Lunatic calf raises...

[Steve The Bluesman]

My home gym has everything I need except for a calf raise machine. I have been doing one legged raises while holding a DB, but that doesn't really cut it.

So last night I decided to experiment in the name of all of us home gym guys that don't want to drop $300 on a seated calf raise machine.

I placed my hexagonal 50 lb DB's in my power cage stepped up on them at about shoulder width, and got under 135 to see how it would work.

Amazingly, it actually works pretty good! If you do squats, the weight will feel natural on your shoulders, and you will know how to stabilize the weight.

Although at first I thought I was going to go flying backward along with the weight, but if you get the right angle, you can get decent results and a full ROM. You might scrape up the top of your cage a bit through...

Later,


Bluesman

 

[Schutzhund1]

I lift in a home gym too. I've got a seated calf machine but I feel that standing calf raises work the muscle in a different way than seated calf raises. I've been using a 4"x6"x24" block of wood with a bar on my shoulders like you. I've been using a safety squat bar recently but before I had that, I would use one hand to steady myself in the cage and the other to support the bar. It wasn't pretty but it worked.

For $100 this http://davedraper.com/top-squat.html is a good alternative to a safety squat bar and can be used for other stuff too.

 

[Sub-Zero]

My home gym has everything I need except for a calf raise machine. I have been doing one legged raises while holding a DB, but that doesn't really cut it.

So last night I decided to experiment in the name of all of us home gym guys that don't want to drop $300 on a seated calf raise machine.

I placed my hexagonal 50 lb DB's in my power cage stepped up on them at about shoulder width, and got under 135 to see how it would work.

Amazingly, it actually works pretty good! If you do squats, the weight will feel natural on your shoulders, and you will know how to stabilize the weight.

Although at first I thought I was going to go flying backward along with the weight, but if you get the right angle, you can get decent results and a full ROM. You might scrape up the top of your cage a bit through...

Later,


Bluesman

at my gym they have this wooden "block" that is about a 2 foot long (or maybe a bit more) plank with 2 perpendicular planks on the ends (to give more height and its perpendicular so it doesnt tip over when ur on it) and u can do what u described but without worrying that the dbs will mess up and you end up hurt

i bet u can make that for urself for cheap

 

[Steve The Bluesman]

I think I will build me one of those blocks...My feet tend to slide toward the outsides of the DB's as the reps wear on, making my toes cramp up...


Bluesman