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Calf (and other lagging muscles) Training Frequency

L

litebulb

New member
Hey Guys,

My calves and shoulders are majorly lagging behind the rest of my body:

1 - The reason my shoulders are lagging is because of my rotator cuffs
2- My calfs are just pitiful - end of story.

Here's the question.

I've read Fadi's article on the "Rotator Cuff" and have started doing the exercises in there (medicine ball alphabet) before each shoulder and chest workout. Since this is only twice a week, should I be, say, training my rotator cuffs DAILY?

With my calves, I do one leg workout a week, and that's the only time I do my calves (calves are directly trained with seated and standing calf raises, indirectly trained with squats, lunges and presses), and they get indirectly worked out during my back training days (with dead lifts). Should I do calves on ALL of my training days (i.e. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday)? What do you guys suggest as a training frequency?

Should I use one of my resting days (Saturday or Sunday) to just do an additional shoulder / calf workout until they catch up with the rest of my body?

Apologies for the newbie-ness of the question!
 
You say the reason your shoulders are lagging is because of rotator cuff? What do you mean here? They are not as big as they could be due to not being able to lift heavy?

You recently put up a pic right? I think you need to focus on your compound stuff and eating to build a good base. From there you can work on the little bits and pieces that you don't feel are big enough. But for now you should just focus on lifting and eating to build your whole body in proportion.

Military Presses and Bench press will help build your shoulders.
 
Josh,

With my shoulders, whenever I lift heavy, I feel a deep tinge / pain. It's not muscle pain, it feels like joint pain, which I've been told is either my rotator cuffs (95% likely), or extra tightness in my pectoralis minora (5% likely). I've been told the more i strengthen my RCs, the heavier I'll be able to lift.

Most of my training is compound. The only "isolation" exercies I have are bicep curls, calf raises, and skull crushers for triceps. The rest is ALL compound.
 
Have you been to a physio about the rotator cuff? I know at time I can get a little pain in mine. It is scary because if you bugger your shoulder, you can't lift until it is fixed.
 
I had terrible calfs 3 years ago and i desided to do something about it, i started to train them every other day for 1 month and then a week of: day 1 heavy, day 2 high rep, day 3 heavy, day 4 high rep and so on , i started to strech them every day too and it worked for me couse they started to grow really good.

/Mattias
 
Litebulb,

You’ve got to break from the norm sometimes and resort to prioritisation. You walk in the gym and you perform calves before all else, when your mental focus as well as energy reserves are at their highest. The same goes for biceps or triceps. Done before back and chest respectively. It’s not the norm, but it is placing priority where it’s needed most…




Fadi.
 
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