor (floor pressing)

Bar:
Barbell
Swiss bar
Dumbbell

Grips:
W/ fat gripz (for reference http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Gripz/dp/B005FIS14Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354990664&sr=8-1&keywords=fat+gripz they also make an "extreme model" too if you want to open up your options)
W/o fat gripz

Grip width:
Normal
Close grip (BB/Swiss bar only)
Wide (BB/Swiss bar only)
Parallel (DB only)

Pause at bottom of movement:
Yes
No

Lockout reps at top:
Yes
No

Height of starting point:
No real way to put a number to this, you can go any number of inches/measurements off your chest (not applicable to floor press)

Method of height of starting point:
Chest (not applicable to floor press)
Chain suspended (BB/Swiss bar only) (not applicable to floor press)
Boards (BB/Swiss bar only) (not applicable to floor press)
Pins (BB/Swiss bar only) (not applicable to floor press)

Modifications to bar:
None
Chains
Reverse bands (BB/Swiss bar only)
Against bands


Basically, from here it's like chinese food. Just pick something from each column and you've built a bench variation to use.

One of the key things here is that some low cost/high effect things to get to increase your variability is some fat gripz and some resistance bands. Chains are awesome too, but not very portable.

That, and it doesn't take much to have a lot of variety available to you. Very minor modifications can result in almost totally new movements.

All about training the calves. By Vic Goyaram

All about training the Calves

Researched and Composed by Vic Goyaram

Introduction

In the history of resistance training calves hold the presidential position of the least trained muscles and perhaps the most inappropriately trained as well.  Over the last couple of months, how much attention have you given your calves compared to your arms and chest? We all wish to have 19" or 20" arms and find ways and means to go get them but how serious are we about developing calves? Calves top the neglect list for a variety of reasons: they are a pain in the you-know-where to train, they do not respond well to training in most people, they are pretty much covered most of the time except in summer (out of sight, out of mind) or you simply quit training them out of frustration over the absence of any noticeable progress. This article attempts to shed light on key aspects of calf training and development. We will address the genetic aspect of calf development, common calf training mistakes and provide some solutions. Without further ado, let us start.

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Anatomy and genetics of calves

Calves are not only Gastrocnemius and Soleus 

The calves are very often anatomically described in most training articles as consisting of the soleus and the gastrocnemius. This is very incorrect as it fails to appraise calf muscles running in front of the tibia bone that has a lot of growth potential, contributes a lot to calf strength and the appearance and mass of the calves when looked from the front. These front calf muscles consists of the Peroneus, extensor digitorum with the tibialis anterior claiming the lion's share (Fig 1).  We will cover some exercises that hit the front calf muscles. 

Fig 1.: The anatomy of the calves. The calves are not made up
only of the soleus and gastrocnemius but also of front calf muscles

"Either you have them or you don't"

For no other body-part than calves does the saying "either you have them or you don't" holds true in bodybuilding.  Indeed, how your calves are built, its attachment and muscle fibre allocation are largely determined by genetics. Some people do not have much muscle cells to build on in the calves. One example is Dennis Wolf who has little muscle fibre allocation in his calves in comparison to Ben Pakulski (Fig 2).  In general, black Africans are less gifted in the calves department in the sense that they have very short calf muscles and long achilles tendon. Just compare the calves of Ronnie Coleman to that of Dorian Yates (Fig 3) and you will notice the massive difference in the length of the gastrocnemius. This "high calves curse" as it is sometimes called is an advantage as far as speed is concerned but a massive disadvantage when it comes to developing massive and full calves (Fig.4). Exceptions to this rule are guys like Chris Dickerson and Sergio Oliva who both owned massive pairs of calves.

Fig 2: Dennis Wolf (left) has both high calves and fewer muscle
fibres than Ben Pakulski (right) in his calves. 

Fig 3: Ronnie has high calves while Dorian has full calves that
attach very low.

Fig 4: Black Africans generally have high and
skinny calves, a massive advantage for sprinting.

Can we blame genetics alone for poor calves?
Bad genetics have too often taken the blame for poor calves but the problem in my opinion is that calves are inadequately trained. By inadequately I mean that calves either don't get enough training sessions or are not trained with the same intensity as arms and chest for example. This is indeed true as how many people do you see training calves in your gym everyday? Very few. The fact that most gyms are equipped with numerous benches and fewer squat racks and calf stations reflect this reality. 

Bad genetics is an important factor but I am sure that some of you have overcome bad arm or chest genetics with intense workouts to slap new mass onto your arms and chest. The same can be done for the calves. No matter what your genetics you can train hard to improve your calves.  You must strive to get your calves as big as your arms. For instance Steve Reeves (Fig 5) had both arms and calves stretching the tape at 17.5".  

Fig 5: Symmetrical development. Reeves' calves were the same
size as his legs. Trey Brewer's quads that are out of
proportion to his calves. 

How to attack the calves?
While most people are content with throwing a couple of sets of calf raises at the end of their leg workout we are here for some real progress. Training calves are indeed painful because of an abundance of nerve endings there but you must learn to love the excruciating pain.  In this section I will provide some essential pointers as well as a sample routine that has worked wonders for me. 

Pointer 1: Train with the right frequency and intensity
Calves have a very high recuperative power. The calves are designed to be really tough as they hold your bodyweight the whole day. You can train your arms until you are unable to move them. You can train your quads until you are unable to walk but no matter how hard you train your calves you will always be able to walk home. Calves are that tough and need to be trained accordingly. In my opinion, calves need to be trained more than once per week using different repetition ranges. I have seen that cycling the frequency allows for good progress, whereby you train calves 3 times for one week and then only twice the next week with probably a couple more sets. Always experiment.

Pointer 2: Nobody cares if you can calf raise 2000 lbs. 
People lifting excessive poundages for fast, bouncy quarter reps are a very common sight in gyms. This does nothing by way of stimulating the calf muscles. Nobody cares if you can calf raise 2000lbs on the leg press if you don't have the results to show for it. You need to develop calves that look like they can press 2000lbs, rather.  Each repetition should be performed in a slow controlled manner with a full range of motion.  Partial repetitions can  be used in exceptional cases and shouldn't be the norm. 

Pointer 3: The right speed and tempo
A good tempo is 1 second up, 3 seconds hold and 2 seconds down. This will ensure optimal time under tension. You must learn to feel each rep and not bounce up and down with reps that last only a fraction of a second.

Pointer 3: Variety in training
Calf exercises are more than just standing and seated calf raises. That's what people most commonly do. You can do calf exercises on a variety of equipment or with no equipment at all (more in the exercise description section below). Moreover, you can hit calves from a variety of rep ranges too. In the sample program that I will provide calves are trained with high, moderate and low reps using a program adapted from Neil Hill's Y3T program. Always bring the element of surprise in your calf training.

Pointer 4: Intensity techniques
Calves lend themselves very well to high intensity techniques like drop sets, supersets and static contractions. Whatever it takes to get them growing as long as you don't go overboard. 

Pointer 5: Barefoot or shoes?
Performing calf exercises barefoot may give you a better feel and better grip on the block.  If your gym does not allow barefoot training then make sure you use shoes that allow enough flexibility at the ball of the foot to allow you to perform your repetitions properly. Most training/ running shoes can do the job.

Pointer 6: Changing toe orientation?
It is a common practice to change toe orientation to try emphasize the inner and outer gastrocnemius muscles in calf raises. Remember that you cannot isolate the inner or outer gastrocnemius. There are two schools of thoughts on this one. We will deal with it in a more in-depth article in the future in which we will analyse the evidence for and against.  

The best calf exercises and performance pointers

Standing Calf raise & variations
These can be performed on a standing calf raise machine. When the knees are extended the gastrocnemius takes the load of the work. Therefore, the standing calf raise works the gastrocnemius more than the soleus. For reasons of stability and safety the standing calf raises are best performed in a Smith Machine or a Standing Calf raise machine.  Standing calf raises whole holding a dumbbell (Fig 6) are nice but not enough to overload the calves, in my opinion. Your forearms will most likely give up before you have done enough reps to tax the calves fully, even if you perform the exercise with one calf at a time.

Fig 6 : Eva Andressa paid her dues with standing smith machine
calf raises and enjoys the rewards. 

The knees must be kept stiff during the entire set and not move in order to reduce the involvement of the quads. Furthermore, do not forcefully lock out your knees when you are going heavy in order to minimise the risk of injury. 

Fig 7 : The Standing Calf raise machine works wonders
provided the machine design is right

Donkey calf raises
Donkey calf raises are great for working the gastrocnemius. If you gym has a machine for this exercise go ahead and use it. Otherwise you can have your buddies sit on your back. I am sure you have in mind the famous pictures of Arnold performing donkey raises with his friends on his back. 

Fig 8: Donkey calf raises can be performed with a machine

or better, with a sweetheart on your back

(Photo courtesy: Ironman magazine)

Calf raise on leg press machine
This is another personal favourite. I suggest to maintain a slight bend in the knees. You can use a vertical, horizontal or a 45 degree leg press machine for these. But be safe.

Fig 9 : Calf raise on the incline or vertical leg press

Reverse hack squat calf raises
This is probably my favourite exercise right now. Leaning against the back pad makes the movement comfortable. 

Fig 10: Reverse hack squat calf raises
(Photo courtesy: South African IFBB Pro Marius Dohne)

Seated calf raises
The seated calf raise works the soleus muscles to a greater degree. Indeed, the more bent your legs are the less involvement there is from the gastrocnemius and the more stress is born by the soleus. 

Fig 11 : Seated calf raises recruit the soleus muscles to a
greater degree (Photo courtesy: Bodybuilding.com)

Tibialis raise variations
Most calf training articles and programs do not make provision of the tibialis and front calf muscles.  In the standing Smith Machine tibialis raise the tibialis are targeted very well. Rest your heels on the block rather than your toes. Raise your toes to full contraction. Perform the movement slowly. Experiment to find your groove. A Smith machine is recommended for safety and stability reasons.

Fig 13 : Standing tibialis raise in the Smith machine

Sample calf specialisation routine
I decided to give my calves special attention about 3 months ago by training them three times a week using a program adapted from the Y3T system. I brought my calves from 16.4 to 17.3 inches (cold measurements). They are slightly in line with my arms (17.2", cold). I aim to bring the calves at 18' over the next year. The program is given below. 

Fig 14: My calves at 17.3"

 Session 1: High reps

Calf raise on hack squat machine (reverse) 5 x 30 reps

Seated calf raise 5 x 30 reps

Session 2: Moderate range day

Calf raise on leg press machine 4 x 15-20 reps

Seated calf raise 4 x 15-20 reps

Session 3: Heavy day

Calf raise for gastroc (any equipment) 4 x 8-10 reps

Seated Calf raise 4 x 10-12 reps

Concluding thoughts

I hope the above has been of help. There will be more calf training articles coming dealing with muscle activation patters, a potential benefit of occlusion training and other special techniques. Feel free to drop us a comment or question in the box below. 

"A nice pair of calves looks sexy on a lady
So ladies, work your calves too!"

©,2013, Veeraj Goyaram, Bodybuilding Mauritius. Any reprinting in any type of media is prohibited.