Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below I just started training with a powerlifting coach after doing a combination of strongman training and Olympic lifting. He actually says training my calves will help my squat. I dont know how I feel about this as I never trained my calves up until yesterday. They are sore as hell though. He also has me doing some accessory work on the adductor and abductor machines and I hate those. This guy has been competing for 30 years and does pretty well so I will take his advice for now. Any input on this?
Calves and powerlifting
- Thread starter hangclean
- Start date
Justin Hurley
New member
abductor machines will help your squat, especially if you squat wide.
I train calves, you feel more solid walking the weight off the pins. Even if you use a monolift, the calf strength will only help keep you more stable with the weight on your back.
Sounds like he's giving good advice to me.
I train calves, you feel more solid walking the weight off the pins. Even if you use a monolift, the calf strength will only help keep you more stable with the weight on your back.
Sounds like he's giving good advice to me.
LiftingDukkha
New member
What kind of calf routine do you do or does the trainer recommend? I'm interested for my own enlightenment.
There are really only 2 exercises for calves:
Seated calf raises
Standing calf raises
Most gyms have a machine for each. Make sure you go all the way down and all the way up with a bit of hold&squeeze at the top.
Raise off the ball of the foot, not the toes. Slow and steady with no jerking and bending. 3 sets of 10 to begin is fine.
Gently stretch before and after.
They are actually quite easy to train. The heavier you get, the bigger they get too. Genetics really limits what you can do unfortuneately.
Look for about a 3/4 to 1 " pump if you've worked them.
Seated calf raises
Standing calf raises
Most gyms have a machine for each. Make sure you go all the way down and all the way up with a bit of hold&squeeze at the top.
Raise off the ball of the foot, not the toes. Slow and steady with no jerking and bending. 3 sets of 10 to begin is fine.
Gently stretch before and after.
They are actually quite easy to train. The heavier you get, the bigger they get too. Genetics really limits what you can do unfortuneately.
Look for about a 3/4 to 1 " pump if you've worked them.
boxerjake
New member
Sorry but 3 set of 10 just won't do it for calves .....
They only respond well to what they don't see every day and thats forced production.
Do 1 set of 25 then rest for like 10 seconds max .. then do another 25 and rest 5 seconds then do 15 or whatever you can get .. calves don't get pushed into this range often and this is what will make them grow and become strong.
Forget about the seated calve raises .. the muscle crosses the knee joint so seated work will hit the solus but not much on the gastomimius ( sp ? ) .. for that muscle you need to have leg extention which is standing and or a seated machine where the leg is straight and not bent like a seated calve raise .
I had a trainer show me this years ago and believe me my calves were a joke to say the least .... now everyone comments on how nice my calves look .
They only respond well to what they don't see every day and thats forced production.
Do 1 set of 25 then rest for like 10 seconds max .. then do another 25 and rest 5 seconds then do 15 or whatever you can get .. calves don't get pushed into this range often and this is what will make them grow and become strong.
Forget about the seated calve raises .. the muscle crosses the knee joint so seated work will hit the solus but not much on the gastomimius ( sp ? ) .. for that muscle you need to have leg extention which is standing and or a seated machine where the leg is straight and not bent like a seated calve raise .
I had a trainer show me this years ago and believe me my calves were a joke to say the least .... now everyone comments on how nice my calves look .
Chambewy20
New member
Back in the days when i cared we would do a thing we called the "house of pain"
Start off on seated calve raises, maybe with a 45 on there, do a set of 20, it's pretty light weight so just knock them out. Then with no rest in between starting in the top position have a partner force your calves down, forced reps for 10, then do a set of assisted reps for 10 with your partner helping you. Repeat this two more times with no rest in between sets at all and also make sure your partner has to do them as well because you can be as mean to them as they were to you.
Typicall there's no way to not be sore from these, low weight high volume, good shit.
Shouldn't be able to walk afterwards.
Start off on seated calve raises, maybe with a 45 on there, do a set of 20, it's pretty light weight so just knock them out. Then with no rest in between starting in the top position have a partner force your calves down, forced reps for 10, then do a set of assisted reps for 10 with your partner helping you. Repeat this two more times with no rest in between sets at all and also make sure your partner has to do them as well because you can be as mean to them as they were to you.
Typicall there's no way to not be sore from these, low weight high volume, good shit.
Shouldn't be able to walk afterwards.
jacked clown
New member
Having bigger and stronger calves will help because when you squat your hamstrings and calves touch and help push you back up...so the sooner you can get them to touch and force you up the lower you dont have to go....so the faster you can start going up.
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BadboyAl
Guest
i think anyone telling you to do calves for squats is wrong.
Its real simple to figure out. You want big squat, that time would be better served working your hams..
Look at any 1000lb squat or even 700+squat no one ever credit calve raises for that great lift..lol not to mention there not included in any ones training program that ive seen..
calves get all the work they need just by squating.
Its real simple to figure out. You want big squat, that time would be better served working your hams..
Look at any 1000lb squat or even 700+squat no one ever credit calve raises for that great lift..lol not to mention there not included in any ones training program that ive seen..
calves get all the work they need just by squating.
jacked clown
New member
How am i wrong? A lot of things come into play when you do any of the 3 main lifts. If you think that training triceps all the time for bench will make you strong you wrong. Lats come into a big play and your shoulders also come into play when you bench. Its the same for squating, a lot of muscles come into play when you squat and I believe in strengthening each muscle and auxilery muscles to the max so it can make these lifts just that much easier. If you only train your hamstrings when you squat your just asking for a quad tear, so please go on training only one muscle for each lift more power to you.
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BadboyAl
Guest
Clown no one stated to train 1 muscle for the squat but from the list of things you do train to squat, calves arent one of them. They just dont need to be worked they get enough work just backing the swaut weight out of the pins into position. Most big sqauters have big calves and they dont train them. Why? because they dont need to!
Just my opinion.
Just my opinion.
IGNITE
New member
jacked clown said:
OH SHIT! thats funny, hahahahahaha. WOW. That has to be the lamest thing I have ever heard!! These 10 year old trolls are hilarious.
Calves have no relevance with regard to squatting. Guys from Elite Fitness Systems never do calves, yet hold alot of records in the squat. Calves get worked by simply walking and the squat workout itself.
