Name: Playbook - Rob Riches - Quads & Calves (Ep 8.2 - Endurance)
Uploaded: 2021-06-07T18:32:11.513Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: Quads & Calves (Ep 8.2 - Endurance)

Welcome to workout #20 of the Endurance part of my Lean Muscle Growth Program. Throughout this 4th week 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.

Your first set is a warm up. Perform at 50% your usual resistance and focus on a slower tempo with an emphasis on squeezing and engaging the muscles at the top of the rep. Don't let the weights touch at the bottom of the rep so as to keep tension on the muscles throughout the full exercise.

Start your second set using a weight that pushes you to reach the desired number of reps. For each set that follows, aim to increase the weight by a small amount.

Sit upright with your chest lifted and shoulders pulled back. Your lower back should be firmly pressed into the bench, and knees inline with the pivot point of the machine.

Grip on to the handles, or underside of the seat to anchor you down as you extend at the knee and raise the foot pad up as high as you can while engaging the muscles in the top of your legs. Pause momentarily as you flex them hard, and lower back under control. Perform first 2 sets with toes extended out, and the last two sets with toes pulled in towards you.

Leg Extensions

Hold a dumbbell in each hand (grip facing inwards) with arms at full length. Place your (right) foot onto a bench behind you (laces facing down), and step your other leg forwards enough so that as you lunge down (keeping shoulders directly over your hips), both knees bend at 90 degrees.

The added lift from the bench will help you to improve your stability and balance while strengthening your entire lower body.

You do not need to load as much weight when you perform single leg exercises helping to reduce the strain that can get placed on your lower back.

Lower down, holding both dumbbells still at the side of your body without bending at the elbows, and stop just short of your back knee from touching the floor.

Raise yourself back upright by driving up through your front leg (no need to lock out both legs), and flex the legs and glutes hard at the top.

Perform all reps on one leg, then switch over and repeat them on the other leg.

Bench Lunges

Position the bar so that it rests across the front of your shoulders
(It shouldn't be on any bone. Use a barbell pad if more comfortable). Grasp the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip and keep your elbows under the bar,  pushed as far forwards as you can (this will help keep the bar secure and stable on you throughout the exercise).

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and keeping your chest lifted up, squat down while  engaging the abs, and push your hips back and down while taking a big breath in (as though sitting down on a seat behind you). Your knees shouldn't be pushing forwards over your toes. Squat down as low as you can go, stopping when your upper thighs are parallel to the floor.

Return to the top of the rep, keeping your abs pulled in tight, and raising your torso back to an upright position as you exhale, and finish by flexing the legs and glutes.

On set 3, perform a rest-pause for 15 seconds after failure, and achieve a few more reps.

Barbell Front Squat

The leg press can offer a range of different bench and foot positions that focus on different regions of the legs. For this routine, you'll be using a mid-to-low bench angle, and feet positioned in the middle of the foot plate, a little wider than shoulder width apart, and toes slightly angled outwards.

Keep your lower back firmly pressed into the back of the bench and hold on to the handles to anchor you down. Lower the weight down under control, stopping before the knees touch the chest, or the weight bottoms out. Your glutes should also not be lifting off from the seat.

As you push the weight back up, exhale and push through the heels and balls of your feet, engaging the quads throughout the full range of motion. Pause before the knees lockout and flex the quads hard before repeating for the desired number of reps.

This exercise stimulates the quads, glutes and hamstrings to their maximum potential, and reduces any strain placed on the lower back and keeps it on the glutes.

Leg Press

Stand in front of a Plyo Box, bench, or ledge (that is ideally around knee height, or a little higher).

With a dumbbell in each hand, arms kept straight at the side of you, step one foot onto the top of the box and step up on to it, bringing your other foot up next to you. Stand tall to finish off the movement, then return your last leg up back to the floor and step back down.

Repeat with the opposite leg up first, and alternate with each foot up and down. 

If holding two dumbbells at your side is too challenging at first, you can start without any weight and progress up to holding your hands up by the sides of your head, or a single dumbbell held in front of your chest.

The box step-up is an effective unilateral exercise that helps to improve symmetry, balance, and coordination, while developing strength and power in the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. It also builds stability in the hip, knee, and ankle joints.

Dumbbell Box Step Up

*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

Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing directly ahead. Keeping your knees slightly bent, and heels firmly pressed into the floor, tap your toes up and down on the floor as quickly as possible.

You may want to stand next to a wall or something that's close to chest height for you to lightly hold on to for better balance.

By tapping your toes high off the ground  and as quickly as possible, you'll be engaging the Tibilais Anterior muscle - a sheath of muscle in front of your shin bone that acts to dorsiflex and invert the foot. 

This will help increase strength and stability around the ankle, as well as help improve the conditioning of the muscle at the front of your lower leg.

Toe Taps

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

Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing directly ahead. Keeping your knees slightly bent, and balls of the feet firmly pressed into the floor, tap your heels up and down on the floor as quickly as possible.

You may want to stand next to a wall or something that's close to chest height for you to lightly hold on to for better balance.

By tapping your heels high off the ground  and as quickly as possible, you'll be engaging 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.

This will help increase strength and stability around the ankle, as well as help improve the conditioning of the muscle at the back of your lower leg.

Heel Taps

This Abdominal circuit will focus on the upper and lower region of the abs, as well as the obliques (the side muscles), using a Swiss Exercise Ball.

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.

Sit on top of the Swiss Ball, and walk your legs forwards until you're about 2/3rds on the ball, with your lower back making the most contact.
Ensure your feet are flat on the floor and knees bent. (Your thighs should be parallel with the floor). 

Place your hands either side of your temples (or cross them across your chest), and lean back to your upper back is on top of the ball. Keeping your upper abs engaged, crunch forwards as you exhale, raising your shoulders off the ball. Your hips shouldn't move from their position on the ball.

Pause momentarily at the top of the rep and squeeze the abs hard. Inhale as you lower back to the start position under control. There should be no bounce at the top of bottom of the rep.

This variation of the crunch focuses on the upper region of the abs, but with greater stability since you're using the Swiss Ball instead of the floor or a decline bench.

Swiss Ball Crunch

Position your feet on top of a Swiss Ball (laces down), and extend your body as though performing a push up with your arms stretched out under your shoulders. You can grip a dumbbell in each hand (if they're hexagonal) to reduce stress on the wrists, or use push up bars.

Keeping your core engaged, draw your knees inwards under your chest, allowing the ball to roll forwards under your feet. Aim to keep your back straight, and don't allow the hips to raise up during the movement.

As your knees near your chest, pause momentarily at the end of each rep to flex the abs hard, especially in the lower religion of the abdominals  which is where this exercise specifically targets, along with increase in stabilizer muscles to assist you while using the ball.

Swiss Ball Knee Tuck

Position yourself sideways on a Swiss Ball so that your hips are stacked, your legs are scissored (bottom leg is back behind the front leg), and place your top arm at the side of your temple, with the lower arm bent so you can touch the side of your abs thats facing upwards.

Exhale and crunch upwards so that your top elbow is traveling towards your to hip (just think of a side crunch). The hand touching your obliques helps with 'touch training', allowing you to better feel which muscles are working within this exercise, improve the mind-muscle connection.

Perform all reps on one side, then reposition yourself on the opposite side and repeat.

The oblique muscles are involved when the upper body (trunk) rotates left and right, and it is also these that give the lower 'V' shape of the abdomen.

Swiss Ball Side Crunch

Abs Circuit - Stage 5

Quads & Calves (Ep 8.2 - Endurance)

It was very clear instructions and the video was very helpful

MilosLuffy

Donald Lozon

Back & Forearms (Ep 1.1 - Strength)

I felt like it had some repeating shoulder exercise, but overall good

Liked the Ab workout in the end 

Especially the hanging Ab- great for chest stretch

Thomas Anthony 

Richard

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 1.3 - Strength)

I enjoyed this workout I did not have access to dumbbells for my level so I swapped out the calf dumbbell lifts for the hip abduction. Did not have access to standing calf raises machine so swapped for seated calf raises machine. Over all good directions.

Sunil Deep

Adam

Quads & Calves (Ep 1.2 - Strength)

Very challenging and clear directions. The videos were helpful.

Andrés Giordano

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 1.4 - Strength)

Matt

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 1.5 - Strength)

Francisco

Bünyamin

Cardio (Rest Day - Week 1)

Victor

Amadou Sow

Back & Forearms (Ep 2.1 Strength)

I could not get a smith machine so I opted for walking lunges instead if you run into the same problem I recommend walking lunges or in place lunges using dumbbells or weighted straight bar

Quads & Calves (Ep 2.2 - Strength)

The video was incorrect for the chest press first exercise

It was great. The workout video for the smith machine shoulder press is the wrong one though. It’s a leg press video. Other than that I love it

Ryan Baker

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 2.3 - Strength)

I felt like it did not include enough trap exercises.

Quads & Calves (Ep 8.2 - Endurance)

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