Need Help with my calves please..

[megad]

I tried a diffent calves routine three days ago, and they are still very very sore. I dunno how good it will be to add mass, but u might wanna try this

Go to the squat rack and bring an elevated platform with you. Load up the bar and do calf raises with everything but your toes hanging off the edge platform.

Do 3x10 and then one more set, but this time of 20. On this last set of 20, do 10 reps first at the weight you were originally doing and then have a spotter or someone take off half of the bars weight while your feet are still hanging off the platform, and do 10 more reps.

Hope this helps. peace.

 

[T-Rage]

Interesting observation...

I like to watch the animal channel shows such as The Jeff Corwin Experience and The Crocodile Hunter.

These guys are hiking all the time and their calves are well developed. You can see this when they wear shorts.

I take hikes in the park on uneven and hilly terain and it works the calves like crazy. I bet that with a weighted vest and two intense 45 minute hikes (up and down steep inclines) a week would improve the calves.

 

[natedog]

The keys to training calves are weight and stretch. You gotta go heavy, and you gotta stretch as far down as possible.

You can emphasize (not truely isolate) your outer calves by pointing your toes out. The key here is to think about pushing forward into the weight rather than pushing along the line of your feet. I wouldn't suggest always doing them this way...you should mix up your stance (width and toe direction) when doing calf raises to avoid any functional imbalances.

Seated calf raises put a lot of stress on the soleus muscle, which sits underneath the gastrocnemius (the two heads). Increasing its size will make your calves wider, and can help the outer head of the gastrocnemius look larger. I would highly suggest adding them to your calf routine, provided your gym has a seated calf machine (mine doesn't ).

 

[BlkWS6]

I agree that a full stretch is crucial. I think going heavy is very important too, but only heavy enough to where you can still pefrom the desired number of reps with GOOD form. I see so many people just load up the standing calf raise with a bunch of weight but do really half ass raises. Full stretch at bottom full contraction at top combined with some heavy weight provides the best results in my opinion. I also think that prioritizing your calves is crucial. You have to give them the same time and respect as you would your biceps or chest if you want them to be up to par.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

BlkWS6, sorry bro I disagree, sometimes I go months at a time doing only two sets for calfs a week on the leg press machine doing half, maybe 3/4 reps with 1500 ibs on the leg press. Although right now I also do donkey calf raises (high reps because donkey calf raise machines always have such a damn light weight stack, but if you only take 10 seconds between sets you can fail before rep 20 on later sets) twice a week too, and I do get a good stretch. However the lift is designed for a stretch. On lifts that force the muscle into an extreme stretch at the bottom (donkey calf raise, sl deads, incline curls, behind the head tricep exts, etc) you can get the benefit of a myostatic reflex by going deep into the stretch, but on most lifts it really is irrelivant.

Jolly Rodgers, ok bro, try this, do a set of donkey calf raises to failure with the entire stack, slow negative, deep stretch, explosive concentric. Immediately superset it with a moderate weight on the standing calf raise, followed by a double drop set (go down in 50 ibs increments) once you fail, go back to the weight you started at and do some burns at the bottom. Do one set like that twice a week and see how your calves do. The shape of your calves is genetic. Your lateral gastric head has a shorter insertion than the medial head. Big deal, I have the same problem, but every bodybuilder I know give me props because of my calves.

 

[bigstve12]

i superset and dropset the hell out of them. If im still walking, im not done

 

[Zander1983]

Mine grow like weeds with very little work. Guess I'm lucky.

 

[BlkWS6]

Thats interesting bodybyfina. Calves have always been a weak point for me, and now many think that it is starting to become one of my strong points (even though I still think they suck). I have gotten my best results off of utilizing a full range of motion at all times with calves. The reason I think this works best is that I feel as though I was genetically shafted on calves and yet I have still brought them up to an ok size (around 18" cold). I feel as though if I was able to bring my calves up to a decent size ANYONE can!

BodyBy: if you can go months without training them and blow them up with 3/4 movements I would say that you have genetically gifted calves to begin with which allows you get to away with barely training them and training them with parital movmements (which I dont think are entirely bad anyways) That is why I thought I would chime in here, I have struggled with calves my whole life but finally after nice full reps with decent weight they are growing. Some of the biggest calves I have seen belonged to guys that never have done a calf raise in their life, and those are the last people I would ask for advice on how to train calves. Im not saying you are wrong in any way body, but from what I gather from your post I feel as though you were dealt a rather nice hand regarding calf genetics and that you can get away with calf routines that most of us could not.

 

[Deleted member 33117]

BlkWS, true I'm pretty blessed in the delt and calf department, I simply find a heavy set or two every now and then is enough to stimulate growth. I was simply pointing out with the full range of of motion thing that doing half reps on a non-stretch position movement (ie toe presses on a leg press machine) with a heavier weight is probably not any less effective than doing full range of motion with your regular weight. A study by Powers,Browning & Groves in 1978 (sorry only info I have to give on on the study) showed that atheletes using an 8 week program of super heavy partials produced comperable results to control group atheletes using similar routines with full range of motion reps. It is not the full range of motion per se that is the result of your outstanding results, but is probably the fact that you had a good routine and busted your ass for the gains.
BlkWS6:"...I also think that prioritizing your calves is crucial. You have to give them the same time and respect as you would your biceps or chest if you want them to be up to par."

That statement pretty much sums it up...

 

[Griz]

Never done much squats (bad back) and I have calves that apparantly "rock" according to many folks (either that or they're just trying to borrow money...)

I will say that running on my toes helped alot growing up. I have short legs but can sprint like nobody's business. Basically cause I run and push off with both my thighs AND my calves. (O.K. not my toes but the balls of my feet).

The first time my wife and I ran full out she shit herself. She has long legs (yay!) and was running as fast as she could and she said there was this wind on her left and I past her like she was standing still. Same goes for my buddy who jogs all the time. I raced him to the car one night coming out of the bar and he was so pissed that I kicked his ass he quit running for a month! Funny thing was if the car was a half block further I'd have died right there. Short distances work for me (angry husbands with bats, or cops with attitude help alot too!)

If you saw me you'd understand why this is funny (long torso, short legs, HUGE fucking calves).

Use your calves! And like BBF said "busted your ass for the gains." WAIL/SHRED/BEAT/RIP THE SHIT out of your calves and they will grow. It's funny how you see guys in the gym reaching WAY down and finding the power for that LAST rep on the bench, or their quads, or whatever. When it comes to calves they get tired and quit way too early and way too light. I'm up to finishing at somewhere (depends on the day) between 250 and 290 lbs. I love seeing the young guys shit when I add the sixth plate to the seated calf raise machine after they just finished with two plates.

Get the picture?

work on calves=gains on calves.

Sorry to come off like a egotist folks.