Time Crunch-Abs, Biceps, Calves

Training Beginners
1

Alright. My program sticks to basic compounds and have woefully neglected my Abs. So I decided to extended my workouts by 5 minutes or a max of 9 minutes.

The Challenge:
Hit my Abs, Calves, and Biceps hard enough one time in a week under 9 minutes ideally closer to 5 minutes. To clarify, each day I would either do Biceps, Calves or Abs and dedicate 5-9 minutes to it.

The Goal:
Strength, Muscle Density
Less so sarcoplasmic increases, more myo.

Proposed:
One Lift
Sets 10, Reps 3
10 Second Rest
Load heavy as possible as long as I can continue to do three reps.

Lifts:
Abs - Serratus Crunch
Biceps - Barbell Curl, Supinated
Calves - Standing Calf Raises, Smith

Your thoughts.

2

Another rep scheme I am pondering is the 5-4-3-2-1, but maybe up it to a start of 7 for more volume.

3

Alright, no one gives a shit, I get it. Laterz. Heh.

4

I like it! But being a noob, I thought doing compound exercises would give you respectable calves?

5

Squats/Deads hit the abs pretty hard.

One legged calf raises work the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles at the same time and close to the same intensity. (So I’ve read and felt.)

6

Well I have never really felt my calves after Deads or Squats, but they might of been suppressed in the haze of pain in my other muscles. But I want “enviable” calves heh.
I am in this game for the long term though so I don’t need to base my workouts around it.

Compound exercises (except for ones where you hold the weight in front of you) rely (from what I have read) primarily on your spinal erectors to stabilize and less so your abdominals.

Never once felt my abs after these. But Front Squats I have. :slight_smile:

So just use a seated calf raise machine, but just one legged?

Thanks for all your input guys!

7

[quote]yasser wrote:

I thought doing compound exercises would give you respectable calves?

Well I have never really felt my calves after Deads or Squats, but they might of been suppressed in the haze of pain in my other muscles. But I want “enviable” calves heh.
I am in this game for the long term though so I don’t need to base my workouts around it.

Compound exercises (except for ones where you hold the weight in front of you) rely (from what I have read) primarily on your spinal erectors to stabilize and less so your abdominals.

Squats/Deads hit the abs pretty hard.

Never once felt my abs after these. But Front Squats I have. :slight_smile:

One legged calf raises

So just use a seated calf raise machine, but just one legged?

Thanks for all your input guys!

[/quote]

THe only iso I do is calves, I just don’t see them getting hit in any movement that isn’t an isolation or an olympic lift, or push press. I’ve got scrawny forarms and big calves genetically so I might add forarm work too, deads just aren’t doing it for me. Are your forarms up to par? Otherwise everything looks good.

8

[quote]yasser wrote:
Another rep scheme I am pondering is the 5-4-3-2-1, but maybe up it to a start of 7 for more volume.[/quote]

5-4-3-2-1 is a strength rep scheme. Starting at 7 would give more volume but at the low end where it doesn’t matter as much. It would just wear you out so you can’t max out the single.

What’s your goal with this?

9

It seems like you’re overthinking. Just do a few sets of calf raises after squats, some curls after rows, then abs at the end of your gym time.

I don’t know your program, but it’s not that hard to just toss 'em in the mix.

Shit, do them on your off day, or after cardio, whatever.

10

350×748 26.1 KB

Abs - Strength
Biceps - Strength
Calves - Size

The goal is to be able to do it in the time range of 5-9 minutes at the tail end of my workout.

Possible. Just trying to nail down my program so I can be on auto pilot for the next 3 months just upping weight as needed.

I think my forearms are good (pic attached) but my calves look well unremarkable.