Calve training

[DANOZ]

The only way i can put it is chicken legs yes thats right chicken legs! I did not get good genetics in this area.

I have been smashing my legs for a a few months now and wow my quads are looking great in proportion with the rest of my body, how ever my calves well thats a different matter.

I train my legs hard once week without fail, as there is no point looking great just from the waist up.

I sometimes even train my calves twice a week!(as my calves are really pin like) Now i am getting results on my calves but very very very slow results. Lots of work for such small results!

What suggestions do you have for working my calves? Is training twice a week not enough? too much? Or do i just have to patient and it will come over time which seems like an eternity?

Here is a list of my current calve excercises:

standing calf raise
seated calf raise
toe raise (on a leg press)

[davkell]

What type of set/rep range are you using?

Calves are tricky, many find them difficult if not impossible to grow, and everyone is different.

I find the best approach is Drop Sets. Jump on the Standing Calf Raise machine, put the pin on the heaviest plate and rep out to failure. Drop two plates, rep out again. Keep dropping two plates after each failure till you hit 20reps!!!

Burns like hell, and after 3 sets like that you'll have trouble pushing the accelerator on your car going home, but you should get results. Remember, you're walking on the damn things all day so they need a killer workout (heavy weight and high reps) to make them grow.

Cheers.

[Patricia]

Calves are very stubborn, and the generally accepted principle is they can take alot more training, and most say require it.

You say you train them once a week, and sometimes two times a week? I would say pump your calf training up to a 3 time a week schedule.

3 times a week, with reps ranging into the higher area, consistency and intensity [good calf training should make your calves literally feel on fire], stretching them, and the normal boring making sure you are eating to sustain growth - and your calves should respond as much as your genetics allow.

[zander]

why do big (fat) people have big calves ?

cause theyre carrying around lots of extra weight all of the time ? One young guy dropped over Corals place once to pick up some posing trunks , massive calves , after some conversation we found he had shed over 50kg bodyfat and now was competing ...

laymans observation would be training with heavy weights often to stimulate growth.

I got some good results from throwing in 3 x 100's light and then 3 x 15's heavy ( any calve exercise ) at the end of a workout for a few months , only takes 15 minuts really .... flip side of the issue is the gains soon diminished once the extra stimulation stopped ...

so ... theyre a prick of a thing to grow . but when you do you really have to bash them up badly to get ahead.

[DANOZ]

Originally Posted by davkell

What type of set/rep range are you using?

I vary my set/rep fairly regulary to keep the body guessing. Yesterday i did Standing calve raisers-Machine 4 sets of 15,12,10,8 reps and also Seated calf raisers 3 stes 15,12,10 reps as slow and controlled as i possible.

i then went on a treadmill with a mega incline for awhile to get a burn and also to sneak in some cardio.

I had done my legs in the same session.

[Patricia]

Originally Posted by zander

so ... theyre a prick of a thing to grow . but when you do you really have to bash them up badly to get ahead.

Exactly, not fun, but true...

[Mr_Oz]

As already said, calves are stubborn. Tough as old leather. So obviously that calls for a different approach to training them as opposed to chest or back or whatever.

I'm lucky in that my calves are fairly good, but i still smash them twice a week, and have gotten good results.

I start with standing calf raises and go heavy, keeping the reps between 20 for thelighter sets, down to 8 or so for my heaviest set. Good stretch at the bottom, then ng as high as possible on the toes. 4 sets.

Then i go to toe presses on the leg press. 3sets, heavy, though i keep the reps between 12-20. Using perfect from and a 1,2 tempo on both the eccentirc and concentric phase.

Other thing i absolutely swear by, stretching. I murder my calves with stretching between sets and after my calf workout. I even implement some ballistic type stretching, though this shouldn't be done by a novice trainer/stretcher.

Just keep at it though. They are a pain in the arse, but don't just write them off as genetics. You mighten gain heaps, but a bit is better than nothing.....

[ozfactor]

Just get some calf implants like Arnold allegedly did.Still not sure myself But yeah just hit them hard with high reps I find is best for growth.

[MuscleandBrawn]

Try some high volume work with short rests between sets. 30-40 reps, rest a minute, 30-40 reps, rest, etc.

It's worth a shot.

[DANOZ]

Originally Posted by MuscleandBrawn

Try some high volume work with short rests between sets. 30-40 reps, rest a minute, 30-40 reps, rest, etc.

It's worth a shot.

Thanks for the tip will give it a go to change it up, i will keep you posted.