Thread: Not getting Charles Poliquin's Tempo Timing

The Luke Sauder Calf Routine

Day 1: High-Volume

Exercise A: Calf Superset*

A1) Seated Calf Raises
3 x 10-5-5 (one set of 10 reps, followed by two of 5 reps) at a 1010 tempo to lower the weight, no pause, and 1 second to raise the weight)

A2) Donkey Calf Raises
3 x 30-50 at a 10X0 tempo

*After finishing a set of the A1 exercise, proceed immediately to exercise A2. Then rest two minutes before repeating the super set.

Exercise B: Standing Calf Raises

B1) Standing Calf Raises
10 x 10-30 at a 11X0 tempo, ten seconds**

**In other words, you'll be doing one, long, extended set, resting ten seconds between each mini-set and lowering the weight in between.

After day one, you'll probably have to call the fire department to extinguish the fire in your calves. You may also find that you have the same walk as Homer Simpson's 80-year-old father.


Day 2: Low-Volume (to be done 48 hours after Day 1)

Exercise A: Triple Drop Standing Calf Raises

A1) Triple Drop Standing Calf Raises
3 x 10-10-10 (in other words, three drop sets) at a 121 0tempo,*** resting 90 seconds between sets.

***The pause is taken in the bottom stretch position, and be sure to take the full two seconds.

This routine provides freaky size increases. As you can see, it uses a great number of total reps. I've found that in order to build calves, you need some frequency of training and some volume, but you can't have both high volume and high frequency. Therefore, I advise training them twice over a five-day cycle, one workout being very high sets (16) and high total reps (250-510 reps); and the other being low sets (3) for a low amount of total reps (90). I've known people to gain in between 5/8ths of an inch to a full inch with this routine in as little as 30 days.


If you look at Day 1-"

A1) Seated Calf Raises
3 x 10-5-5 (one set of 10 reps, followed by two of 5 reps) at a 1010 tempo to lower the weight, no pause, and 1 second to raise the weight)

A2) Donkey Calf Raises
3 x 30-50 at a 10X0 tempo"

What is 10X0 tempo for donkey calf raises mean? and "A1) Seated Calf Raises
3 x 10-5-5 (one set of 10 reps, followed by two of 5 reps) at a 1010 tempo to lower the weight, no pause, and 1 second to raise the weight)

What is does 1010 mean?

I'm lost with the tempo for the exercies. Can someone please explain the tempo for both Day 1 and 2? Thanks!

Thanks...




Day-2

Poliquin describes movement tempo by the time spent lowering, pausing, flexing and resting: eccentric/pause in stretched position/concentric/pause in flexed position

For example, something like 2/1/1/0 would mean "lower for a count of two, pause for one, then lift the weight for a count of one but don't pause at the top of the contraction";

2/1/X/0 would be similar, but the X denotes an explosive contraction.

You don't often see the forth digit btw.

In your situation, day one uses a 1/0/1/0 tempo, so this is a short, quick pumping movement with no pausing in either the stretched nor the flexed position.

The 1/0/X/0 tempo means short, controlled lowering, no pause, and an explosive concentric, shorter than one second, as fast as you can, no pause at the top - for all reps.

Does this help?