75 rep set for calves

[Thaibox]

I don't remember who brought this up a couple weeks ago. But, it was basically a single set of seated calve raises consisting of 75 reps with 5 second pauses when needed. By the time you hit 65, you're doing 2-3 reps at a time, racking it, and burning like mad. This can go as high as 100 depending on weight and time at it.

Every leg day, I'm so washed out from real lifts that doing calves just feels like a waste of time. I hate sitting there like a weenie and grinding out sets of calve lifts. Its just boring and I want to go home and fall down from squatting. But this 75 rep set is perfect, it keeps the volume down and fries the crap out of my calves. As of my 3rd time in the last couple weeks, my seated calve raise(of 85 reps) has gone up a solid 50lbs. My calves are sore for a few days, but not the typical overdone, crippled sore that makes me look like I crapped my pants.

I just wanted to thank whomever brought this up a while ago, and bring it again to the attention of others who think that training calves feels like a waste of time, or is getting stagnant.

Good shit

 

[BlkWS6]

http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=155657&highlight=75+reps+calves



But that sure was more then a couple of weeks ago (Jul '02). Maybe someone else stumbled upon that site as well and posted it more recently. Although it is pretty intense and kinda nuts, it sure was a lot of fun and made walking an almost impossible endeavor the following morning

 

[BigBossMan]

I think that would be a waste of time.

I remember when I was 10 years old, I was able to do over 100 bodyweight calf raises. It did take a while to build up to 100, but I don't think it helped me that much.

 

[PolishHammer1977]

It helped me. I used to do the same thing as a kid. Wake up and do my push up sit up routine. Pull ups at school

 

[WarriorPL]

I normally do 20-30 reps, great burn. Never tried 75 though... i will now though!

 

[saint808]

as long as theyare good reps... lower the weight some and make sure you get a full ROM on them.

 

[Last_Exit]

http://www.steroidology.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2478


Last|Exit

 

[louden_swain]

Sounds intense and a way to get the stubborn muscles to grow. I have tried everything for calves.

 

[Zander1983]

I've got great calves compared to the rest of my body. I doubt I would've trained them more than 10 times in my entire life! They continue to grow providing I keep my leg movements nice and heavy. I'm not overly active in terms of walking throughout the day, so that helps a lot. Despite that, I think it is my genetics that dictate the fact they tend to be nice and large.

I do a lot of explosive sprinting and change of direction work when I play indoor soccer, but your average soccer player isn't your perfect example of somebody with great calves (though the vast majority wouldn't be hitting the weights correctly...).

 

[johnb]

Thai, I think that was your man Nelson's idea originally.

 

[Thaibox]

Yup thats it WS6.The one I read was later than that, but clearly you were one of the elite pioneers of it. Very cool, despite the fact that you drive a Pontiac

BigBossMan, you're comparing raises with a weight you fail at around 20-25 reps, and continue for 50 more reps. That compares to bodyweight raises how?

Jb, I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Nelson idea(because its a good idea). He may have made it sound that way, but I don't think so. If it is, I'll give him credit, but I doubt it.

 

[Citruscide]

I remember doing insane amounts of reps on calves with relatively high weight... about 2 months ago I had a stack + 45 on the standing calf machine and did around 45 reps... squeezing at the top, and getting a decent dip in it... J-E-L-L-O...

It does wonders for calves.

C-ditty

 

[gymtime]

First of all, it ain't that calf machine that makes you a weenie bro....that's just ....well....you.

But seriously folks...

With calves being as stubborn as they are for most people, I don't discourage trying just about anything, even volumes that would be ridiculous for other muscles. I think if nothing else, it would be good simply as a change up.

 

[louden_swain]

Who here has the calves of a 12-year old girl?? I know I do!!!

 

[casualbb]

12 year old girl? Feh! ...maybe a 14 year old one...

-casualbb

 

[rjl296]

i easily have the smallest calves here, and probably of anybody you have ever seen. even 12 year old girls are a good 2 " bigger than mine

 

[Jxaxsxe530]

sorry guy, but high reps for calves in my own experience didn't do much for me. i warm up with reps as high as 50, but i credit all my gain to heavy weight. i realized that ur calves hurt just as much when your lifting, say, one plate, as when your lifting 3, 4 plates. the difference in pain is minimal. its all in ur head. i dont buy the belief that since ur calves are used to walking, running, and jumping, they will only grow with really high reps. i believe calves are used to all that activity, so only extreme heavy weight will shock them into grow. who do u think put more stress on their calves? a 300 lb guy or a 150 lb guy? its only my opinion =) ... its funny how guys lift extremely heavy for chest, biceps, triceps, etc, and yet when they walk over to the calve raises machine they put on one plate. and they do that year in year out lol.

 

[The Shadow]

ahem......its all about TUT.

 

[BlkWS6]

Originally posted by Jxaxsxe530
sorry guy, but high reps for calves in my own experience didn't do much for me. i warm up with reps as high as 50, but i credit all my gain to heavy weight. i realized that ur calves hurt just as much when your lifting, say, one plate, as when your lifting 3, 4 plates. the difference in pain is minimal. its all in ur head. i dont buy the belief that since ur calves are used to walking, running, and jumping, they will only grow with really high reps. i believe calves are used to all that activity, so only extreme heavy weight will shock them into grow. who do u think put more stress on their calves? a 300 lb guy or a 150 lb guy? its only my opinion =) ... its funny how guys lift extremely heavy for chest, biceps, triceps, etc, and yet when they walk over to the calve raises machine they put on one plate. and they do that year in year out lol.

I share similiar beliefs about calf training as you do. I stumbled across that routine a long time ago when I was experimenting with higher rep calf workouts. I seem to get the best growth from heavy weights and lower reps.


Thai: Im glad I could help, you see us Pontiac guys have more to offer to you Chevy folk then just a glimpse of our tail lights on the road.


And for the records I too look like Im riding an Ostrich!

 

[casualbb]

Would you pick a really light weight and bicep curl it 75 times?

No.

Calves aren't a magic new type of muscle; they respond the same way everything else does. They just see a lot of load during daily activities, so it's harder to load them at unaccustomed levels. Just train with low-ish volume, train heavy, and focus on weight progression. And it will work, the same way it works with everything else.

-casualbb

 

[Westies]

Try doing some really heavy raises for like 6-8 reps Then chop that weight in half and do a set to failure with no rest in between the two sets, and feel the burn.

 

[JollyRogers]

everyone is different, I use a 4x25 skeme, seated, standing, one leg db rasie. no prob bob