Do you train your calves? (Only vote if you workout)

[squatpuke]

Delts/Calves

Quads/Hammies

Pecs/Tris

Back/Bi's

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Not directly, but I do ALOT of glute/Ham Raises and push with the toes and notice my calves get sore and they look pretty good. Didn't notice much size increase when I did train them, but they did get really strong.

 

[*MissFit*]

i did when i started and then stopped.. but then i began to notice a discrpency in size..

Had to pick that shit up again.. can't have a unpreportional body damnit

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

I do 1/6 mile sprints in between my ab sets. dont let the heels touch and run like a cop is trying to haul you in.

 

[gjohnson5]

I do 1/6 mile sprints in between my ab sets. dont let the heels touch and run like a cop is trying to haul you in.

flat footed sprinter is a slow sprinter... Good point John

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

my calves are really small, but sprinting has made them fully defined and functionally stronger than just doing calf raises ever did. I really dont have delusions of huge legs anymore, but with a 27" waist it would be nice to have popeye legs.

 

[perp69]

Calves are like abs, we use them to much and must be hit often. I train them every other day, the days i don't do calves I do abs in their place.

Right on. I do abs and calves three times a week.

 

[Womanizer]

nah.. I have naturally good calves and I don't care about making them huge.

Amen, If i wanted to i could get my calves up to like 17" in a month, i have soccer player genetics, so my legs have ALWAYS been powerful and big naturally.

 

[King Cobra]

I really don't bother with putting my feet at different angles when doing various calf exercises. Am I missing out on a better calf workout by not doing that? Have you guys that train calves focus on the foot position variations and gotten results? Thanks.

Yes, and it definitely works. If you constantly insist on nothing but moderately high to extremely high weights, alternate foot positions regularly, and flex and stretch between each set, you will get results very quickly.

Here is an example of my current routine. Keep in mind I am 5'8, 148 lbs, so adjust intensity according to your own specs.

Part 1: Seated calve raises

Stretch first, then,...

1st set - 110 lbs for 33 reps (normal foot position)
(stretch/flex)
2nd set - 190 lbs for 33 reps (normal foot position)
(stretch/flex
3rd set - 250 lbs to failure, usually 70-80 reps (normal foot position)
(stretch/flex and drink some water)
4th set - 415 lbs to failure (usually around 12-15 reps)
(stretch thoroughly, flex, become aware of your surroundings, walk to the water fountain)
5th set - 110 lbs for 50 reps (slightly inward foot position, nothing too radical starting off)
6th set - 150 lbs for 33 reps (outward foot position)
7th set - 130 lbs for 60 reps (inward foot position, a little more inward than before)
At the end of these multiple sets your calves will be evenly tired around the whole of the calves, andstretch and rub your calves so you can stand up and not fall into someone nearby. Afterwards, go do whatever else it was you planned on doing that day, preferably where you don't have to stand, and take a brisk walk after that if possible around the track/basketball court, to get the blood circulating through your body. You wanna warm them up for the 2nd group of sets, cause these are going to be the ones that really cause all the growth in my experience.

2nd part - Toe raises with dumbells in hand (feet in outward position, and alternating how far apart your legs are). If you already worked out your shoulders, be even more cautious with how much weight you hold in each hand, and think of how you plan on putting it back on the rack afterwards.

1st set - 70-90 lbs each hand, for 22 reps or so
2nd set - 50 lbs each hand for 33 or so
3rd set - warm down with 20s in each hand, until you are fucking tired of doing them. Discretion is not advised though.

Then for the final inner-facing chapter of my calve workout, I prefer a barbell over dumbells because it's just annoying trying to maintain balance with dumbells using an inner facing position. I'm trying to work a small area at the outside of my calves at this point without hurting my ankle, so I need stability to do it and get results safely.

1st set - How ever much you feel lucky with now that you are tired as hell. Do it all the way to failure
2nd set - Take about 15% off of that weight, and do it to failure again.
3rd set - 50% of the original weight for 100+ reps, really flexing on each rep.

And if you could sprint very quickly to your car afterwards, that would be the icing on the cake.

I realise all that sounds pretty extreme, but, for me, I have found that the best way to getting that really rounded definition lies in 1) hitting the core of the calves first, then seperating those inner and outer raises afterwards. These exercises are so easy to do and don't take alot out of you, so you can throw them in without other muscle groups easily and still make big gains if you want in other areas of your workout.

"Damn nigga, I ain't readin' all dat shit!"

 

[future]

I am a big believer in training the calves in a 6-10 range HEAVY. Then for the soleus I go for higher reps in the 15-25 range. Works very well for the two fiber types.