ok so i do calves twice a week but im unsure about how many sets i should do. ive been switching back and forth from 6 sets and 9 sets (high weights, full range of mothing, 15-20 reps) what would you recommend?
also i personally hate every calf workout except seated calf raises and standing calf raises, meaning these are the only 2 i do. problem is the standing calf raises give me blood marks all over my traps, if i were only to do seated calf raises should my calves develope good?
I find seated calf raises to be the hardest move to perform. Have you thought about doing calf raises on a leg press?
The thing with calves is they’re only going to get as big as the rest of your body. Most size increases people see in their calves comes from just having more body mass.
With that said, the best way to train calves is to do so with perfect form, moderate weight, and a maximal range of motion. Using a controlled speed and keeping the lifting portion and the negative portion of the movement at the same speed, make sure you get a good stretch when you work your calves. I’d stick to 15-25 reps just because at any heavier weight you risk not performing calf raises with with the perfect stretch at the bottom that they deserve.
Calves have been shown to respond best to Super High Intensity Training, since they are primarily slow twitch fibers. Most people see the best results by working them only ONCE every other week, doing an Conjugated Repeated Alternating Protocol. So for seated calf raise (which is best for calves anyway, since it takes the Gastrocnemius out of the equation and lets you focus on the Soleus,) you would load it up with your 5 rep max, and drop the weight three times, then switch to doing one leg at a time until failure. You really need to blast the hell outta them to make them grow, but you will also need that two week off period to let them recover.
Also, there are some studies that show that the unique protein structure found in turkey is better suited for lower body growth, as opposed to chicken, which is better suited for the muscles of the upper body.If you do a search I’m sure you can find the article.
Good luck! I know how frustrating lagging calves can be!
I have found that jumping rope is a great compliment to calve work. My calves seem to respond fairly well to it.