I’ll admit I’ve never put as much effort into calves as some other muscle groups. But part of that reason was I figured I was getting plenty of leg work from karate. Now I do put the time into them, and I hope they grow.
That said, there is no other body part where I have ever seen such drastic differences on “average” males. Guys with upper arms as big as my forearms, or wrist (I kid not) and calves that 18-19". No effort or time spent. Other guys with scrawny calves that clearly put in effort in their physique.
I see guys doing calf raises with 2 plates, I’m using 4. Guess who has larger calves? Its the most self-defeating muscle on our body it seems, and one which even many pro’s are called out on - and I’d bet a testicle that they don’t neglect their calves. For someone like me who refuses to accept defeat, its a tough pill to swallow that I may never get those 18" calves to bring balance to my physique (per Reg Park dimensions of neck/upper arm/calf the same measurement).
[quote]Quasi-Tech wrote:
I see guys doing calf raises with 2 plates, I’m using 4. Guess who has larger calves? [/quote]
I thought that calves are mostly small muscle fibers which can build a lot of endurance but not as much pure power and thus you have to train them with lower weight, higher reps. That might be why that guy’s calves are bigger than yours yet you can push more weight. Might be wrong. If I am, I wanna know.
The calf muscle is designed for endurance. You use it all day, so it takes stimulus beyond what it gets to make it grow. Very high reps are one method. I do both high and low reps. You can make the muscle grow if you don’t abuse the bounce but slow, controlled reps. The bounce will not stimulate the muscle very well.
If I told you we were both doing the same number of reps, would that change your comment?
Dude had big calves because he was genetically pre-disposed for big calves. I say this because most everyone here walks everywhere, or rides a bike everywhere. Yet you see some people with massive calves and others with small ones, while everyone’s calves are performing “similar” work. My calves have yet to grow from the “added stimulus” of walking everywhere since I got here 9 months ago. The only growth I’ve experienced has been in doing calf work in the gym.
If you force a muscle to do something it isn’t comfortable doing, it will either adapt or fail. Adaptation involves growth. So if you make a muscle lift more than its used to, by volume or weight, it will have to respond (or fail). There are different optimum paths for different muscles, but you can’t claim that doing high rep push-ups won’t grow your chest - even though it may be better to do 8-12 reps for optimum results.
My calves were pretty developed before I ever even considered lifting a weight. All I post here is purely anecdotal, but it seems calves remain something of a mystery to most so I’ll add it anyway.
I certainly don’t have bad calf genetics, but I still think there must be a stimulus for them to be the size they were. I put it down to a lot of beach sprinting between from 6 until about mid-teens. Getting up onto your toes and having to balance and distribute force through that kind of surface really makes sprinting harder and definitely makes the calves work harder.
So people should not dismiss heavier, perhaps even more explosive training for their calves. Sprinting on sand probably wouldn’t be feasible as any kind of bodybuilding stimulus for most, but there is definitely room for something other than ultra high rep training for calves.
I have to train my calves extremely hard just to make it look like a shark didn’t take them both off and leave the bone. My father in law on the other hand does nothing ever for calves and looks like he has a calf muscle on top the calf muscle that is on top of his calf muscle. Its amazing to me really. You cant really fight genetics on calves. To a point you can but not very significantly.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have to train my calves extremely hard just to make it look like a shark didn’t take them both off and leave the bone. My father in law on the other hand does nothing ever for calves and looks like he has a calf muscle on top the calf muscle that is on top of his calf muscle. Its amazing to me really. You cant really fight genetics on calves. To a point you can but not very significantly.[/quote]
Clearly you don’t know your anatomy. The first “muscle” is the patellar tendon, on top of that is the soleus, and the outermost calf muscle is the gastrocnemius. Nub! (That was all in jest, I truly enjoyed the shark reference, I snickered.)
I have taken a lot of the advice here to heart and my calves have grown a good margin in a short time. Ill post another pic after the gym today. I have been kinda surprised honestly how well it has worked.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
I have to train my calves extremely hard just to make it look like a shark didn’t take them both off and leave the bone. My father in law on the other hand does nothing ever for calves and looks like he has a calf muscle on top the calf muscle that is on top of his calf muscle. Its amazing to me really. You cant really fight genetics on calves. To a point you can but not very significantly.[/quote]
Clearly you don’t know your anatomy. The first “muscle” is the patellar tendon, on top of that is the soleus, and the outermost calf muscle is the gastrocnemius. Nub! (That was all in jest, I truly enjoyed the shark reference, I snickered.)[/quote]
Yeah, I am still close enough to shark week that all that imagery is still floating around up there. I work out calves pretty hard though and its the only thing that seems to have done any good. I just followed a plan offline.
2 times a week: Thinking of actually upping the frequency of this but I haven’t fit it in yet.
Donkey Calf raises (I use a dip belt for the weight): 2x 10 toes out, 10 toes in, 10 straight
Repeat the set and rep scheme for Seated calf raises and Calf Presses.
Then 2x 30 toes straight of Standing calf raises. 60 secs rest between each set. Stretch between sets.
That’s a pretty serious gains/time ration. What approach did you use during those 3 weeks, and what was your approach previously? What key changes do you think really made the difference?
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
That’s a pretty serious gains/time ration. What approach did you use during those 3 weeks, and what was your approach previously? What key changes do you think really made the difference?
S[/quote]
I used a lot of the slow static holds. Really focusing on contraction of the muscle and making it feel like it was going to tear in half haha with high reps. I have been hitting them 3X a week alternating between high rep with heavier weight and higher rep with still relatively heavy weight. I was also making sure to get complete ROM on each rep.
I took your advice on the higher reps for after a tiring leg day. And my heavy weight after chest / arm day as those are usually my shortest lifting days.
Not the best but getting better. In about 3 weeks I have put on almost an inch to each.[/quote]
Pumped in that pic? If so was the first one as well? Just curious?[/quote]
Neither is pumped just different angle/ lighting. Taken within 3 mins of each other. Did shoulders today and no calf work.[/quote]
Very impressive. I f*ing hate you for it but impressive none the less ha.[/quote]
Lol thanks. My calf development has always been naturally decent. I assume hence why I have not been blasting them. But that is changing and I want to make them really stand out. I will get a few pics up after next leg day when they are good and pumped.
i found that training my calves 3 times week, medium to heavy weight (8 to 15 reps, 4 sets per exercise), made a big difference on my calve developement! AWESOME PROGRESS BTW:D
Not the best but getting better. In about 3 weeks I have put on almost an inch to each.[/quote]
You put an inch on your calves in 3 weeks?
You sick, SOB. I mean you walk in that door, on your two jacked calves… all fat and cocky and lookin at me in my chair. And you tell me you added an inch in 3 weeks? I hope that you have a son… A handsome, beautiful, articulate son, who’s talented and a star athlete and he has his legs taken away. I mean I pray you know that pain and that hurt.
I hate to be that dick…no I don’t actually…but old buddy WAS posting about his recent roid use right around the time he told us all he added an inch to his calves in 3 weeks.
