grow calves! grow!

[MUSCULARMAYOR]

anyone have any tips or tricks they have used to turn their weak ass calves into cows? I've training for about 5 years and have come along way but my calves haven't. I usually train with a 5 day split, hitting calves 2-3 times per week. I've tried low reps(5-10), high reps(25-50), super sets, drop sets, giant sets, stretching between sets. Needless to say, I'm stuck. Thanks for the help boys.

[St]

Maybe i can help i hane big legs.Do you have small or high calves muscles?
Also most people try there legs why to many times in a week,i train my calves every 3-4 days.Best thing is Strict form,also if in time you find they don't grow in months,you can add drop sets,or rest-pause once every two-three week very easy to over train them,you have to remember that we stand or walk on them and that put lots of stress on them,and don't take this from people that your calves recovery is faster than most muscles,the body have the same muscle fibers in the body.

Best exercise Seated calf raises,and always do this in every work out.Put it this way i have amazing genes in my legs,but when i did drop it from my training for a long time i seen my calf size go down.Makes then nice and Wide when looking at them from far way.

[Musclehead]

You mentioned changing around the rep range but what about volume? I've made decent gains from about 6 total sets 2-3 times per week going heavy....6-8 reps. Try low volume for 2 months..maybe 4-6 total sets and then try higher volume for 2 months....10-12 sets and see which you find better. I am a true hard gainer with calves BUT I do find now that not worrying about them and just being consistent is the best....so I change volume and reps around a lot.

[MUSCULARMAYOR]

much respect, thanks boys.

[bottleneckblooz]

Try this:

Doesn't matter what exercise you choose, but pick one exercise and try to get 75 reps as fast as you can. Don't rest for any more than 10 seconds between sets. Even if youcan only get 4 or 5 reps before your calves give out, that's fine, as long as you get to the 75 reps as fast as possible.

I got this from another board, it's seemed to work for many people.

[IronRobi]

Try this:

Doesn't matter what exercise you choose, but pick one exercise and try to get 75 reps as fast as you can. Don't rest for any more than 10 seconds between sets. Even if youcan only get 4 or 5 reps before your calves give out, that's fine, as long as you get to the 75 reps as fast as possible.

I got this from another board, it's seemed to work for many people.

I do this every other calf workout! My calves have ALWAYS lagged behind. I trained them just as hard as everything else and they just refused to grow. Every second calf workout I throw this in there and they've actually been catching up! Over an inch since january!

[St]

If nothing works there is always pump&pose.;)
Maybe that's how i got all my size on in my calves.:)

[Mr Ontario]

What weight are you suggesting? Light/Medium to heavy or it doesn't matter?


Try this:

Doesn't matter what exercise you choose, but pick one exercise and try to get 75 reps as fast as you can. Don't rest for any more than 10 seconds between sets. Even if youcan only get 4 or 5 reps before your calves give out, that's fine, as long as you get to the 75 reps as fast as possible.

I got this from another board, it's seemed to work for many people.

[Demonwolf]

Try this:

Doesn't matter what exercise you choose, but pick one exercise and try to get 75 reps as fast as you can. Don't rest for any more than 10 seconds between sets. Even if youcan only get 4 or 5 reps before your calves give out, that's fine, as long as you get to the 75 reps as fast as possible.

I got this from another board, it's seemed to work for many people.


i have done this too, with a target of 100 reps. Can't walk for 10 days after. needless to say i don't do it too often. I use a weight that i can initially get about 20 resp with.

[beserker]

If nothing works there is always pump&pose.;)
Maybe that's how i got all my size on in my calves.:)

Ahahahahahahahaha perfect solution :)

[IronRobi]

What weight are you suggesting? Light/Medium to heavy or it doesn't matter?

Pick a weight that you can do 15 of without much of a struggle. Then do 75. If you hit a point where it just hurts so bad, stop and rest for 5s (10 max) and keep pushing towards 75. When you can get to 100, then it's time to up the weight.

The reason this technique works for calves is simply because we use them all day everyday. We're walk on them, run on them, jump with them, they haul our 200+ lb asses around... Doing 6-10 reps for our calves are really not a challenge for them at all because they do 100s every day.

The only downside of this workout is when everybody in the gym sees you almost in tears trying to lift a weight normally considered "light" without knowing your having to do it 75 times

[td1111]

Here is the original article. I'm using this routine with excellent results. Watch out though! Last time I pushed it too far and was sore for 10 DAYS. Near-damage, even with light weight!

________________________________

Cooked Calves--In Under 4 Minutes - by Nelson Montana


How are your calves? Mine suck. Actually, by normal people's
standards, they're pretty good. But by bodybuilding standards...well, let's
just say that Dorian Yates wouldn't be intimidated by a toe-to-toe
comparison.



So if my calves are only "so so", what makes me qualified to write an
article on calve training? Doesn't it make more sense to hear from someone
with extraordinary calves? Ironically, anyone with outstanding calve
development is the last person to be giving advice on improving the lower
leg. They're the ones who have it easy -- the lucky few born with lots of
fast twitch fibers in the lower legs. That's because, more than any other
muscle group, the size and shape of one's calves is determined by heredity.
People with a genetic disposition for shapely muscular calves need only to
walk and their calves will look good. Bastards.



For the rest of us mere mortals, it's different. Like most
bodybuilders, my calves have always resisted growth--so much so that not
too long ago they bore a striking resemblance to a pair of pool cues. It was
pitiful! I've had to battle for every centimeter of growth but despite all
the effort, nothing

seemed to help. I tried everything. Then it hit me. It was so simple.
(As most "discoveries" are.)



After years of trial and error, I finally found the secret to adding
precious muscle tissue onto those stubborn soleus.



HEEL UP--HEEL DOWN--WHAT ELSE?

Let's face it, the calves are pretty limited in the way they can be
trained. Everything is a toe raise of some sort. Add into the mix that they
don't provide a satisfying pump, as is the case when working the chest or
arms. They just burn. The key to killer calves isn't in the exercises, but
in the method in which they're employed.



There are two theories to calve training. Because the muscle group
consists of mostly slow twitch (red) muscle fibers, the potential for growth
is limited. Slow twitch muscles are designed for endurance, leaving the
presumption that the calves should be trained with high reps. The opposite
school of thought is: because the calves are used to performing thousands of
reps each day (walking and running) they need to be "shocked" with low reps
and heavy weight. "Light" work won't work since the thick ankle bone and
Achilles tendon are capable of withstanding tremendous pressure, therefore
it stands to reason that working the calves with a heavy load would be
necessary. Both theories are valid. Both theories are flawed.



GET IT OVER WITH!

It's been my experience that calves respond best when worked quickly.
That doesn't necessarily mean that the reps should be fast. Instead, the
total reps should be condensed into as little time as possible.



That's the key.



It may be hard to believe that any workout session that lasts for only
a few minutes can be very effective. Yet, in the case of calve training,
it's not only possible--it's preferable.



Here's how it's done.



Pick only one calve exercise. (I prefer the seated calve raise.)
Your goal will be to reach 75 reps.



Use a weight that you would normally choose for a twenty rep set.



Complete the 20 reps and continue until you can't do another rep.



Rest just long enough for the burning to subside (no longer than 10
seconds) and continue with as many reps as possible, even if it's only 5
reps at a time.



Proceed in this fashion until you reach the target goal of 75.



That's it! Total time? Under 4 minutes. Granted, it's a very painful
four minutes, but four minutes nonetheless.



WARNING!

You may feel a tinge of guilt that the routine took so little time
but you'll have a different point of view the next day when your calves are
aching like they've never ached before! Do not be tempted to do more work!
Wait and see. If you're still able to walk, you either didn't go heavy
enough or you allowed too much time between "sets."



Once you're able to tolerate this routine, increase the number of reps
to 100. Once that becomes too easy, (which I wouldn't count on happening in
the near future) add more weight.



I found this routine to be, by far, the most effective method for
packing some well earned muscle onto the calves. Even the hardest gainer can
add size and shape to their lower leg as long as they can tolerate the
torture required to "keep going" and complete the work out in as short a
duration as possible. But make no mistake about it--when following this
program it's going to feel as if someone is pouring acid on your calves!
(And who says calve training can't be fun?)



Now you don't have any excuses. Four minutes is nothing! But a great
pair of calves is a most envious "finished touch" to the complete physique.
If this routine worked for me, (stick leg Nellie) it can work for anyone.
Give this four minute workout a try for a month and see for yourself if it
doesn't make a dramatic difference in the size and shape of your calves.



Even if your calves aren't your best bodypart, there's no reason they
can't look good. All it takes is 4 minutes a week. And a high tolerance for
pain.

[gixxman]

The burnout method has worked for me recently..here it is

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/krisgethin1.htm

[L3]

i like the seated calve raise machine where the pads are on top of your knees... just do static lift with 2 plates on each leg individually for the first set, then up to 4 plates total and do reps till faliure, then add some more weight and do reps till falirue.

im trying to bring the inside part of the muscle up towards my knee so ive started doing them with my heels together and toes pointing out, i'm not able to do as much weight but hopefully it works out and i dont end up with some f-up looking calves

[Mickyo613]

Fortunately, I was blessed with pretty decent calves ... however, I seem to remember reading about a routine that Arnold did. As I recall, he use to do 10 sets of 10 with only minimal rest between sets. So again, it's that magic 100 rep program, but done in a slightly different way.

[tex]

try this one.....this is calf training dc style......i train my calves with 1 exercise and then just 1 working set......my calves have great size ( genetics).....and they are cut to shreds.......this workout owns me and by the time i am to my 12th rep i am wanting to cry and battery acid is shooting thru my calves......

1 set of 15 reps

5 second negative, hold the stretch at the bottom of the rep for 5 seconds then explode up.......then when you cant take any more you sink down into the bottom of the last rep and let it stretch for a FULL 15-20 seconds.......you'll be cursing me.....but it works.....

[The Terminator]

Have you tried static stretching under resistance such as what Dante suggests in DC Training? It's a good idea, as it helps to stretch the fascia of the muscle, and that means the ability for more growth.

Matt