INTERMEDIATE

Many bodybuilders face the problem of small calves that struggle to grow and don't respond to training. You may have already tried various exercises such as calf raises, box jumps and calf raises on the abs, but to no avail. You may have even tried hiding your thin calves by wearing long pants or socks. But don't despond, there is hope for your calves. In this article, I will share advanced workout techniques that will help you increase the size of your calves. These techniques require willpower and endurance, and can be physically and mentally challenging, making you doubt your abilities.

If you follow these tips consistently and diligently, you are sure to see results. One effective training technique for calves is to use the blood flow restricted (BFR) training technique. It involves wrapping a band or cuff around the top of the lower leg, slightly below the knee, to restrict blood flow to the calves. This creates a hypoxic environment that promotes muscle growth and strength by increasing metabolic stress and activating more muscle fibers. To perform a blood flow restriction workout, you need to wrap a band or cuff tightly enough to reduce blood flow by about 50%, but not too tightly to completely cut off circulation. You should feel a slight tingling or numbness in your calves, but not pain or discomfort.

You should then perform multiple repetitions of calf exercises with light weights (20% to 30% of your maximum strength) and short rest periods (30 seconds or less). You can use a variety of calf exercises such as standing or seated calf raises, calf raises "on a donkey" or calf raises on a trainer. It is recommended that you perform 3-4 sets of each exercise and incorporate 1-2 exercises into your workout. BFR workouts should only be performed once or twice a week as they can put a significant strain on the muscles and nervous system. Another technique is drop sets. It involves performing a series of calf exercises with maximum weight until failure, then immediately reducing the weight by 20-30% and performing another series until failure. This process is repeated until the lowest possible weight is reached. Drop sets cause intense muscle damage and fatigue, which promotes muscle growth and strength through increased protein synthesis and hormonal response. To perform drop sets, prepare several weights in advance or use an exercise machine that allows you to quickly change the resistance. You can use any calf exercise such as standing or seated calf raises, donkey calf raises or calf raises on a trainer.

You can include 1-2 drop sets per exercise and perform 1-2 exercises per workout. However, it is recommended that you only perform drop sets once or twice a week as they place a lot of stress on the muscles and require recovery time. Another technique is plyometrics. It involves performing explosive jumps that actively involve the calves. Examples of such exercises include box jumps, deep jumps, jumping jacks, jumping rope and others. Plyometrics helps improve strength and speed by activating rapidly contracting muscle fibers and the nervous system. To perform plyometric exercises, you'll need the right height of a box, bench or step to challenge you, but not too high to avoid injury. It's also important to have enough space for a safe jump and a soft landing. You can perform 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps per plyometric exercise and include 1-2 exercises in each workout. However, it is recommended that you only perform plyometric workouts once or twice a week as they can put a lot of stress on your joints and tendons.

These training techniques for calves are effective modern methods that will help you overcome plateaus and reach new levels of growth and development. However, it is important to realize that they are not an instant solution and require hard work, proper nutrition, adequate rest and patience.

Keep in mind that genetics affect the development of calves in people, and some have more potential than others. However, utilizing these techniques will help you reach your potential and achieve better results. Try these techniques on yourself, be prepared for pain and discomfort in your calves, but enjoy seeing them get bigger and stronger over time. Remember to be proud and show off your new calves with confidence.

Steroid use is becoming an increasingly popular practice in the fitness industry around the world, including not only professional athletes but also amateurs and beginners. However, serious problems arise when people with little knowledge start using steroids without proper help and think that they know everything. In this article, we will talk about the motivation, risks and decision making that should underlie the use of steroids by non-professional people who are involved in fitness at gyms or other places. 

Main goal for steroid use in recreational fitness may be related to aesthetics, such as the desire to have a muscular and well-conditioned body in accordance with societal standards of beauty. Steroids are seen as a means of rapid muscle growth and improving muscle shape. Also, some people seek to improve their strength, endurance and overall physical performance to excel in their workouts or recreational activities such as sports or hobbies. Unrealistic expectations, a competitive mentality, and misinformation about the benefits of steroids can also drive motivation to use them for recreational fitness.

Dangers and potential adverse health effects: 

Physical risks: heart and circulatory system problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease, hormone imbalance that can lead to decreased testicular function and infertility, liver damage or malfunction, lipid metabolism disorders, endocrine system problems, acne and skin problems, and others; 

Psychological risks: possible mood swings, increased aggression with the use of certain drugs, and the use of steroids. It is crucial for steroid users to recognize and accept these risks, prioritize their health, and seek professional help to reduce the potential harms of steroid use. 

It is important to be well informed about the risks, potential health effects, and other factors associated with steroid use. Seeking accurate and reliable information from reputable sources, such as medical professionals, will help provide a foundation for informed decision making.

Encourage informed choice: Making responsible decisions involves assessing one's own motives and expectations, setting realistic goals, and considering long-term consequences for health and well-being. In addition, understanding alternative approaches to achieving fitness goals, such as natural exercise methods and proper nutrition, at least temporarily until sufficient fitness is achieved and the body is prepared for more effective steroid use, can help individuals make choices that prioritize their overall health and minimize potential risks. 

Steroid use by non-recreational fitness individuals has different motivations, risks, and other considerations that need to be taken into account. While some people may be seduced by the promise of faster results, it is important to consider the potential health risks and all the complexities associated with steroid use. Preferring education, responsible decision-making, and seeking professional help when necessary allows individuals to achieve their fitness goals with a focus on long-term health and well-being, without succumbing to the quick fixes and unrealistic expectations associated with intense cycles or substance abuse in the initial stages of the fitness journey. 

Ultimately, the real conclusion is that bodybuilding takes a lot of time, dedication and patience. One needs to be aware that the physical fitness achieved through steroid abuse is temporary and the real price you pay is not only the cost of the steroids you purchase, but also your health. Alternatives: Explore natural methods of achieving your fitness goals, such as proper nutrition and effective workouts, before resorting to steroids. Building a solid foundation of fitness and optimizing your body's natural capabilities should be a priority.

One of the most unpleasant phenomena associated with the administration of anabolic steroids is post-injection pain (PIP). In most cases, PIP is minimal and goes away within minutes or hours after injection, but in rare cases, PIP can significantly limit our ability to exercise, walk, and sometimes even sit. Is it really worth using anabolic steroids if after each injection they prevent us from leading a normal life even during the day? In this post, I will discuss which injectable anabolic steroids are most likely to cause serious PIP and what you can do to reduce its occurrence and get rid of it as soon as possible.

Anabolic steroids with the worst PIP include the following:

- Dihydroboldenone (DHB), also known as 1-testosterone;

- “No Ester” testosterone/testosterone suspension and, in general, any other anabolic steroids in non-esterified form;

- Injectable Winstrol (as well as other oral preparations presented in injectable form);

- Highly concentrated formulas of conventional anabolic steroids, such as Test400.

In general, the shorter the ester and/or the thicker the injectable solution, the more intense the PIP. Other contributing factors to PIP include the solvents used (and your body's response to them), the state of the muscle into which the drug is administered, and the technique used to inject the drug.

How can I reduce PIP? When using compounds such as DHB, injectable winstrol, and highly concentrated anabolic steroids, the best option is to dilute the solution with sterile oil. In other words, add sterile oil (sterile filtered grape seed oil is commonly used) to your syringes before injecting to lower the overall concentration of the solution in mg/mL and reduce PIP. If you are using suspensions (e.g. Test Suspension, Tren Suspension, etc.), it is recommended that you heat the vial in hot water for a few minutes and shake it before administration. If the PIP is still present and reducing your quality of life, you can take Ibuprofen to reduce inflammation/pain and/or apply hot water (or something else that can heat it safely) to the injection site for pain relief.

If you prefer the longer esters only and don't use complex formulas such as suspensions and injectable oral preparations, chances are you will never encounter a serious PIP (unless the quality of your anabolic steroids is poor, your body doesn't suit the solvent, or you have good injection technique). If you do encounter a serious PIP, it may take you some time and experience to find brands of anabolic steroids, esters, and techniques to help reduce PIP, but no one said bodybuilding was just a simple task.

The problem with back training is that we cannot see the muscles being trained, which often leads to their underdevelopment. Therefore, success in back development depends on how well we can make the connection between the muscles and the mind.

To strengthen the back, it is important to keep it in a strong position to minimize the risk of injury. This position is similar to when we lift a heavy box off the ground. Do not slouch forward and do not arch your back back too much. Keep your back straight, chest out and shoulders back.

Practicing the scapulae movement daily will help hone this technique.

Here are some exercises that will help:

Shoulder Training:

• Drop Sets

• Rest Pause Training

• Giant Sets

Shoulder Strengthening:

• Side Dumbbell Laterals

• Dumbbell Shoulder Press

• Rear Dumbbell Laterals

• Military Press Above The Head

• Front Dumbbell Raises

• 45 Degree Bench One Arm Side Laterals

Strengthen your back:

• T-Bar Rowing

• Seated Cable Rowing

• One Arm Cable Rowing

• Bent over Barbell and Dumbbell Rows

• Bent over Shrugs

Widen your back:

• Chin-Ups

• Cable Pull Downs

• Cable Pull Down Shrugs

One of the main reasons many athletes are afraid to use injectable anabolic drugs such as testosterone is the painfulness of the process. They fear the pain that comes with intramuscular injections, as well as post injection discomfort (PIP). However, there is a way to make the injections almost painless. If you've done peptide injections before, you know that subcutaneous injections are painless when done correctly.

Similarly, anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) can also be injected subcutaneously, but require certain rules to be followed.

Intramuscular injections allow for the injection of a larger volume of oil that contains the steroid. For example, 1 ml or even more of oil can easily be injected into the buttocks, but this amount cannot be injected subcutaneously.

However, if you inject a large amount of oil subcutaneously, you will see a noticeable bulging sac on your abdomen, which is not only unaesthetic (especially if you have a thin build), but also uncomfortable and can cause pain.

Subcutaneous injections of AAS take longer to be absorbed by the body compared to intramuscular injections. Therefore, it may take a few days for the oil sac to shrink after the injection and form a new one before the next injection.

The solution is to inject smaller amounts of AAS, but to do so more frequently and in different parts of the lower abdomen.

For example, instead of injecting 250 mg of AAS intramuscularly every 5 days, you can inject 50 mg subcutaneously daily or 100 mg every other day. It is important not to exceed 0.5 mL per subcutaneous injection.

Another reason to use a smaller amount of the drug per injection is that the insulin needles used for subcutaneous injections are very thin. This means that the oil slowly penetrates through the needle, and you will need patience during the injection. You need to insert the needle into your belly fat and wait up to 30 seconds for the oil to pass through the needle and into your body.

You should also consider that the absorption time of a subcutaneously injected drug is slow. This means that the time it takes for the drug to begin to take effect, accumulate in the body, and show its effects is longer.

Overall, intramuscular injections remain preferable and convenient, but using subcutaneous injections can help overcome the fear of injections, especially if you are only using testosterone.