thebestneverrest

One Legged Calf Raises

One legged calf raises are not seen very often. They are of much higher difficulty then the standard, and incorporate additional balance skills. This exercise can be done standing or seated, but standing requires much more strength. One legged calf raises allow athletes to isolate each calf, allocating a balance of strength to each individual muscle.

Begin exercise standing straight with both feet planted on the ground. Put the balls of your feet onto the edge of a block or other erect fixture. Pick up your weaker foot from the ground, balancing yourself on the stronger one. Lower the heel below the level of the fixture and then go back up to full height. Repeat the same motion with the other leg.

Some time last week, I made a post about doing bodyweight calf raises. A few of our readers contacted men, asking how they could get their calves a little more boost. While I did not plan to introduce any more bodyweight exercises yet, I think our readers deserve this one.

 Many people say that calf strength is not something that can simply be attained. Many believe that it is something that stems truly from genetics. Personally, I believe otherwise. The two new exercises that I will show you today and tomorrow are simple, hassle-free training techniques. Despite the popular belief, I believe that anyone who is willing to work hard on these bodyweight exercises will attain their calf training goals, whether it be big or small.

Donkey Calf Raises

This is one of those exercises that many people have never even heard of, neither imagined someone doing. Arnold Schwarzenegger used to utilize this training activity back in his heavy lifting days. As seen in the picture below, his calves were huge. This just might have been the secret to his success.

Many people stray away from this exercise because of what it involves. In this day and age, no body wants to do an exercise like this in the public gym, due to the connotations that will likely follow. This exercise can just as easily be done at home; do not let your comfort level restrict your strength potential.

Lean over and put your hands on a weight bench or any sturdy substitute fixture.  Have some one sit on your back like they would a donkey. Rep out as many calf raises as you can. This exercise will isolate your calves much better than dumbbells or barbells can. It concentrates the weight in a place where it causes the calves most strain.

This is now our third day of plyometrics discussion, yet we have barely reached the tip of the iceberg. This training style incorporates an innovative strategy, allowing the athlete to work on movements specific to his sport. Though all of these exercises should be done, it is imperative that an athlete works harder on the ones that relate to movements performed during his position in the sport. The athlete should especially concentrate on those exercises which he seems to lack in. Since plyometrics can be done over and over again, doing a little extra work won’t hurt. Remember to work as hard as you can, no matter where you are training. Hard work is preparation for success!

As we learned earlier, no training can develop explosive strength of even comparable quality to that of plyometrics. Plyometrics are used by many professional athletes to improve their game. The fact is, when you reach such an advanced level of strength, all that really matters is how you can incorporate that strength into make athletic movements. Plyometric training accomplishes exactly that. . Many athletes do not know how to use their strength when they hit the playing field. The exercises that we will learn today will especially enable you to develop athletic movements in your legs, adding more power to your athletic movements.

Box Jumps

Box jumps consist of simple plyometric activity, but are great for developing leg and hip explosiveness. Start facing a sturdy box with your feet shoulder width apart. Squat down to a parallel position and then immediately jump onto the box. Land softly on the box and step down. Increase box height to create a more advanced workout.

One Leg Hops

Begin by standing on one leg, with your hands held firmly at your sides. Hop as far as you can to the left. Immediately, hop back to your starting position. Repeat this exercise continuously until you feel a burn in your legs.

Plyometric Lunges

Start in a split stance, as if you were about to do regulation lunges. Have your right leg in front, your left leg receding. Now lunge down to the ground. Utilizing your speed and power, explode into the air, switching leg position. If you did this properly, you should land with your left foot in front, your right foot receding. Lower and faster movements will develop the best explosive strength.

As some of you may have read in my previous post, today we will start learning plyometric training. Plyometric exercises bear many similar qualities to bodyweight exercises. Plyometric methods are also performed with merely your body weight, but in a quite innovational style.

Plyometrics are a group of exercise train methods which are used to train muscles to produce strong and athletic movements simultaneously. Plyometrics test and train your explosive strength, something that cannot be done properly by any other exercise. In weight training, athletes are tested on their strength through raw strength lifts. Plyometric incorporates field athletic strength by having trainees perform quick training motions.

Throughout the week, we will continue to learn more and more about this astounding training method. For now, I would like to leave you with two of my favorites, the squat jump and the clap pushup.

Squat Jump

The squat jump tests your ability to develop plyometrically trained leg power. Though you will not attain a squat of 600 lbs, this exercise will train your legs to react explosively in any athletic movement.

Begin squat jumps in a squat position with your buttocks as close to the ground as possible. From this position, explode into the air, getting as much height and power as possible. Return to the deep squat position and repeat this movement.

Plyometric Pushup

The plyometric pushup, more commonly known as the clap pushup, is a great test of athletic upper body strength. This exercise forces the athlete to push himself into the air using explosive power.

Start by assuming the standard pushup position. Lower your body to the ground slowly, making sure that you are in full control of your strength. Proceed by exploding into the air as soon as your body hits the floor.

As a conclusion to our bodyweight exercise series, today we will go over some example bodyweight circuits, which can serve doubly as excellent home workouts. The bodyweight exercises that we have learned should not be taken lightly. They are enormously crucial in the course of developing truly superior skills, defining your athletic prominence. Here they are, please make sure you try them out:

The sources for each circuit are listed in italics below them. All these sources have been used by me, and I completely repute and trust.

8 Exercises

• Treadmills, Press ups, Squat Jumps (forward astride), Sit ups (bent knees feet on the ground), Squat Thrusts, Bench Dips, Shuttle runs, Back extension chest raise. 3-5 sets
• Each exercise should be done for 30 seconds with a 30 second recovery between sets.

Brianmac.co.uk

6 exercises

· body squats, pull-ups, close grip push ups, lunges, dips, sit-ups

• Each exercise should be done for 30 seconds with a 30 second recovery between sets.

Expertfootball.com

300 Spartan Training

Pullups - 25 reps
Deadlifts with 135lbs - 50 reps
Pushups - 50 reps
24-inch Box jumps - 50 reps
Floor wipers - 50 reps
1-arm 36lbs Kettlebell Clean n Press - 50 reps
Pullups - 25 reps

Do all exercises consecutively for multiple sets, with no rest in between.

Used as part of the training program for actors in the movie 300.

As today is the last day in which we will learn new bodyweight exercises, I had planned to present a few mire if my favorites. Despite this plan, I have now remembered that I forgot to cover one important muscle group of the body. Though there are merely a few bodyweight exercise created for this muscle, it is imperative for you to know them.

Calf Raises

I have never been very partial to the idea of doing weighted calf exercises. I believe that the most important necessity for athletic calves is not their ability to create power, but rather their pure ability to endure. This is why I believe that athletes should settle with unweighted calf raises. This exercise will not only help you to increase calves endurance, it will also help your calves to grow.

Calf Raises should always be done on a block of wood or other raised fixation. A necessity to correctly doing calf raises is to go below the level of regularity. This negative action will allow you to easily build controlled explosive strength in your calves.

To perform calf raises, place the balls of your feet on a sturdy, raised fixation. Standing erect, raise your heels until you have reached the apex your range of motion. Slowly descend to below the level of regularity, then repeat exercise. Use this easy exercise in with high reps and velocity for good results. For maximum results, make use of a calf pyramid, a training plan for calf development.

Throughout this first series we have discussed many valuable exercises, of which I hope you find useful. As tomorrow will end this initial series, we will only learn two more sets of bodyweight exercises; at least until I decide to return to this topic. Our next discussion, starting Thursday, will be plyometrics. Plyometrics are very important to athletic training and will prove matchless in its effect on your workout intensity.

Today we will discuss a few selected bodyweight exercises which I believe are imperative for you to learn and utilize. These bodyweight exercises are slightly more advanced, so some readers may not be able to do them. The neat thing about bodyweight training is that anyone can try exercises without high risks of injury.

Handstand Pushups

To be able to do this exercise, first be sure you can do a handstand. This exercise requires high flexibility and superior arm strength. Start off in a handstand maneuver, up against a sturdy wall. Lower yourself to the ground slowly and then push yourself back up. Even if you cannot complete one rep, emphasize the negative part of the exercise to build stronger triceps and shoulders.

Muscle Up

This is a suspense exercise, like the ones we talked about yesterday. Just as it appears, muscle ups are extremely similar to pull ups. Begin the exercise on a power tower or other pull up machine. Now pull yourself up so that your chin is above the bar. From this position, utilize your triceps muscles to push yourself higher into the air, while holding on the bar. This exercise works both sides of the arm and is great for any upper body workout.

Windshield Wipers

If you’re looking for another exercise to develop the six pack you need, try these suckers out. This exercise builds endurance in your upper and lower abdominals. Start of on the floor with your back lying flat and your feet straight in the air. Now swivel your hips to the left so that your feet come close to the ground, but do not touch. Do the same thing to the right. Complete as many reps as you can.

Recently we have overviewed many bodyweight exercises that you will need to succeed in your athletic training program. What I have shown here is only the basic activity sets, there is so much more to be learned. Today we will learn about two of my favorite bodyweight exercises. These activities involve controlling your weight while balanced on a fixation of much smaller mass. I like to identify these exercises as suspense training, as they are done while being suspended in the air. These exercise train your arms to strictly control your bodyweight, no other part of the body is in contact or in a position to aid in the exercise.

Pull Ups

To do this exercise properly, I would suggest that you purchase a power tower, or go somewhere that is in possession of one. If that is not possible, try to use a sturdy door such as your front door or basement door as your fixation. Begin pull-ups by holding the top of the fixation or machine with an overhand grip. Pull the rest of your body up, until your nose is above the level of your hands. If you can’t do one, have a partner stand behind you, holding your hips and you go up. I do not recommend weight assisted pull-up machines, as they do not allow you to go through the full motion of a suspense exercise.

Dips

This exercise is one of the finest for a valuable triceps training workout. This paramount exercise requires you to pushup your body while suspended on merely your arms. Dips should be done on a power tower, or between to sturdy chairs. Start of with one hand on each fixation. Suspend yourself in the air, and then lower yourself to the ground without touching it. Push yourself back up.

Ring Pushups

Ring pushups, also called chain pushups, are another suspense exercise, although they do not truly isolate the arm muscles. This drill requires a partner to hold your feet in the air while your hands are positioned in gymnastic blast strap, which is suspended from a higher fixation. Do as many pushups from this position as you possibly can. The chain pushup is not very common, but is used my many power athletes to blast their chest and triceps strength. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on the link above.

So far in this premiere series we have discussed two of the main muscular sections within your body. The upper and lower body is quite important to any athlete’s success, providing the main factors for overall strength and endurance. These muscle groups should definitely not be taken lightly. However, today we will cover a section of the body which many deem to be of greater significance in developing superior athletic skills.

Core strength serves as the representational cornerstone of athletic performance. The core muscle group consists of the hip and abdominal muscles. Without the core muscles, it is impossible for an athlete to transmit power between his upper and lower body, disallowing simultaneous athletic movements between them. Because of this, it is important to train the core muscles, to ensure the reaching of full potential in one’s strength, power, speed, agility, and quickness.

Many of the exercises that will be discussed today can be greatly complemented by the use of a stability ball. If a stability ball is available, vary the exercises to allow more depth and control, increasing the effectiveness of these core bodyweight training activities.

Sit Ups

You have probably done sit-ups at some point in your lifetime, especially if you have ever done core training before. This exercise is the foundation of core training, and should be used frequently to assess your development. The sit-up consists of pulling your upper body to your lower body by using hip and abdominal strength. Start lying on the ground with your knees bent, pointing towards the ceiling. Set your feet and pull your upper body to your lower body, while holding your hands behind your head. Repeat this movement in high velocity, as many times as you can. If you have to, prop your feet under a couch or place a weight on your feet to stabilize them.

Leg Lifts

You may have heard of six inches before, though you may not have known exactly what they were. Leg lifts such as six inches train your lower abdominals by lifting your legs to the point of discomfort, contracting your abdominal muscles. Begin by lying supinely on the ground with your hands by your side. Pull your legs up into the air while keeping your legs straight. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Repeat until sore.

Abdominal Bicycles

This exercise will train your core for muscular endurance and velocity strength. Start in a sit-up position with your hands behind your head. Touch your elbows to your knees while going through a bicycle motion. Refer to the diagram below for more instruction. Train your core as firmly as possible to increase your athletic potential. Hard Work beats Talent when Talent doesn’t work Hard.