Five Tips For Training Calves

[layddually]

Great read! Here's a few things for the people who train at home to help with them too.

1. Weighted vest, backpack. I throw a 25 or 45 lb plate in a backpack and then mow our half acre lawn with a walk behind mower. I'll wear it around the house too. Added weight to your body will grow the calves. Ever see an obese guy with skinny calves? No!

2. My favorite is one I call the "Veal 300". It's HIGH reps/low weight. Pick up a set of DBs (you'll need to figure out a good weight, probably under 40 lb DBs). Get a 2x4 and place on the ground. With your toes on the board and heels on the ground, do 25 reps with your toes forward, 25 with your toes pointed out and 25 with your toes pointed in. Rest for 1-2 min and repeat. Continue for 4 sets. When done you will have done 300 reps of various toe position calf raises. And you won't be able to walk for 2-3 days without screaming.

#2 you have listed is a mother. My trainer had me do this yesterday I am hurting.

[Bruiser]

#2 you have listed is a mother. My trainer had me do this yesterday I am hurting.

Hahaha, sorry. Lol

[zedhed]

you guyz that do #2 consistantly, how does it work for you?

[Bruiser]

you guyz that do #2 consistantly, how does it work for you?

Real damn good. Lately though I don't train calves directly. When I do heavy deads, static holds or shrugs I'll do some raises while I'm holding the bar. But I don't really set aside time to hit them.

[JTH250]

i feel like i have tried everything for my calf with no results..i will have to give this a try

[Ironguruera]

i feel like i have tried everything for my calf with no results..i will have to give this a try

Calves are resilient endurance based dense muscle.

I have genetically shit calves. I've made decent improvements lately by following tips a npc buddy gave me.

Giant sets for the win with varied foot postions. I've read changing foot positions doesn't matter but I like u have tried it all over the years.

So here's what he has me do. Start with weight u can do 12-15 reps. Do one foot position as many reps as u can then without rest swap to heel pointed in or out and go to failure again. Then do the last foot position until failure. Now don't worry about those last 2 sets reps wise. Just go to failure.
That's 1 giant set! I usually do 4-5 sets.
You should be on fire and mega pumped when u are done....if not dig down deeper and fucking go for it mercilessly.

As an alternate to spice it up I do mega high reps and top or bottom range only. The mega high rep sets I try to do 100...yes 100 reps. Usually just bodyweight on the stairs at home. Do like 3 sets of as close to 100 as u can. That creates a good pump as well. The partial range moves are fun mix up as well I got from Arnold's book.
Also try sloooow negatives.

I try to do calves 2 times a week. One time I do standing work to work the upper muscle. Then the 2nd day I do seated to work the soleus. Don't neglect seated. I feel I get the most out of seated. Gives u a wider sweep of muscle down low and the soleus muscle wraps under the upper gastronemus and makes those pop more as well. I do the giant sets for seated as well.

I forewarn u...take it easy 1st few sessions cause u will have never in your life felt muscle soreness like this lmao.

If u pound em like that and they don't grow....synthol or implants lol.

I get annoyed when guys that already have calves say oh its easy to build em.....yeah when u start with something it is lol. My buddy has insane like 18 huge full muscle bellies.....he does nothing for them....bastard.

[layddually]

you guyz that do #2 consistantly, how does it work for you?

As I start getting more reps my trainer plans to add chains around my neck.

[kazman68]

Calves are resilient endurance based dense muscle.

I have genetically shit calves. I've made decent improvements lately by following tips a npc buddy gave me.

Giant sets for the win with varied foot postions. I've read changing foot positions doesn't matter but I like u have tried it all over the years.

So here's what he has me do. Start with weight u can do 12-15 reps. Do one foot position as many reps as u can then without rest swap to heel pointed in or out and go to failure again. Then do the last foot position until failure. Now don't worry about those last 2 sets reps wise. Just go to failure.
That's 1 giant set! I usually do 4-5 sets.
You should be on fire and mega pumped when u are done....if not dig down deeper and fucking go for it mercilessly.

As an alternate to spice it up I do mega high reps and top or bottom range only. The mega high rep sets I try to do 100...yes 100 reps. Usually just bodyweight on the stairs at home. Do like 3 sets of as close to 100 as u can. That creates a good pump as well. The partial range moves are fun mix up as well I got from Arnold's book.
Also try sloooow negatives.

I try to do calves 2 times a week. One time I do standing work to work the upper muscle. Then the 2nd day I do seated to work the soleus. Don't neglect seated. I feel I get the most out of seated. Gives u a wider sweep of muscle down low and the soleus muscle wraps under the upper gastronemus and makes those pop more as well. I do the giant sets for seated as well.

I forewarn u...take it easy 1st few sessions cause u will have never in your life felt muscle soreness like this lmao.

If u pound em like that and they don't grow....synthol or implants lol.

I get annoyed when guys that already have calves say oh its easy to build em.....yeah when u start with something it is lol. My buddy has insane like 18 huge full muscle bellies.....he does nothing for them....bastard.

I agree I have always done varied toe position, reps from 6-100 static holds at the top for as long as possible, parillo shit squats you have your feet hang off the edge of a piece of equipment, I like the incline bench using the spotters platform, and I can hold on to something. Squat all the way down like you were taking a shit,and rise up as high as possible on your toes, really hits the soleus, I usually finish with these and weightless calf raises, our Y doesn't have a standing calf, so I have been experimenting on the smith machine. Put a platform down so your heels will hang all the way off, getting a full rom, position the bar as you were going to do a California front squat(arms crossed), your legs will actually be slightly behind the weight, raise up as high as possible, I did these with weight/band the other day and it worked well. When I first starting lifting I had big thighs and no calves(sticks) some girl in the gym made fun of them and that was all she wrote, I commenced to beat the living hell out of them the next few years, got them up to 19 1/4 at one point, and mind you I have higher calves, they became my favorite muscle to work..if you want big calves and don't have them genetically. Get ready cause here comes the pain! Learn to love it!

[red crayon]

Dont forget donkey calf raises. Maybe some of you are like me, I just couldnt get used to someone sitting on my back and it looks gay. so I use the same belt that others use for weighted dips. I also do high, 20 plus, and low, 6 to 8, reps. Going to failure is a must. I get the best results from the rest pause technique. Go to failure, lower the weight, wait about 25-30 seconds and do it again. Keep going until you fail with no waight. Its a good Idea to vary the speed of the reps.
My wife was a cheer leader in high school and she has great legs in general. If I could get my calfs to be as good as hers I would love it!

[kazman68]

Dont forget donkey calf raises. Maybe some of you are like me, I just couldnt get used to someone sitting on my back and it looks gay. so I use the same belt that others use for weighted dips. I also do high, 20 plus, and low, 6 to 8, reps. Going to failure is a must. I get the best results from the rest pause technique. Go to failure, lower the weight, wait about 25-30 seconds and do it again. Keep going until you fail with no waight. Its a good Idea to vary the speed of the reps.
My wife was a cheer leader in high school and she has great legs in general. If I could get my calfs to be as good as hers I would love it!

Did a lot of Donkey's in my time! Used to have my brother get on my back and do them in the garage, on 'off days' very good exercise.