Looking for a few opionions about calf training and DOMS

[RottenWillow]

Everyone has experienced DOMS before, particularly when starting back after a layoff or maybe adding an entirely new exercise. I fully expected to catch some hellacious muscle soreness Monday, but I didn't.

I haven't done any isolation work for calves in probably 5 years. Sunday I hit 2 sets of standing and 2 sets of seated, all to failure. Mon/Tues I had only the very slightest twinge of DOMS. Considering I've not done any hard work on them in years I'm thinking they absolutely should have gotten sore, provided I trained them hard enough. Even the eccentrics were pretty slow, which are well known for causing DOMS.

So the opinion part. You guys think I didn't hit them hard enough and need to up the intensity next leg workout?

 

[trex74]

Everyone has experienced DOMS before, particularly when starting back after a layoff or maybe adding an entirely new exercise. I fully expected to catch some hellacious muscle soreness Monday, but I didn't.

I haven't done any isolation work for calves in probably 5 years. Sunday I hit 2 sets of standing and 2 sets of seated, all to failure. Mon/Tues I had only the very slightest twinge of DOMS. Considering I've not done any hard work on them in years I'm thinking they absolutely should have gotten sore, provided I trained them hard enough. Even the eccentrics were pretty slow, which are well known for causing DOMS.

So the opinion part. You guys think I didn't hit them hard enough and need to up the intensity next leg workout?

I have had DOMS in the quads, glutes and hams, but never in the calves. I never really thought about why though hmm.

 

[SpyWizard]

blood flow to the muscle, condition of the blood itself too many actors..

did you do high weight/low rep

or

did you do moderate weight with high rep to failure??

makes a difference..

 

[RottenWillow]

blood flow to the muscle, condition of the blood itself too many actors..

did you do high weight/low rep

or

did you do moderate weight with high rep to failure??

makes a difference..

How do you use a moderate weight but manage high reps?

I used a poundage that permitted a tut of 60 to 70 seconds. Concentric was about 2 reps, eccentric probably 5, full ROM, MMF, but not r/p or forced reps. So it was hard, but not really hard.

You could be onto to something regarding the eccentricities of that muscle group though. Maybe I need a tut of like 2 minutes or more to really challenge them.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I think you're concerned with something that doesn't really matter.

I know I benched hard last night and I have no soreness today. Soreness means dick really.

Go in there, do your thing and that's that. The quality of the workout should be self evident when you are doing it.

Don't second guess yourself based off antiquated theories on doms.

I used to believe that if you trained when sore you weren't fully recovered. That's actually been proven bunk.

I used to think if I didn't get sore that I didn't work the muscle hard enough. That's been proven bunk.

One of the best programs for blowing this crap out of the water is dual factor 5x5. When starting you will be squatting abit sore from the heavy volume, but it goes away as your body adapts.

It's like when I used to think training a muscle twice a week was bad. LOL. It's all in the context of the program and the state of the individual.

 

[ExtraMile]

Only thing that gives my calf doms is rest pausing with heavy weight. 12-18 rep weight rest paused to 30-40 total reps is what I do for standing. Seated I do a little lower volume.

Most workouts I get calf doms since I started rest pausing.

PS even if they are to failure 4 sets isn't really that much...

 

[RottenWillow]

Only thing that gives my calf doms is rest pausing with heavy weight. 12-18 rep weight rest paused to 30-40 total reps is what I do for standing. Seated I do a little lower volume.

Most workouts I get calf doms since I started rest pausing.

PS even if they are to failure 4 sets isn't really that much...

Agreed. Since I haven't done any work at all on my calves in years so I was taking it easy.

 

[_cato_]

How many reps were in your sets? In my experience there's no way to get doms in the calf muscle without doing 15-20+ reps in the sets and with decent weight (bodyweight or more).

 

[OMEGA]

pics of the lives stock

 

[ExtraMile]

RW give the rest pauses for a try I love them and I have actually gotten some calf growth from it