Calves- God all mighty!

[kingkrs]

Calves are stubborn! I would work them hard on leg day and they would be sore for a couple of days afterwards. Here is what I did.

Standing calf raises on the calf machine using as much weight as possible and going for as many reps as possible. Work through the pain like no other body part. 30 seconds of rest ONLY between sets, and around 8 to 10 sets. You should leave the gym with calves that are really pumped and feel like they are going to explode.

You can also do them on the hip sled (leg press) the advantage there is you can really put the weight on.

If you achieve the soreness, then you only need to do these one or two time a week, depending on your recovery ability.

 

[silver_shadow]

Look at the leg development of an Olympic sprinter (100m, 400m, hurdlers, whatever) and compare them to an Olympic marathoner. See a difference?

If answer = yes, then sprint.

If answer = no, then pull head out of ass and repeat query.

man, this cracked me up. interesting way of making your point. k to you.

 

[bignate73]

I agree, but that doesnt really make sense, i didnt ask if i should run long distance. But thanks

he is talking about muscle fiber development. long distance marathoners have highly developed slow twitch fibers (not much growth on those), sprinters use fast twitch (the same ones that move big weights...ala the ones that grow)

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Actually, the calves are comprised of the soleus and the gastroc. I believe it was the soleus that was mainly made up of slow-twitch fibers, while the gastroc had fast-twitch. Typically, both fiber types are hit, but calves are a rare, very stubborn case. This is why in another thread that we had on this (what, two fucking weeks ago?) I posted something very simple to do for calves. 3-4 sets of a standing heel raise for 6-8 reps, then 2-3 sets of seated heel raises for 10-12 reps. Give that a shot, and just try and progress like anything else. The calves should grow.

And I'm sorry, but squats really don't give you bigger calves. They barely come into play in the squat. Maybe isometrically, but dynamically? Nah-uh. People assume that PLers have big calves because they squat big. They get big calves because they get very heavy and any walking becomes a workout. If you weigh a lot, you're going to have some minor calf growth over time.

Of course, I'm in agreement with mek 100% - sprint. Sprints are so anabolic for the lower body if you run properly. And get this notion out of your head that cardio is going to slow down muscle gains. First off, sprints should be treated as a lower body workout in and of themselves, and second, you just need to eat enough to grow. Eat enough calories to compensate for your activity, and guess what? You're still going to grow.

Now I can make a case for an excessive amount of cardio (think jkurz) getting in the way of muscle gains, but there are other things that come into play.

 

[e6er]

Standing calf raises...

I use a different variation of this. I put one leg up and grab a 35lb db in one hand and hold onto something to keep my balance with the other hand.

 

[bignate73]

try pushing a car for distance.....








seriously.

 

[SgtSlaughter]

Most muscles are either built or born I say.

High profile example: Arnold.

He posed in water when his upper body was well developed cuz he lacked calves.

I beileve it says in his book he attacked cavles for 3 years 30-45 minutes every day to build them.

In short, if you want 'em you can have them.

Another way I like to show that working the muscle long, hard, and often builds. Think of a machinic (any kind... car mechanic, whatever...) they use they're hands ALL day EVERY day... and have HUGE forearms!!

Another quick one: Look at soccer players calves, plain and simple.

Building up any muscle takes a shitload of time and effort. but some are easier than others because they do not get used everyday all the time without thought (AKA..walking).

 

[maldorf]

I have been able to keep my calves the same size as my upper arm by doing calves 3x per week. One day one I will do seated, day two is standing, and day 3 is calf raises on the leg press. I do 4 sets each workout and keep the reps between 5 and 14 reps. Usually work in the 8-12 rep range.

 

[Iliketolift]

THat is very good info, thanks guys.
As for the arnold comment, no way in hell did he work them that much.

 

[SgtSlaughter]

As for the arnold comment, no way in hell did he work them that much.

got proof? I may be off, who knows... but you get the point bro.

I'll find Arnold's book and quote it for ya when i get a chance.