Hey guys,
Wondering what the BEST calve routine people have used to get their calves massive!!!??? I have searched around, but would like to know from individual experience.
GJ
My biggest calf growth - and i have some of the best around…! Was as school.
I would come home monday to friday and do 1 - 2 sets of 100 bw reps, till it burned so bad i really couldnt bear to stand.
I still do these now after as part of 3 tri-sets using machine raises and seated calf also.
Joe
Thanks Joe…I have decided to simply use GIANT sets of Leg press(standing calve) and single leg(holding a dumbell in one hand), then seated. Will do this 2-3 times a week, alternating between low rep, med rep, high reps circuits. Guess most programs will work ey…
GJ
I do 5 sets of seated calf raises for sets of 12 and 5 sets of leg press calf raises every 4 days and I’ve seen significant calf growth from that. On the leg press calf raises, I started with 6 reps, and for each rep, I would hold the push the weight out as hard as I possibly can for 6 seconds. I increase the amount of reps by 2 each time I come ( because I’ve maxed the weight on the machine ). On the last rep, I hold the weight for double the time for 12 seconds.
Best growth I got was when I realized that there were 2 different muscles in the calves, and started hitting them on seperate days. I’d focus heavy weights with lower reps for the gastroc, and lower weights, and higher reps for the soleus. Mine currently measure about 17" or so, but it’s only in the last 3 years that they look ‘good’ (considering I’ve been training for 14, that should say something)
S
Running lots of sprints/hills & Plyo’s along with 3 days a week on my calves had me in my best calf shape during my track days.
Don’t forget running. Different movements, jump rope, running backwards, etc can all help stretch and use them (as well as work out / help recover) those muscles.
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1915920&pageNo=2#bottom
8 week calf blitzkreig just completed
[quote]Gymjunkie wrote:
Thanks Joe…I have decided to simply use GIANT sets of Leg press(standing calve) and single leg(holding a dumbell in one hand), then seated. Will do this 2-3 times a week, alternating between low rep, med rep, high reps circuits. Guess most programs will work ey…
GJ[/quote]
Gotta tell ya, in my experience… black guys tend to have high calves - this makes it very difficult for them to build thick muscular calves.
If you are struggling with this as i assume you are, due to this post, then concentrate on your soleus, i know you will be doing seated raises - but do loads. Also the soleus is predominantly type I fibre, aka slow twitch - so do high, high reps.
Should help.
Mine started to grow faster once i started doing 2 sets of heavy 4-8 reps with 15sec negative, and a 20 repper to finish them.
I train calves every 5 days, rotating exercises.
[quote]Joe Brook wrote:
Gymjunkie wrote:
Thanks Joe…I have decided to simply use GIANT sets of Leg press(standing calve) and single leg(holding a dumbell in one hand), then seated. Will do this 2-3 times a week, alternating between low rep, med rep, high reps circuits. Guess most programs will work ey…
GJ
Gotta tell ya, in my experience… black guys tend to have high calves - this makes it very difficult for them to build thick muscular calves.
If you are struggling with this as i assume you are, due to this post, then concentrate on your soleus, i know you will be doing seated raises - but do loads. Also the soleus is predominantly type I fibre, aka slow twitch - so do high, high reps.
Should help.[/quote]
Your’e spot on…I do have a problem with the lower calve mainly…but I mean, I would like bigger calves all over…haha. I will follow your recommendations, thanks
GJ
I like this thread, we were just talking about calf problems in another thread…hope to learn something here.
-Gerdy
Want big calves without doing a single set of calf raises? Get up to about 300 lbs for a year or so. After I dieted down to a much healthier weight, my calves were, and still, with very little attention, monsters.
I’m no expert, but has anyone read up on facia stretching? I believe John Parillo wrote about it years ago, and I know I recently read something on here, not sure where though.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I’m no expert, but has anyone read up on facia stretching? I believe John Parillo wrote about it years ago, and I know I recently read something on here, not sure where though.
S
[/quote]
The idea of Dante Trudell, to do the 15 seconds stretch on the bottom in any calf exercise between reps is based on fascia stretching.
Members more versed on DC like Sentoguy can explain it better.
[quote]irongutted wrote:
The Mighty Stu wrote:
I’m no expert, but has anyone read up on facia stretching? I believe John Parillo wrote about it years ago, and I know I recently read something on here, not sure where though.
S
The idea of Dante Trudell, to do the 15 seconds stretch on the bottom in any calf exercise between reps is based on fascia stretching.
Members more versed on DC like Sentoguy can explain it better.[/quote]
These are sick. I have been doing these for a few weeks now and the DOMS is intense.
Best calf routine I ever followed, the one I do now, the one I have done for two years. Week 1: 2 sets of 8 - 12
Donkey calf raises
Seated calf raises
Week 2: 2 sets of 6 - 8 followed by two the three cheat reps with negatives
Donkey Calf raises
Seated calf raises
Repeat week 1 and 2’s plan forever.
Shit, I should start writing articles on calf development!
[quote]irongutted wrote:
The Mighty Stu wrote:
I’m no expert, but has anyone read up on facia stretching? I believe John Parillo wrote about it years ago, and I know I recently read something on here, not sure where though.
S
The idea of Dante Trudell, to do the 15 seconds stretch on the bottom in any calf exercise between reps is based on fascia stretching.
Members more versed on DC like Sentoguy can explain it better.[/quote]
Well, actually that’s about it. 
You contract your calves as hard as possible (actually trying to come up onto your toes), then do a slow controlled negative (the recommendation is 5 seconds, but control is really all that is essential), and then hold the bottom fully stretched position for 15 grueling seconds. LOL.
Gut out 10-12 reps and add weight every time (in DC you rotate between 3 exercises for each body part, so you’ll repeat the same exercise every 14 days) and viola, the most intense burn you will ever feel in your calves.
The only thing is that if you do this right, you’re only gonna be doing 1 set. If you want to do more, you did it wrong. 
So, people who like higher volume might not like it too much.
LOL I knew I’d see sentoguy in here. Yah I’ve been doing that routine a few times, although I do more than one set(so I guess I’m doing it wrong lol). That stretching hurts like a bitch.
[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
irongutted wrote:
The Mighty Stu wrote:
I’m no expert, but has anyone read up on facia stretching? I believe John Parillo wrote about it years ago, and I know I recently read something on here, not sure where though.
S
The idea of Dante Trudell, to do the 15 seconds stretch on the bottom in any calf exercise between reps is based on fascia stretching.
Members more versed on DC like Sentoguy can explain it better.
Well, actually that’s about it.
You contract your calves as hard as possible (actually trying to come up onto your toes), then do a slow controlled negative (the recommendation is 5 seconds, but control is really all that is essential), and then hold the bottom fully stretched position for 15 grueling seconds. LOL.
Gut out 10-12 reps and add weight every time (in DC you rotate between 3 exercises for each body part, so you’ll repeat the same exercise every 14 days) and viola, the most intense burn you will ever feel in your calves.
The only thing is that if you do this right, you’re only gonna be doing 1 set. If you want to do more, you did it wrong. So, people who like higher volume might not like it too much.
[/quote]
And use a watch or something, believe me if you try to count it out you will not be anywhere near 15 seconds.
I believe the best calf work consists of: (and i do all these regular 2 - 3 times a week)
Deep stretches inbetween sets and after.
Rest-pause technique, low rest intervals.
Heavy weights low reps (10r)
High reps (100r)
High Frequency 3x p/w +
Mind/Muscle connection to lateral calves.
9-15 sets per week.
I think these are the points to build a calf routine around that will really work - long term too, not just as a “new thing”