Body Banao

Calf muscles are one of the toughest muscles in the body to develop. It is because they are naturally hardened by everyday walking, an activity that must be done. Also, the longer calf muscle requires more volume and higher intensity to developing it.

So here the challenge is far different than developing any other muscle, but is not impossible. But the most important point to note is that hard training or reducing the time between sets is not the solution.

You have to design a structured routine of sets and start from the position of your ability to handle the load. Then slowly increase the number of sets when your endurance and muscle tone increases.

There are certain exercises designed particularly for developing calves. However it is essential to avoid overworking it and giving calves break between the sets. Resting the calves will prevent unnecessary strain, which can otherwise hamper the process of developing bigger calves.

Always do the calf exercises for 5 sets and in bare feet for best results. This will hinder artificial supports from interfering with the exercises of the calves.

The Standing Calf Raise is an elementary exercise in the calf-building workout and doesn’t need much equipment. It is very good for producing nicely toned, bigger calf muscles you desire.

· Keep a foot block on the floor. This block may be a small 2×4 kept lengthwise on the floor.

· Position the balls of your feet on the block. Separate the feet by about a shoulder width distance, with your toes directed forward.

· Reach up and stabilize yourself on a support like an overhead bar over your head and unbend your legs, with knees straight and dragging up your weight on this bar. You must finish on your toes.

· Hold for a fixed time, decided by how much time you think you can remain in that position. Use the same duration in every repetition.

· Slowly bring down your heels to the floor, extending the calf muscle to the highest and hold for the same period.

· Do 5 repetitions.

With this, you begin the elementary toning and building of the calf muscles and can be done numerous times per week.

Next, more advanced exercise is called the “Donkey Stretch.” It is also a simple exercise but puts a lot of pressure on the calves and should be performed as an advanced step from more fundamental that must be done first.

- Position your toes on the foot block, feet separated by shoulder width.

- Bend over and keep your hands with arms stretched ahead of you on any support like a chair, a bench, or a table.

- Ask a partner to get on your back.

- Bring down your heels to expand the calf muscle to the utmost and hold.

- Lift up on your toes and hold.

- Repeat.

This exercise uses the calf muscles and the extra weight increases the resistance exerted on the muscle worked.

Another essential point to remember is that the calf muscles must be rested between sets and not worked too much. Overworking increases the pressure on the muscle, thereby preventing its development. To save time while resting the muscle worked, exercise other body part. E.g. after working the calf muscle, you can exercise biceps, while the calves get rest. It will let you carry on with your workout, without overworking only one body part.

Use the exercises described above to develop the calf muscles and perform them as directed. Very soon, you will see results, as your calves become bigger and stronger.

One of the most surprising things is that not many people understand the proper way of exercising shoulder muscles. This is due to complexity of the shoulder muscles unlike the arms. The most common form of shoulder injury is the rotator cuff injury. This occurs primarily due to heavy amount of pressing movements like bench press, incline press, overhead press as compared to hardly any work for its opposite muscles of the upper back.

To avoid this kind of injury, the first step is to balance your upper body training. So for every set of pressing exercise, include a set of rowing in order to harmonize the muscles of the shoulder girdle. This strategy provides 2 benefits: protects you against injuries and provide you with well developed rounded upper back.

It is very essential to develop right posture since it will improve your performance since your joints are steadied and properly aligned. Besides a better performance, right posture will also improve your good looks.

While balancing pressing and rowing is a good start, it is advisable to do more work for rotator cuff if you have been exercising for some time. It should be done along with a balanced workout routine. Many people do a normal mistake of performing a set of heavy bench presses and balancing it with few sets of rotator cuff exercises with very light weights to avoid injury. It is erroneous and nonsensical.

Always remember that a correct and balanced program design is the basis to prevent injury. If you cannot design a balanced program yourself, always contact an expert in this field. While asking may make you look foolish, it is far better than remaining silent. The advantage of a properly designed program is that it will help you gain a lot of muscle, while minimizing the risk of injuries.

Here is one of the easy rotator cuff exercises to do:

- Prone 90/90 Rotations: Take a light dumbbell or plate in each hand while remaining prone on a bench. Lift the plates slowly from the floor by twisting your elbows at right angles and keeping your upper arm perpendicular. This is your starting position. Next let your elbow remain in the same position and turn it at the shoulder till the plates are outside of your head. Then revert to the beginning position and repeat.

The direct rotator cuff movement is a great inclusion to a current balanced muscle building program. There are various other rotator cuff exercises.

Building muscles requires eating a balanced diet high in protein and use the suitable exercise program.  Proteins play a major role in muscle building. So eat lots of protein foods and take protein supplements. Equally important is the role of right workout and rest. Rest is very important as it is during this period that muscles are built. Certain exercises are meant for developing thigh muscles.

Certain exercises are meant for thigh and leg muscle workouts. Gyms contain various equipments for muscle development. There are many exercise methods based on the time available and stamina needed. Consult an expert trainer to teach you the entire process. Prior to taking up a program, research it thoroughly. Avoid choosing those exercises that stresses your muscles to a great extent. As thighs are important muscles in the body, choose your exercise carefully to prevent overstraining them. Perform exercise according to your energy levels and gradually raise your duration. Always opt for a slow and gradual method.

Remember few leg training that must be considered if you intend to develop thigh muscles. The main exercise to develop muscle mass for quadriceps and glutes is squat. Include Squats and Leg Curls in your standard training routine. If the lower body muscles are weak, do some Weak Point Training using the Priority Principle to reach your objectives. Opt for all-round leg development by training the thighs (front) and hamstrings (back) muscles. Do some amount of calf exercises to complete the leg training.

One essential aspect of muscle building process is providing adequate rest to your muscles after your workouts. Rest is an essential since the muscle building occurs at this time. Your muscles have to repair the post workout injuries. At first, alternate between your workouts and rest days. Eat food products that promote your muscle recovery. Almonds are rich in vitamin E that eliminates the free radicals produced during the workouts thus promoting recovery. Yogurt along with fruits promote speedy recovery.

Opt for a protein based diet and drink a lot of water. Choose lean meat, fish, vegetables, eggs as well as few protein supplements. Incorporate some quantity of healthy fat in your diet as they promote muscle building process. Eat plenty of fiber and carbohydrate rich products. Get your daily requirements of your vitamin and nutrient requirements. Stay away from medication for rapid muscle building, since they are harmful to your body. Certain exercise equipments to develop your thigh muscles are sold in the market. Regular physical activity such as running, jumping, cycling, brisk walking can make your leg muscles stronger.