View Full Version : Getting huge calves
NJC_Manhattan
12-07-09, 11:02 pm
Ok. I know there are probably threads like this. I did a search and a plethora of results came up. So call it lazy, but I didn't feel like searching through 100+ threads.
My calves are defined, but i can't get them to grow for shit. I do squats (heavy). I crush my calves, even between sets I do weightless raises.
Does anyone have a routine that causes crazy growth? Thanks in advance.
Nile
prowrestler
12-07-09, 11:04 pm
inbetween every exercise u do, do single leg calf raise triple sets.
check if that works out good. every 5th week...skip.
NJC_Manhattan
12-07-09, 11:06 pm
inbetween every exercise u do, do single leg calf raise triple sets.
check if that works out good. every 5th week...skip.
You mean even on non-leg days?
BionicMasterPiece
12-07-09, 11:07 pm
Ok. I know there are probably threads like this. I did a search and a plethora of results came up. So call it lazy, but I didn't feel like searching through 100+ threads.
My calves are defined, but i can't get them to grow for shit. I do squats (heavy). I crush my calves, even between sets I do weightless raises.
Does anyone have a routine that causes crazy growth? Thanks in advance.
Nile
Actually calves is one of those "genetic" muscles, you either got em or you dont. But dont get me wrong after years of hard training you can still make them grow but maybe just not as big as you may invisioned.
But try something like this to shock em if you want---
Seated Calf Raise 4x30 (each rep is slow and controlled)
superset with---
Leg Press Calf Raise 4x15 heavy controlled reps
Hack Squat Calf Raise 4x20
superset with--
Seated Calf Raise 4x50
oh man I cant wait till my next leg day haha
NJC_Manhattan
12-07-09, 11:41 pm
I'm convinced we can beat genetics. My calves are by no means sticks, but I want that fat calf look with the split muscle. You know?
BionicMasterPiece
12-08-09, 12:20 am
I'm convinced we can beat genetics. My calves are by no means sticks, but I want that fat calf look with the split muscle. You know?
yes you can beat genetics, but it prolly wont be the outcome you will be hoping for, like i said before calves is one of those bodyparts you got or you dont got....but still....train insane brother! and dont give up just because of genetics
I think the most important peice of gaining size to your calves is what Bionic stressed and that's slow and controlled reps. The problem with many people who can't seem to get their calves to grow is they do their reps too quick and bounce off the bottom effectively training the springy achilles tendon taking away from working the muscle. Pause at the bottom of the movement and stretch the muscle then focus on squeezing the muscle a the top. This will burn like a mother fucker but keep going till you can't take it anymore or fail. Of course genetics plays a big part too, but try that and they should grow some at least.
http://www.animalpak.com/html/article_details.cfm?ID=158
Try this routine by G. Diesel. I can't feel my sticks sometimes, but there are results for sure, and as BionicMasterPiece said, don't give up just for genetics, I got the same problem and I'm trying to make them grow as hard as I can.
just read this, it gives a few good options
TMUSCLE Twitter — Calves Edition
by the World's Most Dangerous Editors
Calves are a sensitive issue for a lot of bodybuilders.
While most stubborn bodyparts can be overcome with the right mix of hard work and dedication, calves are an entirely different animal. They're stubborn. Often, they won't respond. Hell, they don't even listen, and continually leave the seat up when it would take just a millisecond to put the damn thing back down.
Even normal folks who rarely set foot in a gym often have calve insecurities. Reports are now saying that on the night of his bizarre traffic mishap, it was the ill-timed comment "What's the Swedish word for 'cankles', honey?" that earned an intoxicated, philandering Tiger Woods a titanium 9-iron right in the pucker.
Savvy bodybuilding coaches will tell you that the surest way to build Olympia level calves is to either choose the right parents or weigh 400 pounds. But if neither option seems particularly practical right now, you're in luck. We challenged some of our brightest trainers and physique coaches to come up with a few sure-fire ways to build big calves, fast. The catch was, they only had 140 words, max.
Check it out!
I can't take it anymore! Gimme a routine that will get these pathetic calves to grow!
Mike Robertson
The key to better calf training isn't so much in the routine, as it is with how you perform the reps!
The calves can be very elastic in nature; in other words, you rebound quickly in the bottom to take advantage of tendon strength versus muscular strength. To negate this, try holding for two full seconds at the bottom of every rep. No bouncing, no cheating; just maintain that bottom position for a full two-seconds.
Try 2 sets of 15 to 20 on both the seated and standing calf raise machine. The seated version will hit the soleus, while the standing version targets the gastrocnemius. Paired with that two-second pause, I can virtually guarantee you'll be crippled in the coming days!
Shelby Starnes
Focus on these three things to get your calves growing again:
1. No momentum. None of that bouncy Achilles training nonsense you see all the time.
2. Full range of motion; none of that half-rep bullshit. Every rep should be from full stretch to peak contraction.
3. Progressive Overload. More weight and/or reps every time you train them.
I mainly prefer straight-leg calf exercises, to put the emphasis on the gastrocnemius (the main "show" muscle of the calf). Donkey calf raises and "toe presses" on a leg press machine are preferred, as they don't put as much pressure on the lower back.
Sample routine:
Donkey Calf Raises, 1 to 3 sets, 10 to 12 reps each, with a slow negative and a pause in the deep stretch position. Add 5 or 10 pounds every time you repeat this workout.
Charles Poliquin
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 101 tempo (1 second to lower the weight, no pause, and 1 second to raise the weight).
A2) Donkey Calf Raises 3 x 30-50 at a 101 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 111 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.
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 tempo, resting 90 seconds between sets.
It worked in the late '90s, and it will work today.
Erick Minor
Buy a pair of low-top thin-soled racing shoes made by Adidas or Puma. If you're really adventurous, buy a pair of Vibram five-finger shoes. These shoes will cause the muscles of the feet to work harder, which will increase foot strength and increase ankle stability, allowing for better recruitment of the gastrocnemius and soleus during calf exercises.
In your fancy new shoes, train calves three times per week at the beginning of your workouts.
Day 1: Single leg calf raise, holding a DB. 4-5 sets of 10-12 reps. Pause 1 second in the stretched position. 30-45 second rest between sets.
Day 2: Seated Calf Raise, 5-6 sets of 12-15 reps. Pause 1 second in the stretched position. 30-45 second rest between sets.
Day 3: Partial squat with ankle extension. 3-4 sets of 25-30 reps, 60-75 second rest between sets.
Perform a partial squat and come up onto your toes. Repeat in a rhythmic tempo.
Do this for 3 weeks and then change the routine.
Dave Tate
Step 1: Squat heavy!
Step 2: When you do train calves, superset all sets with one leg standing calf raises using triple sets (first set to failure - no rest, repeat; for a total of 3 sets). If you can do more than 30 on the first set, grab a dumbbell.
Bret Contreras
If you have a garage gym, load a heavy barbell onto your shoulders and walk up and down the driveway on your toes without letting your heels touch down. Do 4 sets and aim for 120 steps per set. Works great, and hits the core musculature at the same time. Follow these up with two sets of bodyweight single leg calf raises for 20-30 reps.
If you have access to a gym, go heavy on the standing calf raise machine for 4 sets of 10. Then do seated calf raises, 2 sets of 20 reps, followed by 1 set of 50-100 calf raises on the hip sled.
Finally, get strong on squats and deadlifts. Have you ever seen the calves on Jim Wendler?
NJC_Manhattan
12-08-09, 4:26 pm
Word. Thanks.
I've been doing what a lot of these articles are saying.
My Calf workout:
Standing Calf raise to weightless calf raise superset: 180x20 30, 200x20 30, 220x20 30
Seated Calf raises to weightless calf raise superset: 90x30 30, 100x30 30, 110x30 30
15 mins stairstepper with just toes on the steps doing full contraction of calf muscle.
I think the most important peice of gaining size to your calves is what Bionic stressed and that's slow and controlled reps. The problem with many people who can't seem to get their calves to grow is they do their reps too quick and bounce off the bottom effectively training the springy achilles tendon taking away from working the muscle. Pause at the bottom of the movement and stretch the muscle then focus on squeezing the muscle a the top. This will burn like a mother fucker but keep going till you can't take it anymore or fail. Of course genetics plays a big part too, but try that and they should grow some at least.
I agree with everything you said but pausing at the bottom. It's just something I try to avoid unless I'm extremely tired and need a second before exploding up.
Personally, I explode up, squeeze at the top, and slowly come down.
Also try doing them a few days a week, seems to of made a difference for me after switching to that from once a week calf lifts.
prowrestler
12-08-09, 5:13 pm
You mean even on non-leg days?
4x a week.
just like arnold lol
I agree with everything you said but pausing at the bottom. It's just something I try to avoid unless I'm extremely tired and need a second before exploding up.
Personally, I explode up, squeeze at the top, and slowly come down.
Also try doing them a few days a week, seems to of made a difference for me after switching to that from once a week calf lifts.
My pause is a hard stretch not for a rest inbetween reps. The pump it creates is a bitch! When I can't take it anymore I speed things up so I can get some more reps in there.
Good thread. This and forearms are my goals right now. Calves are the hardest part for me.
Pizzalamp
12-08-09, 8:18 pm
running
sprinting
incline treadmill walking
from what ive read and makes sense to me...we all do seated and standing calf raises to build our calves-arent those just isolation exercises?-would we only do isolation exercises to build our chests? i think a combo of isolation exercises and movements like sprints and incline treadmill walking is needed.
NJC_Manhattan
12-08-09, 8:36 pm
So I did legs tonight and I tried stretching at the bottom of the lift for 2 seconds, then fully extending and holding at the top for 2 seconds. I did that for reps and the burn was almost unbearable, but I have never seen my veins pop like that. Especially after squatting and other leg exercises. Fuck, I had trouble walking up the stairs to my apt.
Lets see what happens after doing that 2-3 times a week.
almosteasy
12-08-09, 8:51 pm
does anyone have an alternative to seated calf raises or a makeshift way to do them? my gym at school only has a leg press
Pizzalamp
12-08-09, 10:04 pm
does anyone have an alternative to seated calf raises or a makeshift way to do them? my gym at school only has a leg press
if u have a step or a platform u can squat on...then squat down deep onto your toes, let your glutes pretty much touch your calves, now hold onto somthing and lean back onto your toes, and do calf raises holding that squat position. try not to pull w your arms and really lean back into it.
does anyone have an alternative to seated calf raises or a makeshift way to do them? my gym at school only has a leg press
You could also maybe sit on a bench with a barbell across your quads; might not feel great on your thighs though. Maybe put a squat pad on the bar if you have one.
Not sure how awkward it would be, but maybe bend your knees on the sled and do raises that way as well.
I only train my calves with a BB...
works for me...
NJC_Manhattan
12-09-09, 11:27 am
Spoke with a guy today that had massive calves. He suggested the following
Donkey raises to standing BB raises to seated raises superset. No rest in between. circuit of three. 60% of your max for 20 reps.
Just throwing that out there
Spoke with a guy today that had massive calves. He suggested the following
Donkey raises to standing BB raises to seated raises superset. No rest in between. circuit of three. 60% of your max for 20 reps.
Just throwing that out there
Sounds mean! Definatly hits the calves from various angles....
every time i walk up the steps, i only do it so i focus on my calves...
mritter3
12-09-09, 2:13 pm
i like that series NJC...similar to mine i do leg press toe press and standing calf raises ....each for 3 sests of 20 with minimal rest....its killer but there starting to pop
FewL4no1
12-09-09, 2:18 pm
Here is one I have used for a while that has always given me great results:
Smith Machine Calf Raises (Or just a BB if you don't have a smith):
1x20 drop weight 1x30 drop weight 1x40
Smith Machine Toe Raises (Again, can use just a BB):
3X15-10
Seated Calf Raises:
3x15-10
You can do things such as cycle through these or whatever you need to do to mix it up. Also, make sure your angle is different between standing and seated calf raises. If you keep your legs apart during standing, bring them close together for seated. Remember, there are two parts to the gastrocnemius (i.e. calf muscle), so you gotta hit both sides. And like others said: slow, controlled reps and that shit will BURN! :D
NJC_Manhattan
12-09-09, 4:29 pm
Slow reps are the way to go. Bouncing off your heels does very little if not nothing.
If calves are a weak point, and this goes for any weak body part in general, you need to focus on them first and foremost in your workouts. Don't leave to the end when you want to leave the gym. Start your workout right from the get-go with calves. Teach your calves a lesson.
does anyone have an alternative to seated calf raises or a makeshift way to do them? my gym at school only has a leg press
Just sit on a bench and put a pile of 45s on your quads or 1 plate of 45 and some other smaller weights - there is nothing wrong if you will hold manually these plates not to let them to slide away.
If to speak about general question about growing calves, I can cite opinion of Dennis Wolf.
So he is saying that he was trying probably all the possible and impossible methods, but still can't make them really growing. So it's about genetics.
He genetically has "high" type of calves (opposite to House) and this type is almost not growing.
The opinion of one local fitness expert with big history of observations and personal trainer experience is the following:
- big calves are usually common among "highlander" types of nations. Because from generation to generation they were doing a big volume of a calf work, climbing the mountains day in and day out (Italians for example)
- big calves may be a result of congenital platypodia (flat-footedness since birth). So, again, it's about genetics. When sole is not doing it's springy work from generation to generation. In that case calves receive additional workload, which makes them grow.
daninarmy
12-09-09, 6:11 pm
Calves are genetic mine are huge 17 in and I only do one set on leg day. Calf raises,
FewL4no1
12-09-09, 6:46 pm
Calves are genetic mine are huge 17 in and I only do one set on leg day. Calf raises,
Same here, I have great calf genetics. I guess there is one good thing about being a former fat kid ><
almosteasy
12-09-09, 11:26 pm
thanks for the suggestions guys i'm gonna have to try some of those out
SolidTongan
12-10-09, 3:29 am
I've done every imaginable routine out there for calves: supersets, giant sets, high reps, low reps, higher frequency, lower frequency. The thing that brought mine up were DC style calf training. It's the principal behind it: Slow on the negative, pause at the bottom, explode to the top. DC style: go as heavy as you can for 12reps, but for those 12reps, 5seconds down on the negative, pause at the bottom stretched position for at 15seconds, then pop to the top; that's 1 rep. Repeat 11 more times. If you can do another set, you didn't go heavy enough.
We walk, run, and stand on our calves all day (which is sorta like doin' the positive portion of calf raises all day). However, all of those activities are missin' the negative portion. IMO, it doesn't make sense to go to the gym and repeat what we have been doin' all day if those activities don't even make them grow. You don't have to do them DC style, but at least focus greatly on the negative and the pause at the bottom position.
Any success stories of guys who started out with terrible calves but have grown them into monsters?
live2lift
12-10-09, 11:49 am
I just pound the shit out of mine until I cannot move them anymore (literally)...I mean until you cannot even raise the calf any longer. Also, this is opposite of what others are saying, but it goes to show you how everyone responds differently...but I only train my calves once every 10 days. When I do work them it is high volume and no rest in between exercises. I don't really follow a set routine. This has worked well for me but may not work for you.
Brutus_515
12-10-09, 11:56 am
Any success stories of guys who started out with terrible calves but have grown them into monsters?
I dont have monsters but compared to what they were previously they are alot better. I do them with legs sometimes i even do them first and get them out of the way.
but i think the trick that works for me. I do 10 sets of 10 on a standing calf machine every workout (except for leg day) before leaving the gym. it takes maybe 5-10 minutes and I walk funny when i leave. try to go as heavy as you can to get good form you can also change you feet position either everyset or during your set rotate the toes in ward for a few outward for a few and in the middle for a few.
almosteasy
12-11-09, 2:43 pm
i tried doing the seated calf raises using 45's on my quads today...i actually found that i got a better pump if i just used 100lb db's and it was easier to maneuver...just a recommendation for anyone that was going to try the method LVs added
i tried doing the seated calf raises using 45's on my quads today...i actually found that i got a better pump if i just used 100lb db's and it was easier to maneuver...just a recommendation for anyone that was going to try the method LVs added
You are right. Great idea. I just didn't think about that before. It's much more convenient.
smith06
12-13-09, 11:16 am
Nobody has mentioned any of the few techniques that has helped me add some mass. I don't know if they are little known or just really simple..
Change your angles.
Do three sets... duckfoot. (toes out).. Normal (Toes straight forward). Pigeon foot (Toes poiting in). You may have to lighten the load but you will surely feel it in the outer and innner portion of your calf.
Do 'em on blocks.
Do your calf raises with your toes on some sort of block!! I use 100 pound plates. This gives u the stretch at the bottom. Make sure u use something stable. I tried 3-- 2"x6" boards nailed together... damn near met my maker... go with plates.
Lift Big!!
Use heavy weight on leg day!! Light or bodyweight on accessory type days. I use 225--315--405--and 455 (On a smith) on leg days for 25--20--15--12-10 or some sort of rep scheme like so. On an accessory type day I will use 135 to 315 but will change my angles frequently.
Change it up!
Heavy Farmers Walks!!! Large people have large calves due to hauling around heavy weight... Put yourself in their shoes and carry some fucking heavy weight!! When I do this I set up 50 lb DB's 75lb. DB's and 100 lb. DB's. Carry the 100's to the 50's.. the 50's to the 75's or whatever.. This will help forearm growth and grip strength also.