Anyway, logically in the final of our bodybuilding training routine articles with a look at variety, we move down to the legs.
So, onto the quads or QUADRICEPS FEMORIS, vastus internalis, lateralis and vastus medius. The latter set now often referred to as 'tear drops'. These are the extensors of the thighs, balanced by the biceps of the thighs, which is the large muscle at the back of the thigh, brought into use when the leg is bent bring the foot to the buttocks (and very easy to cramp ..ouch)
Best exercises for these is the leg curl machine, usually found in both home and modern gyms. Athletes develop such thigh biceps by sprinting and other track events. As for the earlier extensor muscles of the thigh, all squatting moves, front squats, hack squats, straddle lifts, leg presses, smith machine exercises, bench squats, partial squats, unlocked squats, sissy squats and again all sporting activities like running and especially jumping.
Its easy to change your routine often, yet still use the best exercises with just a little imagination and thought. Better still is to change frequency of workouts and sets and reps, shock your muscles out of that apathy. If you usually train 4 sessions a week, drop it to three and notice any change. If you improve, so much the better, if not, simply drop back to your original plan. But do give it all some thought, nothing is written in stone - see what works for you by trial and error.
At rock bottom now we come to the CALVES or gastrocnemius (Greek name from frogs bellies would you believe) with the main muscle group on the front of the shin being the tibialis. The calves are exercised almost continually, whenever we are standing (I do heel raises on the kerb when waiting for a bus, to much amusement of other passengers) or moving upright.
All sports of the running variety, especially sprinting (try running in soft sand) develop the calves, but of course bodybuilders isolate the group further and use heel raises, best on a block to stretch fully the muscles. Try a variety of foot positions for both calves and toe raising for tibialis. Calf machine raises, calf raises seated with the barbell placed across the knees, and perhaps best of all, single leg calf raises, holding a dumbell for added resistance and with toes on a block to stretch the muscles to the max.
Next week we won't be looking at any particular muscle group in particular, but we will be focusing on other ways to bring some variety to your regular bodybuilding training routines, so until then...
So, onto the quads or QUADRICEPS FEMORIS, vastus internalis, lateralis and vastus medius. The latter set now often referred to as 'tear drops'. These are the extensors of the thighs, balanced by the biceps of the thighs, which is the large muscle at the back of the thigh, brought into use when the leg is bent bring the foot to the buttocks (and very easy to cramp ..ouch)
Best exercises for these is the leg curl machine, usually found in both home and modern gyms. Athletes develop such thigh biceps by sprinting and other track events. As for the earlier extensor muscles of the thigh, all squatting moves, front squats, hack squats, straddle lifts, leg presses, smith machine exercises, bench squats, partial squats, unlocked squats, sissy squats and again all sporting activities like running and especially jumping.
Its easy to change your routine often, yet still use the best exercises with just a little imagination and thought. Better still is to change frequency of workouts and sets and reps, shock your muscles out of that apathy. If you usually train 4 sessions a week, drop it to three and notice any change. If you improve, so much the better, if not, simply drop back to your original plan. But do give it all some thought, nothing is written in stone - see what works for you by trial and error.
At rock bottom now we come to the CALVES or gastrocnemius (Greek name from frogs bellies would you believe) with the main muscle group on the front of the shin being the tibialis. The calves are exercised almost continually, whenever we are standing (I do heel raises on the kerb when waiting for a bus, to much amusement of other passengers) or moving upright.
All sports of the running variety, especially sprinting (try running in soft sand) develop the calves, but of course bodybuilders isolate the group further and use heel raises, best on a block to stretch fully the muscles. Try a variety of foot positions for both calves and toe raising for tibialis. Calf machine raises, calf raises seated with the barbell placed across the knees, and perhaps best of all, single leg calf raises, holding a dumbell for added resistance and with toes on a block to stretch the muscles to the max.
Next week we won't be looking at any particular muscle group in particular, but we will be focusing on other ways to bring some variety to your regular bodybuilding training routines, so until then...