Calves- In Theory

[Ilovetolift]

On the subway today, I noticed this fat girl with MASSIVE( Olympia style calves ) which got me thinking...
Wearing a back back with some weights in it, walk around for 15 minutes a day...would do it?
I mean if they are fat, they most not walk much...
I'm just jabbering now, but give me your thoughts on this.

 

[ErikZ]

Wasn't most of it accumulated adipose tissue (fat) in the calves that made them seem buldgy?

I dunno, I am just asking

 

[Eaglesguy]

Generally the more you weigh, the more you calves have to work when you do simple things like walking. There will obviously be some fat if the person is overweight, but the actual muscle is going to be larger as well. There are mostly walking mail-men in my area, and most of them have some SERIOUS calves from carrying around a heavy bag most of the day for 6 days a week.

 

[BiggT]

From my experience, calves can be summed up in one word : Genetics. People with good calf genes come in all shapes and sizes. I have shitty calves, myself. Calves can be improved leaps and bounds if you're not blessed with them, however, the people with enormous, mind-blowing calves usually just have them most of the time.

And, to be honest, in all the years I have spent in gyms and weight rooms, the best calves I've seen have belong to people who didn't even workout.

 

[JoNeS]

Yea man. Caves are definately mainly a genetic thing. However, I tend to see large muscular caves on over-weight people far more often than on your average gym goer

 

[Ilovetolift]

Generally the more you weigh, the more you calves have to work when you do simple things like walking. There will obviously be some fat if the person is overweight, but the actual muscle is going to be larger as well. There are mostly walking mail-men in my area, and most of them have some SERIOUS calves from carrying around a heavy bag most of the day for 6 days a week.

good point.

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

Both my dad and grandfather have seriously huge calves. Neither of em weight train whatsoever....unfortunately I got my moms genes mostly. All I've ever seen my dad do is walk, though it is for upto 10 miles a day.

 

[silver_shadow]

From my experience, calves can be summed up in one word : Genetics. People with good calf genes come in all shapes and sizes. I have shitty calves, myself. Calves can be improved leaps and bounds if you're not blessed with them, however, the people with enormous, mind-blowing calves usually just have them most of the time.

And, to be honest, in all the years I have spent in gyms and weight rooms, the best calves I've seen have belong to people who didn't even workout.

what he said... i've always had big calves. the first time my girlfriend saw them, she commented they were like caveman's calves!
yes, i've played alot of soccer, sprinted and later switched to distance running before i worked out. but the truth is that as i worked out they grew with the rest of me... even though i NEVER do calf workouts... once i did them for 3 wks and realized i was just wasting my time - i didn't need to.

 

[nelmsjer]

BiggT, mine suck, too. IP would agree that muscularly, they are my genetic weak point. And, of course, I never pay attention to them, so that may have something to do with it...

 

[mustang_00]

i used to work with this chick would had HUGE legs/calves!!! picture duckman's sister or who ever the hell that girl in the cartoon was. Tiny waist (don't ask how) average c boobs. I think something was wrong with that poor girl maybe a thyroid condition?? she had massive calves they were cut too then you'd look further down and she had fat around her ankles like foreskin protecting her chubby foot. hahahahahahahaha oh shit i gotta stop on this post. it's 5:50am i haven't slept in 2 days and that's making me bust out laughing!!!! HHAHAHA the point to that story was her calves were bigger than mine and i hate her for it!

 

[thelion2005]

what he said... i've always had big calves. the first time my girlfriend saw them, she commented they were like caveman's calves!
yes, i've played alot of soccer, sprinted and later switched to distance running before i worked out. but the truth is that as i worked out they grew with the rest of me... even though i NEVER do calf workouts... once i did them for 3 wks and realized i was just wasting my time - i didn't need to.

First set of big athletic calves I saw were on a soccer player from Texas. Seems that this sport was really big in the schools.

He explained that the way he played caused him to be on one foot a lot ... jumping a lot as high as he could.

Remember Ken Waller in Pumping Iron? The redhead guy? He did a lot of soccer and one legged calve raises.

 

[wakefib]

walking works the soleus more than the gastro's

 

[overcome73]

I have noticed that also....most heavy people tend to have large calfs. I also agree to some degree that genetics, more than any other bodypart play a huge role in calfs. However, I still think you can build a respectable set of calfs if you work them consistently.

 

[suckamc44]

From my experience, calves can be summed up in one word : Genetics. People with good calf genes come in all shapes and sizes. I have shitty calves, myself. Calves can be improved leaps and bounds if you're not blessed with them, however, the people with enormous, mind-blowing calves usually just have them most of the time.

And, to be honest, in all the years I have spent in gyms and weight rooms, the best calves I've seen have belong to people who didn't even workout.

I totally agree, i haven't done direct work on my calves in years, but they always have and most likely always will be the most visually impressive muscle group i've got. It seems like they pretty much look the same no matter what my bodyfat is and I've had a pretty wide range over the past 6 or 7 years

 

[sidney61199]

In my opinion fat people and cut calves are pretty common. If you think about it you don't hold any fat on your calves unless you are one of those huge obese (spelling) nasty looking people. So if you are fairly over weight all your calves are doing all day is moving that weight around so its like doing a million reps (exageration) of a decent amount of weight all day. Not a real clear point but I think you guys can figure it out. Also no offense to anyone but I think the genetic thing is just an excuse. No one in my entire family (I mean no one) has the shreded calve thing going but I do. It just depends on the weight and the reps.

 

[Ilovetolift]

In my opinion fat people and cut calves are pretty common. If you think about it you don't hold any fat on your calves unless you are one of those huge obese (spelling) nasty looking people. So if you are fairly over weight all your calves are doing all day is moving that weight around so its like doing a million reps (exageration) of a decent amount of weight all day. Not a real clear point but I think you guys can figure it out. Also no offense to anyone but I think the genetic thing is just an excuse. No one in my entire family (I mean no one) has the shreded calve thing going but I do. It just depends on the weight and the reps.

I am starting to agree with this. My calves were my worst feature, everyone always said , including myself, that I had girl claves, but now they are looking respectable. Lets all just spit it out already...calves are the WORST muscle to work out.

 

[sidney61199]

I found to get the best calve results put a decent amound a weight that you can do about 20 reps with and just go till they burn. Just my opinion but it works for me.

 

[chicknlegs]

Here is an interesting thought for you all - I used to go to school with a girl who was quite slender and attractive but she had massive calves. I mean, these things weren't calves - they were full-on ripped cows.
She had a terrible habit of walking on the front pads of her feet and springing off, never putting her heel down. I guess after walking like this since an early age, the calves just grew.
For me, I also have smaller calves, but when I work them, I really let the weight stretch the sheathing of the calf-muscle before pushing out the rep. I heard this works well to build mass.

 

[silver_shadow]

Here is an interesting thought for you all - I used to go to school with a girl who was quite slender and attractive but she had massive calves. I mean, these things weren't calves - they were full-on ripped cows.
She had a terrible habit of walking on the front pads of her feet and springing off, never putting her heel down. I guess after walking like this since an early age, the calves just grew.
For me, I also have smaller calves, but when I work them, I really let the weight stretch the sheathing of the calf-muscle before pushing out the rep. I heard this works well to build mass.

well, DC training includes deep stretching for each major muscle group immediately after that muscle group has been exercised. he says it stretches the fascia (sp?) and promotes more growth.

 

[Tweakle]

IM fat stretches the fascia, but its pretty much all genetic.

never had decent calfs, never will... one thing I've noticed is that heavier asian guys mostly seem to have those big diamond looking calves

 

[mm107]

thank god i have decent looking calves. i think mine are one of the luckier ones.

 

[coolcolj]

My calves blew up from jumping and sprinting on the balls of my feet

And I don't do any calf raises - they are bigger than my arms I think

 

[preemo]

yea i know a guy since a very young age he learned to walk on his toes and has walked like this forever, his calves are ripped beyond belief!!!!!

 

[sidney61199]

That is the idea behind those jump shoes. You can get them all over the net and they even have a store near where I live. It is just a platform under the toe of the shoe that makes you stretch and strengthen (spelling) the calve. I knew two cousins (not mine) that wore the same shoe size and went in halfs on them (around $100+ for a pair), they were only like 5'9" and in a couple months they were dunking. Don't get me wrong, they had some good hops for there size but they just exploded after just a couple months (maybe a little less).

 

[mm107]

That is the idea behind those jump shoes. You can get them all over the net and they even have a store near where I live. It is just a platform under the toe of the shoe that makes you stretch and strengthen (spelling) the calve. I knew two cousins (not mine) that wore the same shoe size and went in halfs on them (around $100+ for a pair), they were only like 5'9" and in a couple months they were dunking. Don't get me wrong, they had some good hops for there size but they just exploded after just a couple months (maybe a little less).

damn i always wanted to pick those up just wasnt sure if they worked.

 

[harbinator]

Coming from a fatty, I was 6'5 315lb with 19" calves. I weight 240ish now and still have 19" calves, I NEVER work calves. I'll trade you guys some 19" calves for a 53" chest or some 20" arms