Name: Playbook - Rob Riches - Hamstrings & Calves (Ep 5.5 - Endurance)
Uploaded: 2021-06-07T21:21:47.350Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: Hamstrings & Calves (Ep 5.5 - Endurance)

Welcome to workout #5 of the Endurance part of my Lean Muscle Growth Program. Throughout this 4-week section, you'll be performing a lot more supersets and drop sets, often with a higher rep range to help improve muscular endurance and efficiency.

Keep rest times short, and select a weight that will challenge you towards the total reps shown per set, aiming to increase the weight (or add a few reps) for following sets.

You'll notice that there is a superset exercise (highlighted within the description with '*'. This means perform that exercise and then immediately perform a set of the next exercise, resting only after the second exercise has been performed. 

You'll also see there is an abdominal circuit included at the end of the program. This can either be performed at the start or end of this program, or performed separately, usually first thing in the morning before eating when your gut is empty. Cardio can be performed at a separate time,  ideally first thing in the morning.

Lay face down on a leg/hamstring curl machine with your heels up against the foot pads. Your knees should be inline with the point at which the machine pivots to allow the machine to raise up and down.

This exercise can also be performed on a seated leg curl machine.

Keeping your hips and upper body firmly down on the pad (some machines offer handles to allow you to hold yourself down), Curl your heels up towards your glutes, going as high as you're able to. At the top, pause momentarily and really squeeze your hamstring muscles before returning back to the start.

Ideally, you shouldn't be letting the weights touch at the bottom as this relieves tension from the muscle. Each rep should be controlled without any momentum or jerking movements. If this is the case, lower the weight being lifted.

Keep your toes plantar-flexed (pointed) on sets 1 & 2, and Dorsif-flxed on set 3 (pulled inwards).

After failure on last set, allow a rest-pause for 15 seconds, try for a few more reps.

Lying Hamstring Curl

*Perform superset of 10 hip bridges after each sets (1, 2). On set 3 - Perform a drop set, lowering weight by 33% - to failure.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width part, and with a barbell in front of you, bend down to pick it up using an overhand grip just outside the width of your foot position. Stand upright with chest lifted and shoulders pulled back.

From here, keep your knees soft and lower the bar down your body to just below your knees. Your back should remain straight, and your hips are pushed back, hinging at the waist to allow you to lower the bar.

You shouldn't be squatting down with the bar, as the hinge at the hips will allow you to lower the bar. The knees are just short of lock out to allow you to feel the tension in the hamstrings.

Pause at the bottom of the rep, then focus on engaging your hamstring and glute muscles to pull yourself all the way back upright.

Stiff Legged Deadlift

Lay on the floor with your arms at your side (palms facing upwards so you're less likely to cheat by pushing your hands down during the movement), and knees bent with your feet flat on the floor as close to you glutes as you can.

Raise your right leg up (keeping your knee bent), so your heel is aligned with your left knee. Keeping your abs pulled in tight, push down on the ball of your left foot and drive your hips upwards, ending with a straight line from your knee, through your hips and to the shoulders. Hold this position for a split second as you squeeze the muscles in your glutes and hamstring.

Lower back down under control until you feel your glutes make contact with the floor, then drive back up again to the top of the rep.

Perform all reps on one leg before switching over to the other side. (You can also place a smash ball or weight on your hips to increase the resistance).

Single Leg Hip Bridge

With a bench set horizontally behind you, position the upper middle of your back on the bench, with you hips sunk down to the floor, and both knees bent with the soles of your feel flat on the floor.

Rest a barbell across your hips (you may want to use a pad, or rolled up towel for comfort), and stead either side with an overhand grip just outside shoulder-width.

Drive your feet into the floor as you raise your hips upwards, squeezing the hamstrings and glute muscles. Your hips should be close to forming a straight line from your knees to your shoulders at the top of the rep. 

Flex hard at the top of the rep, pausing briefly to eliminate momentum and to properly engage all the muscles, then lower under control, stopping just short of the glutes from touching the floor.

This variation primarily targets your biceps femoris, semitendinosis, gracilis, gluteus maximus, and gluteus medius. 

On set 3 - Perform a drop set, lowering weight by 33% - to failure.

Barbell Hip Bridge

*Superset with next exercise*
If you have access to a seated calf raise machine, I would use that to perform this exercise. If not, dumbbells and a foot block/wood with a raised seating position.

With the balls of your feet on the footplate/wood block, hold the dumbbells vertically on top of your knees (use padding if necessary), focus on lowering your heels down towards the floor as you feel a stretch in your calves. (Don't allow the heels to touch the floor). Then raise your heels up as high as you can while squeezing the muscles in the calves and flexing hard at the top of the rep. Perform all reps in a smooth and controlled manner.

The seated calf raise emphasizes the Soleus muscle, which is the smaller of the two main calf muscles that is highly involved in standing and walking.

Seated Dumbbell Calf Raises

Sit with both legs lengthways on a bench with your ankles just off the end, and place a dumbbell vertically between your feet (so the underside of the top plates are supported against your laces).

Remain sat upright (holding on to the side of the bench to help keep you anchored down), with your shoulders pulled back and down, and your chest lifted up.

Lower and raise the dumbbell by titling your feet forwards, and then pulling them up (so the toes are pointing upwards). Perform all reps in a slow and controlled manner, keeping your legs straight but with a slight bend at the knee.

This exercise targets the tibialis anterior (TA), the strongest dorsiflexor of the foot. Dorsiflexion is critical to gait because this movement clears the foot off the ground during the swing phase. The tibialis anterior, along with the tibialis posterior, is also a primary inverter of the foot

Its also the muscle seen at the front of the lower leg (opposite the calf muscles) that sits over the shin bone.

Dumbbell Tibialis Curl

*Superset with next exercise*
If using a calf machine, set the height of the shoulder pads to be at shoulder height when standing on the floor in front of it. This will allow for the right range of motion while using it. If you don't have access to one, you can perform one leg at a time standing on a wooden block while holding a dumbbell in one hand and supporting yourself with the other hand.

Keep your knees slightly bent as you lower the heels down towards the floor (not allowing them to touch the floor). You'll feel a great stretch down the back of your calves. Raise the heels back up as high as you can while engaging the calves and flex them hard at the top without locking out the knees.

The standing calf raise emphasizes the gastrocnemius muscle, which sits on top of the smaller Soleus muscle, and is the larger, bulbous of the two main calf muscles. It is primarily involved in running and jumping activities.

Standing Calf Raises

Step your right foot (the ball of the foot) onto a step/block that 's a few inches off the ground, keeping your right hand holding onto something next to you for support .

Raise your left leg off the floor, keeping your weight balanced over your right foot, and with a slight bend in the knee, lower your heel down to the floor (as you feel a deep stretch down the back of your lower leg). The raise the feel up as high as you can and pause momentarily at the top, with a focus on flexing the calf muscle hard. Repeat, performing all reps in a smooth and controlled manner. Then turn around and perform on the other leg.

Calf raises are an easy, low-impact method for strengthening the gastrocnemius and soleus. Strong calf muscles result in better stability and balance, decreased risk of ankle and knee injuries, and better agility when running and jumping.

Single Leg Calf Raise

This Abdominal circuit will focus on the upper and lower region of the abs, as well as the obliques (the side muscles), and is ideal for beginners just starting out. 

Perform a set of the first exercise, then immediately perform one of the second and third exercise without rest. You can rest for up to 60 seconds after completing all exercises (that's one round) before starting the next round.

Remember to actively engage your abdominals during each exercise, and  focus on your breathing pattern so that you really feel your abs working and contracting on each and every rep.

Using a decline bench to lock your feet in, lay back flat on the bench so that your shoulders are lower than your hips. With your shoulders touching the pad, raise your head up slightly and place your hands either by the side of your head at the temple (or for an easier version, cross them over your chest, or extend them out towards your knees).

Engage the abs and exhale as you crunch the abs to raise the shoulders a few inches off the bench. You do not need to sit up right (most make this wrong assumption, which works the hip flexors more than the abs). 

Think of your shoulders following an arc-like trajectory towards your hips, and pause at the top of the rep momentarily as you flex the abs hard hard at the top of the movement. Return back to the starting position, and as soon as you shoulders touch the bench, go back into the crunch.

You should be exhaling deeply, while contracting and engaging the abs on every rep.

This will primarily work the upper region of the abs.

Decline Crunch

Lay on your back with your legs straight, feet together and toes pointing upwards, with your shoulders and lower back pressed in to the floor. 

Place your hands under your lower back, and brace your abs and exhale as you raise your legs up over your hips. Keep the knees slightly bent and toes pulled in towards you. Stop when your feet are over your eye-line level looking straight up, and hips lift slightly off the floor. 

Exhaling will allow you to fully contract your abs and squeeze them hard at the top of the rep. Lower the legs back under control stopping just short before they touch the floor.

Your legs shouldn't be pushing upwards. Think more like your feet are following a curved arc that's always equal distance from your hips. If the full range of motion is too challenging for you, start with your legs directly above your hips and crunch the hips slightly forwards until feet are over your eye-line level.

This exercise develops more of the lower region of the abdominals.

Lying Leg Raises

Cable Woodchops can be performed from a low, middle, & high angle, so try one within each set/circuit.

Starting with the low position, stand with your right side facing the cable pulley and grasp the handle with your left hand first, placing your right hand over it, and take a side step away from the machine so there is tension in the cable (with arms extended out in front of your stomach, and a slight bend at the elbows).

With your feet spread about 1.5 times shoulder width, and your hips remaining fixed (no turning or movement), rotate your entire torso with arms extended, out to to your left, taking the handle upwards diagonally. Slowly return to starting position, ensuring tension is kept in the cable at all times.

Perform all reps on one side, then turn around and change hand positions to repeat on the other side.

This exercise targets the Oblique muscles, which are involved when the upper body (trunk) rotates, and it is also these that give the lower 'V' shape of the abdomen.

Cable Woodchops

Abs Circuit - Stage 6

Ideally, cardio should be performed first thing in the morning before eating so your body burns more fat as fuel.

Choose a piece of cardio, such as an upright stationary bike, and perform at a level that is around 70-80% exertion (one that will push you but still allow you to maintain a conversation), for a total of 40 minutes.

If you have a heart rate monitor, keep notes on your activity and training zone to see how it changes over the coming weeks and months. It can be a great indicator to see how your fitness levels are improving.

If you're able to, choose between two different types of cardio (switching from one to the other after 20 minutes), so that the body doesn't become used to performing the same activity.

Steady State Cardio (LISS)

Hamstrings & Calves (Ep 5.5 - Endurance)

Back & Forearms (Ep 1.1 - Strength)

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 1.3 - Strength)

Quads & Calves (Ep 1.2 - Strength)

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 1.4 - Strength)

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 1.5 - Strength)

Cardio (Rest Day - Week 1)

Back & Forearms (Ep 2.1 Strength)

Quads & Calves (Ep 2.2 - Strength)

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 2.3 - Strength)

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 2.4 - Strength)

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 2.5 - Strength)

Cardio (Rest Day - Week 2)

Back & Forearms (Ep 3.1 - Strength)

Quads & Calves (Ep 3.2 - Strength)

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 3.3 - Strength)

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 3.4 - Strength)

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 3.5 - Strength)

Cardio (Rest Day - Week 3)

Back & Forearms (Ep 4.1 - Strength)

Quads & Calves (Ep 4.2 - Strength)

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 4.3 - Strength)

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 4.4 - Strength)

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 4.5 - Strength)

Cardio  (Rest Day - Week 4)

Back & Triceps (Ep 5.1 - Endurance)

Quads & Calves (Ep 5.2 - Endurance)

Biceps & Forearms (Ep 5.3 - Endurance)

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 5.4 - Endurance)

Triceps & Forearms (Ep 5.6 - Endurance)

Back & Triceps (Ep 6.1 - Endurance)

Quads & Calves (Ep 6.2 - Endurance)

Biceps & Forearms (Ep 6.3 - Endurance)

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 6.4 - Endurance)

Hamstrings & Calves (Ep 6.5 - Endurance)

Triceps & Forearms (Ep 6.6 - Endruance)

Back & Traps (Ep 7.1 - Endurance)

Quads & Calves (Ep 7.2 - Endurance)

Biceps & Forearms (Ep 7.3 - Endurance)

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 7.4 - Endurance)

Hamstrings & Calves (Ep 7.5 - Endurance)

Triceps & Forearms (Ep 7.6 - Endurance)

Back & Traps (Ep 8.1 - Endurance)

Quads & Calves (Ep 8.2 - Endurance)

Biceps & Forearms (Ep 8.3 - Endurance)

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 8.4 - Endurance)

Hamstring & Calves (Ep 8.5 - Endurance)

Triceps & Forearms (Ep 8.6 - Endurance)

Biceps, Forearms, & Triceps (Ep 9.1 - Conditioning)

Quads, Hamstring & Calves (Ep 9.2 - Conditioning)

Back, Chest, Traps, & Shoulders (Ep 9.3 - Conditioning)

Biceps, Forearms, & Triceps (Ep 9.4 - Conditioning)

Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves (Ep 9.5 - Conditioning)

Back, Chest, Traps & Shoulders (Ep 9.6 - Conditioning)

Legs & Shoulders (Ep 10.1 - Conditioning)

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 10.2 - Conditioning)

Back & Chest (Ep 10.3 - Conditioning)

Legs & Shoulders (Ep 10.4 - Conditioning)

Full Body Conditioning (Ep 10.5)

Biceps, Forearms, & Triceps (Ep 11.1 - Conditioning)

Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves (Ep 11.2 - Conditioning)

Back, Chest, Traps, & Shoulders (Ep 11.3 - Conditioning)

Biceps, Forearms, & Triceps (Ep 11.4 - Conditioning)

Quads, Hamstring, & Calves (Ep 11.5 - Conditioning)

Back, Chest, Traps & Shoulders (Ep 11.6 - Conditioning)

Legs & Shoulders (Ep 12.1 - Conditioning)

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 12.2 - Conditioning)

Back & Chest (Ep 12.3 - Conditioning)

Legs & Shoulders (Ep 12.4 - Conditioning)

Full Body Conditioning (Ep 12.5 - Conditioning)

Hamstrings & Calves (Ep 5.5 - Endurance)

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