Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below two twenty
New member
I have small calves and need a good calve workout to help them swell up
bulk up calves
- Thread starter two twenty
- Start date
MsBeverlyHills
New member
play rugby 
If that's your lagging bodypart, hit it more often than the rest of your body. So if u hit everything 1x a week, hit calves 2x. This always works for me. And Arnold used this method for years on his lagging body parts...to keep everything symetrical. That's where I got the idea from.
Since no one else seems to be throwing it out there, I'm just going to mention that calves are by far the hardest muscles to grow using standard or non-standard training. Generally, getting any results at all (over time not some short term pump shit) is far above average results especially when it comes to someone who started with lagging calves (i.e. not great genetics). Don't be discouraged if this doesn't go your way even if you do everything right. I honestly think your time would be better spent in the squat rack.
The only reason I disagree w/ that comment is because his legs will end up way out of proportion if he doesn't work his calves. A buddy of mine works his thighs really hard and they're gettin pretty big. But, he never works his calves and his excuse is genetics. His calves are smaller than my forearms and it makes his legs look like turkey drumsticks!! At least if you make an effort you can add a little bit of girth on your calves.Madcow2 said:
Not trying to argue...just my opinion.
jdevlin1985
New member
i found that dedicating a cycle to calves (taking absolutely top priority) 7-8 weeks maybe of a good bulk i.e. test and sustanon and hitting them from EVERY angle will do wonders....you will be suprised how extreme the results can be -
Although you obviously must have the following in check;
Rest
Diet
....Intense training 3x week max (using HEAVY weights)
And if the calves are not be used to this style of training and hard work....growth can be amazing
Although you obviously must have the following in check;
Rest
Diet
....Intense training 3x week max (using HEAVY weights)
And if the calves are not be used to this style of training and hard work....growth can be amazing
musketeer
New member
I had terrible 15 1/2 inch calves just 4 months ago.
Im a big tall guy and my calves looked pathetic so I decided to get them sorted.
Every workout I would get on the leg press machine and do 5-10 sets of 20-30 reps.
I did this 4 x per week for about a month and although my claves didn't get any bigger around, they looked a little bit more "sculpted", and I had good flexing control of them.
I needed to work the soleus as well as the gastroc (look it up if you don't know!) but the gym didn't have a seated raise, so I invented a new exercise.
GET a box or pile up three 45lb plates neatly.
I put them behind a preacher bench with an adjustable seat. (you can use anything with an adjustable seat)
Adjust the seat so that when you sit down your knees are about 90 deg when your toes are placed on the edge of the plates. (see where I'm going with this?)
Sit and position your toes about 4 inches apart.
Get a spotter to put a 45lb plate on your thighs, just about 1 inch of the plate should stick out over your knees.
pump out about 20 reps to get a feel for it and then have another plate added.
Keep pumping out reps and adding plates.
I am currently up to SIX 45lb plates on my knees, and I can do 20 reps with them - that's after doing 10 reps with all 5 plates preceding the six plates - nonstop, no rest.
When I reach failure with six plates (I've already done 70 reps!) my spotter will start stripping plates one at a time, and I go to failure on every plate. I normally can do about 20 reps with the single 45, but it feels like knives entering my leg just below my claves and cutting up to the back of my knee. The soles of my feet are also cramped and burning (and numb). When I do this I only need to do one set (of about 150 reps!)
Heres my schedule:
Mon: As above (10 minutes max!)
Thurs: (20mins max) Toe press on leg press machine: 8-15 sets 15-30 reps (only last 2-3 sets to failure, other sets are warm-up or near failure for developing perfect form - full stretch and squeeze)
Mon: (10 mins max) Single toe press on leg press machine 5-10 sets (go really heavy and do negatives on half of the sets by using the other foot to assist the positive - In-between sets I dont rest, I go straight from right to left to right)
Thurs: As previous thursday.
Mon: as first Monday....
In 4 months my claves have grown to 17 1/2 inches, and they are starting to look pretty good. Best thing is, In all, I'm only spending about 30mins a WEEK on training them.
Do this, IT WORKS - GOOD LUCK!!
Im a big tall guy and my calves looked pathetic so I decided to get them sorted.
Every workout I would get on the leg press machine and do 5-10 sets of 20-30 reps.
I did this 4 x per week for about a month and although my claves didn't get any bigger around, they looked a little bit more "sculpted", and I had good flexing control of them.
I needed to work the soleus as well as the gastroc (look it up if you don't know!) but the gym didn't have a seated raise, so I invented a new exercise.
GET a box or pile up three 45lb plates neatly.
I put them behind a preacher bench with an adjustable seat. (you can use anything with an adjustable seat)
Adjust the seat so that when you sit down your knees are about 90 deg when your toes are placed on the edge of the plates. (see where I'm going with this?)
Sit and position your toes about 4 inches apart.
Get a spotter to put a 45lb plate on your thighs, just about 1 inch of the plate should stick out over your knees.
pump out about 20 reps to get a feel for it and then have another plate added.
Keep pumping out reps and adding plates.
I am currently up to SIX 45lb plates on my knees, and I can do 20 reps with them - that's after doing 10 reps with all 5 plates preceding the six plates - nonstop, no rest.
When I reach failure with six plates (I've already done 70 reps!) my spotter will start stripping plates one at a time, and I go to failure on every plate. I normally can do about 20 reps with the single 45, but it feels like knives entering my leg just below my claves and cutting up to the back of my knee. The soles of my feet are also cramped and burning (and numb). When I do this I only need to do one set (of about 150 reps!)
Heres my schedule:
Mon: As above (10 minutes max!)
Thurs: (20mins max) Toe press on leg press machine: 8-15 sets 15-30 reps (only last 2-3 sets to failure, other sets are warm-up or near failure for developing perfect form - full stretch and squeeze)
Mon: (10 mins max) Single toe press on leg press machine 5-10 sets (go really heavy and do negatives on half of the sets by using the other foot to assist the positive - In-between sets I dont rest, I go straight from right to left to right)
Thurs: As previous thursday.
Mon: as first Monday....
In 4 months my claves have grown to 17 1/2 inches, and they are starting to look pretty good. Best thing is, In all, I'm only spending about 30mins a WEEK on training them.
Do this, IT WORKS - GOOD LUCK!!
Steve The Bluesman
New member
Madcow2 said:
Smart advice.
But let me just throw in that when you *do* work the calves, work them hard, with BIG WEIGHT. two plates on the seated machine may feel heavy, but to make dense muscle fibers (calves, forearms) grow, you have to use huge amounts of iron. (hence the good advice to squat. For forearms, I say deads.)
For what it's worth, guys who I have seen with great calf development are usually hockey players.
Bluesman
This is called the "priority principal" for lagging body parts. Arnold did the same thing for his calves in his early years. He hit them every day for a year. I have a pic of him at the next Mr Olympia after doing this for a year, and it made an enormous difference compared to the previous year. Some people are afraid to try the Priority Principal because they think it's overtraining. Obviously it works. I even did the same thing for my arms once, hitting them in short bursts 3x a week, and I saw gains after 3 weeks.musketeer said:
musketeer
New member
Chi town said:
I'm familiar with how Arnold developed his calves from his amateur days to the massive watermellon calves. My calf routine is NOT a priority principal. The first month or so was designed to build a mind muscle link that was lacking. I had the calves of a beginner, and the recuperative capabilities of an intermediate bodybuilder. Now training them as in the main routine, twice a week once intensely and once moderately. I am alternating the "heavy" workouts to avoid burnout and to hit the muscle from 3 angles without overtraining them. When my calves grow to about 18 1/2 inches then I will train them once a week: seated and standing raises in the same workout.
Arnold's "priority training" involved 3+ hours of training and 1200 reps (in sets of 10-12) per week. My training is two workouts TOTALING 30 mins per week. They are VERY different.
But cheers for saying that I train like Arnold!
OK. I guess what I was getting at is simply hittin the lagging bodypart more often than the rest of your body. Maybe not in the same workload that Arnold used, but sort of the same concept. It's good to see I'm not the only one here who believes in this method! I used a plan similar to your's for my arms and added 1/4" in just 3 weeks...no gear.musketeer said:I'm familiar with how Arnold developed his calves from his amateur days to the massive watermellon calves. My calf routine is NOT a priority principal. The first month or so was designed to build a mind muscle link that was lacking. I had the calves of a beginner, and the recuperative capabilities of an intermediate bodybuilder. Now training them as in the main routine, twice a week once intensely and once moderately. I am alternating the "heavy" workouts to avoid burnout and to hit the muscle from 3 angles without overtraining them. When my calves grow to about 18 1/2 inches then I will train them once a week: seated and standing raises in the same workout.
Arnold's "priority training" involved 3+ hours of training and 1200 reps (in sets of 10-12) per week. My training is two workouts TOTALING 30 mins per week. They are VERY different.
But cheers for saying that I train like Arnold!
I'm gonna try it now on my calves cuz they're only 16 1/4" while my arms are 18 1/4". Big diff...especially when I'm only 5'9"!!
bigjd69
New member
Try this: It is pretty hard so don't be discouraged. On a leg press put at least 3-45lb plates on each side. Do 10 reps (Toe presses) and with your feet still on the press, stretch for 10 seconds. Then do 9 reps stretch for 9 seconds, all the way down to 1 rep. If you feel that you need more weight add it, but I promise you that it will feel like a ton. Then you can continue your normal calf workout. Try it and let me know how you make out.
supreme
New member
Hate to tell you guys Arnold cheated!!! - an old article by Dan Duchaine alluded to that since there were no calf implants in the early 70's doctors were experimenting with straight silicone injectons to the muscle bellies and multiple injections over time would allow silicione to build up in the muscle, Arnolds name popped up several times in the article and how easy it was to go down to Mexico and have this done or get the silicone there and do it yourself.
Anyway onto ideas to build calves:
First, increase volume of training, Charles Poliquin reccomends eveytime you do a set for your arms, do your calves - calves are extremely undertrained compard to arms.
Next use a D.A.R.D or dumbell to train the anterior tibialis muscle for your body does not like imbalance around joints (i.e the knees) and some times prevents growth to avoid overloading the muscle on one side of the joint which often leads to injury
Go for ART work to make sure none of the nerves leading to the calves are compressed or blocked.
Run downhill, the calves experience greater forces during downhill running than during any gym exercise - especially if its an unstable terrain (try a mountain bike path or gravel)
Don't neglect the soleus, do seated calf raises for sets of at least 25 reps due to the amount of Type I muscle fibers.
S
Anyway onto ideas to build calves:
First, increase volume of training, Charles Poliquin reccomends eveytime you do a set for your arms, do your calves - calves are extremely undertrained compard to arms.
Next use a D.A.R.D or dumbell to train the anterior tibialis muscle for your body does not like imbalance around joints (i.e the knees) and some times prevents growth to avoid overloading the muscle on one side of the joint which often leads to injury
Go for ART work to make sure none of the nerves leading to the calves are compressed or blocked.
Run downhill, the calves experience greater forces during downhill running than during any gym exercise - especially if its an unstable terrain (try a mountain bike path or gravel)
Don't neglect the soleus, do seated calf raises for sets of at least 25 reps due to the amount of Type I muscle fibers.
S
Last edited:
two twenty
New member
thanks for the advice fellos
Similar threads
