Isolation exercises - where's your cutoff point?

[Shrek]

I train calves 3 times per week coz they are stubborn. Heavy, light and medium weights.

 

[White_Lie]

1 leg DB weighted calf raises are a good exercise!

Sissy squats - hold a plate/DB for extra. There's nothing 'sissy' about them.

Have been hammering db calf raises lately, feel they do more for me than any other method. I rate heavy sets and just go back and forth between each leg to failure.

Been thinking about sissy squats lately for some reason too. Never tried them but they don't look sissy!

 

[Jungnaut]

My goal is to do a below parallel pistol squat. Maybe I should count that as an iso.

At the moment I'm doing it with as much grace as a nanny trying to twerk with an artificial hip, so there is much room for improvement.

 

[Rugby88]

At the end of the day to get something to change/grow/become stronger - you train it.

 

[jzpowahz]

Forearm stuff for me. I do enough pullups/random things hanging off bars that they get worked PLENTY as is.

Since I started prepping for bb comp, I now include some direct core work (again, use to a few years ago fairly regularly) and some calf raises.

Haven't found a way to do shrugs that don't aggravate either my shoulders (dbs) or back (heavy bb ones).

 

[Goosey]

At the end of the day to get something to change/grow/become stronger - you train it.

That is for certain

 

[Big Mick]

At the end of the day to get something to change/grow/become stronger - you train it.

Yes I have to agree, but it does not mean that you need to do specific fore arm work or calf work for them to develop, however I guess it would help and would also depend on your goals.

To me at this stage in my training, it's about 'bang for buck', or in other words 'results vs effort' as I have very limited time available to me for training, I can fit in about 4 half hour sessions at the moment without compromising on other things, so as a result I have cut pretty much ALL isolation stuff, and just spend my half hour doing large heavy compounds in various rep ranges ranging from sets of 30 reps to heavy singles.

Obviously I could train more (everyone can) but I currently work 10hr shifts, then I take my dogs out daily (which is good for me as well) for at least 30 minutes to an hour every day, some days twice (morining and night) yesterday I did a 8km walk am and a 10km bike ride pm with them, today will be bike ride after work.

I have found no detrimental affects from changing my training and dropping MOST isolation work, I must say I still fit in some arm curls. I also use my captains of crush hand grippers in the car when driving to work.

My routine is sort of based on the '5/3/1 Boring but Big', but not using the 5/3/1 progression, but might start using it again in a few months time. Low rep exercises are 3 sets of 5-12 reps (sometimes will do more sets and lower reps down to heavy singles when I feel like it) and high rep are three sets of 15-30 reps

MONDAY : heavy military press (low rep), bench press (high rep), db arm curl (high rep)
TUESDAY : heavy dead lift (low rep), squat (high rep), bent over rows (low rep), abs
THURSDAY : heavy bench press (low rep), military press (high rep), bb arm curl (low rep)
FRIDAY : heavy squat (low rep), dead lift (high rep), body weight dips max reps, abs

plus

30 minutes to an hour of out door activity in the fresh air (walking/jogging/mountain bike riding etc) every day seven days a week, plus as most of you are aware my gym is out doors as well, I think fresh air, sun and out door activity have a lot of benefits both physically and mentally.

Pretty basic but seems to keep me in shape and in the game while time is limited. If my goal was to compete in a body building comp and stand on stage in a g string while painted orange then my training would obviously be different. So each person has to make their own decision, but in a 'bang for buck' type routine isolation work has a very limited space IMO.

 

[steveP]

I dont do any iso's.
But I should probabaly do calves haha. As no matter what, they basically havnt increased in size like everything else with my millions of compounds.

Ill start doing them. Measuring every month or so.

What is the best way to train claves that you guys have experienced?

The times I do use iso's, like for arms, I usually use.2 sessions per week of basically just curls. Works a treat. One session is heavy bb curl up to a max set of 3 or 4, then a few back off sets and the other session is reps with both bb and db. All done strict.

I find they need lots of reps to get DOMS in them at all. 2 sets of 30 reps with a medium weight after doing other leg work. I'll do 2 sets of calf raises, then 2 sets of calf presses. Doing them more than once a week will be beneficial, but personally I don't have time.

 

[Timeah]

I find they need lots of reps to get DOMS in them at all. 2 sets of 30 reps with a medium weight after doing other leg work. I'll do 2 sets of calf raises, then 2 sets of calf presses. Doing them more than once a week will be beneficial, but personally I don't have time.

For me DOMs is not particularly common. Only when I either do something I do often, or hit higher volume than normal. I think 10 reps x 1 set will fry my calves haha.

Im gunna start training them. Not straight into 60 reps though...I need to be able to walk and squat with a high frequency haha. Therefore ill build up to it. Ill measure em tomorrow. Normally 37-38cm.

 

[Repacked]

Have been hammering db calf raises lately, feel they do more for me than any other method. I rate heavy sets and just go back and forth between each leg to failure.

Been thinking about sissy squats lately for some reason too. Never tried them but they don't look sissy!

If nothing else they'll improve your balance, lol.

 

[Goosey]

Like forearms, you can work everyday 1 or two sets of a mixture of high and low reps throughout the week for 3 months.

measure before and after the 3 month period.

going to fatigue is a requirement with 3 second rest between sets, note your progress.
also, keep an eye on ankle inflammation.

squeeze at the top of the movement and slowly desend.

i guarantee growth.

 

[jzpowahz]

and remember to eat if you want to gain some size Timeah

 

[JazDSpaz]

I found what works great for my forearms is holding a 20kg weight (or whatever your comfy with) flipping it then catching it again. Get a great burn.

 

[Timeah]

and remember to eat if you want to gain some size Timeah

This one is funny.
Gaining muscle in a deficit is doable. I already proved that. Hehe. Just harder.

 

[El Testicle]

Careful not to smack yourself in da head!

Calves looking good @BigMick; [MENTION=895]Shrek[/MENTION];

I hammer the chit out of my quads/glutes/hammies, but by the end of my workout, calves have become a poor cousin. And it shows. No care though.

 

[Yoloswagscope]

I hit my compounds and my isolations. I don't ever isolate my forearms though, and I'm lazy with abs.