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View Full Version : Calfs by redesigning the way you walk



sanga
10-15-08, 4:44 am
Have you noticed how people walk?

I notice that when I walk my heel hits the floor followed by a flat foot sort of placement before I take the next step.

Now look at some people when they walk, they place their heel on the floor then roll onto the ball of the foot around the big toe area.

I just watched people over the weekend walking along and evryone that walks like I do have crap calfs including me.

Now the person who rises up onto his toe area when he walks has good calf development, conincidence? I don`t think so, not at all.

As an experiment I spent the whole day Monday and yesterday walking this way, everytime I took a step I rolled onto the ball/big toe area and flexed my calfs slightly, while standing still I raised me heels slightly off the floor.

The things I have found with doing this are that my calfs become very hard and pumped in no time at all and although are very sore today with a blister on both balls of my feet I`m continuing to try this every step I walk, I want to see if this really makes a huge diference in my calf development, I`m convinced it will help as people who walk like this normally have good development.

Ok genetics play a huge role in a lot of development but we can`t all have calfs like House (I wish) so have to train them very hard (I`m sure house does too) and do anything we can to get the things to grow.

Anyone have any experience with what I`ve been doing, thoughts?

smith06
10-15-08, 9:21 am
I've got a buddy who is slightly a dumbass...lol. His whole life he has walked on his tippy toes everyday, everywhere, all the time lol...He probably has 16-17" calves at around 150-160 pounds.

GJN5002
10-15-08, 10:51 am
Guy I know from the gym has the biggest calves Ive seen in person, prob 20-22 inches. He doesnt even train calves now because they grow too much but in high school he used to walk on his toes constantly to get em to grow. Not heel to toe just walking on his toes like a ballerina.

smith06
10-15-08, 12:17 pm
Guy I know from the gym has the biggest calves Ive seen in person, prob 20-22 inches. He doesnt even train calves now because they grow too much but in high school he used to walk on his toes constantly to get em to grow. Not heel to toe just walking on his toes like a ballerina.

Really?? 20-22 are the biggest you've ever seen???

Psycho77
10-15-08, 12:23 pm
Gotta try walking around in tippy toes

sanga
10-15-08, 4:03 pm
I`ve been walking like this all the time, doing cardio is a challenge but I`ve been doing it, calfs are permantely pumped.

Little Houghton
10-15-08, 8:50 pm
i've been doin this walking around campus...it freakin sucks! my calves are blown up all day!

sanga
10-16-08, 2:57 am
And how sore are they today mate?

Mine are killing me and I`ll train them tonight after quads too just for the hell of it.

Zacharicus
10-16-08, 4:04 am
Good idea, but I fear walking around on my tippy toes might give a dent to my image! In all seriousness, this is definitely a good thing. But I lean towards blasting them in the gym.

I am jealous of those who's gave their mothers a troubled birth due to genetically big calves. I sure have to hit them hard to make them grow.

sanga
10-16-08, 4:09 am
You don`t have to walk on tip toes just walk with an exagerated step up on to the toe area, thats what I`ve been doing, now whether it works in the long term time will tell but I blast my calves in the gym hard too, we will have to see how it works, it all makes sense as I`ve said my calfs are crap and I blast them hard but was walking flat footed until trying the exagerated up onto the toe area.

Watch this space.

Little Houghton
10-16-08, 8:32 am
they are very sore again! they've been cramping like hell anytime i lay down...this has to be working! haha. i also managed to find a way to do it without looking like a fairy, so thats a plus!

Psycho77
10-16-08, 8:56 am
they are very sore again! they've been cramping like hell anytime i lay down...this has to be working! haha. i also managed to find a way to do it without looking like a fairy, so thats a plus!

mind sharing how you did it?

Factory
10-16-08, 8:59 am
yo sanga
i tried this out, staying on my toes as much as i could, didn't really feel a difference, and I walk a ton throughout the day - I don't have a car, it might just be because i jumprope for 30+ mins a day, but I didn't feel any pump or anything.

I hope it pumps up your calves though, stick with it - sounds like its working out for you!

sanga
10-16-08, 9:54 am
Try putting a rucksack on your back with some weight in or an olympic barbell across your shoulders and walk around on tip toes.

You may well be used to jumping rope but give it a fair trial see if it does anything, maybe better shape, who knows.

Little Houghton
10-16-08, 12:16 pm
mind sharing how you did it?

i just watched myself in a big window as i walked back and forth and settled on something not too noticeable, make sure you set the heel down first and try to push more with your calve than your quad

sanga
10-16-08, 4:14 pm
Looks like I got some of you thinking which is great as its on my mind all the time.

I did cardio on treadmill tonight for 35 mins walking and most of it was walking with an exagerated rise onto the toe area and that was after training calfs, they are so sore but its got to work, it just has to as too many people who walk this way have large calfs, if I get an inch out of all of this then its worth it IMO.

pmug0000
10-16-08, 4:22 pm
I need to work on the size of my calves as much as anyone, but I'll stick with calf raises and presses. I'd just feel like such a fairy walking around on my toes all day.

sanga
10-16-08, 4:34 pm
But you don`t have to,all you have to do is exagerate the rising up onto the toe area as you walk, most people won`t even notice you walking any diferent.

Reacher34
10-16-08, 5:58 pm
Have you noticed how people walk?

I notice that when I walk my heel hits the floor followed by a flat foot sort of placement before I take the next step.

Now look at some people when they walk, they place their heel on the floor then roll onto the ball of the foot around the big toe area.

I just watched people over the weekend walking along and evryone that walks like I do have crap calfs including me.

Now the person who rises up onto his toe area when he walks has good calf development, conincidence? I don`t think so, not at all.

As an experiment I spent the whole day Monday and yesterday walking this way, everytime I took a step I rolled onto the ball/big toe area and flexed my calfs slightly, while standing still I raised me heels slightly off the floor.

The things I have found with doing this are that my calfs become very hard and pumped in no time at all and although are very sore today with a blister on both balls of my feet I`m continuing to try this every step I walk, I want to see if this really makes a huge diference in my calf development, I`m convinced it will help as people who walk like this normally have good development.

Ok genetics play a huge role in a lot of development but we can`t all have calfs like House (I wish) so have to train them very hard (I`m sure house does too) and do anything we can to get the things to grow.

Anyone have any experience with what I`ve been doing, thoughts?

I may just be misunderstanding you... but there may be something wrong with you. Toe-off is a necessary and natural part of gait. If you aren't toeing off, that means you aren't adequately advancing your swing leg. Could be from decreased plantarflexor strength, limited hip extension, inability to terminally extend your knee.... could be a bunch of things. Are you having any ankle pain? knee? hip? back? neck? You should have a physical therapist do some gait analysis on you. Pushing off of your toes is part of walking correctly.

sanga
10-20-08, 8:24 am
I may just be misunderstanding you... but there may be something wrong with you. Toe-off is a necessary and natural part of gait. If you aren't toeing off, that means you aren't adequately advancing your swing leg. Could be from decreased plantarflexor strength, limited hip extension, inability to terminally extend your knee.... could be a bunch of things. Are you having any ankle pain? knee? hip? back? neck? You should have a physical therapist do some gait analysis on you. Pushing off of your toes is part of walking correctly.


Yes I think you may have misunderstood what exactly I was getting at, I mean I don`t raise up on my toes like some people, I walk more flat footed.

No pain anywhere at all, everything is fine.

ironshaolin
10-20-08, 11:30 am
THis thread reminds me of a song...."tippin to the left, tippin to the right, I'm on my tippy toes and I'm tippin all night get on the tippy toes..."

But seriously, ever see a fat guy with tiny calves? Here's 2 ways to bring them up. First, go on a treadmill, and put it on the highest incline possible at a speed of like 2.5. Kinda lean forward over the controls, arms drapping over. Focus on rising up on the balls of your feet as you walk, and do 30mins 3 times a week. Second way is how you train them. Try this: something where you can add a decent amount of weight, like a leg press, hack squat or standing calf. Load with a weight you can handle for 10-12 reps. RAise up, lower for 5 seconds, and hold at the bottom in the STRETCHED position for a full 10-15 seconds. Then raise again, slowly lower and hold again. One of the problems alot of people have with developing their calves is that the fascial sheets surrounding the muscle inhibit growth. Training them this way will help stretch those sheets, giving the muscle more room to grow. By the time you get to rep 7 or 8, your calves will hurt like you've never hurt before. But man up and finish the 12. You only need one set.

Ton
10-20-08, 12:28 pm
But you don`t have to,all you have to do is exagerate the rising up onto the toe area as you walk, most people won`t even notice you walking any diferent.

reachers got a bit of a point here but in a round about way. a lot (not all of course) of the people that tend to walk on their toes are actually doing that because of a disability. some people are born with a short achilies tendon which cause then to be constantly flexed on their toes. yea may be great for development but if you are constantly walking on your toes it leads to body disalignent which will end up creating problems in other areas. watch someone try to squat when they have poor flexibility.... they usually wont even be able to break 90 degrees due to the tension in their hips and hammies. just something to keep in the back of your head. stretch constantly if your gonna focus like this on a muscle group, id hate to see you guys end up with issues later. peace

ton

Reacher34
10-20-08, 4:02 pm
Again my disclaimer: I may just be misinterpreting.

The term "flat footed" means that your foot tends to excessively pronate during the "initial contact" and "foot flat" phases of gait (walking). This leads to the gradual stretching of the plantar fascia and you lose the arch in your foot. I'm pretty sure this is not what you are talking about when you say that you tend to walk "flat footed". It sounds to me like you are using this term to describe inadequate toe-off. "Toe off" doesn't mean rising completely up on your toes, it just means that during the end of stance phase on one foot, your toes extend and physiologically allow your gastroc to plantarflex. When you watched people walk, you noticed most of them pushing off (but not pushing up onto) their toes because that is the natural and most efficient way to walk.

I read your post and got from it that you might not be performing this critical part of the normal gait cycle.

I am by no means trying to call you out on it or anything like that. I'm just saying that you might want to be aware of it so it doesn't mess you up in the future.

sanga
10-20-08, 5:07 pm
Ok I have never had any pain at all, what I mean by flat footed is more flat footed than someone who would rise up on their toes or pushes off, most people rise up more so than me, I`ve studied the way I walk and I seem to be lazy and not rise up enough, my arches are fine too but maybe I developed a lazy step.

I know you aren`t trying to call me out mate,I apprieciate your input, advice and experience.

Since exagertaing the steps I take my calfs are sore all the time, nothing else is sore just calfs, now maybe this will come to nothing but maybe it will lead to better overall developement or shape, time will tell.

Reacher34
10-20-08, 9:20 pm
Since exagertaing the steps I take my calfs are sore all the time, nothing else is sore just calfs, now maybe this will come to nothing but maybe it will lead to better overall developement or shape, time will tell.

Thats what it's about, bro. Doesn't matter what anyone says, if it gets you results...keep doin it. Good luck.

Ton
10-23-08, 12:03 pm
Thats what it's about, bro. Doesn't matter what anyone says, if it gets you results...keep doin it. Good luck.

Word

sanga
10-23-08, 5:06 pm
Well been doing this a while now and it seems to be second nature walking like this now,calfs not sore anymore,not really noticed too much change but then I am dieting, maybe things will take off more when I bulk, again time will tell.

zanderfever
10-23-08, 5:11 pm
I work with the Special Olympics and I've noticed the same thing with some of my kids. A couple of them have walked around their whole lives on their toes and at the age of 12 have perfectly developed gastrocs that pop out 24/7. Its really a good way to get calves and i've done a similar thing with my own, walking the way you described. The only difference is that at the end of my stride with my back foot I press down on the balls of my feet. Got some nice calluses on them now, haha.

sanga
10-23-08, 5:15 pm
Nice one mate, thanks for the input.

zanderfever
10-23-08, 5:23 pm
Nice one mate, thanks for the input.

No problem, sanga

Psycho77
10-23-08, 7:48 pm
Tried walking emphasizing pushing off hard with my toes, didnt get much soreness but always had a pump.......oh yeah