Thread: Damn claves..Lucky you who are blessed

Im in the same department as you my calves are lacking, what exercises do you do for calves?What rep scheme?

Ummm... I guess I was blessed, but I can tell you what has furthered my calves and has helped friends and training partners of mine whose calves were not as big to begin w/. Mine wouldn't get smaller than 18" for about 3 years until this summer (training/diet slump) but when I resumed this program, I went from 17.25 to a 10th of an in under 18" since early Sept. Train them like a normal muscle group and don't think that you have to get in a hundred reps a set. I'd go w/ heavy wt for med reps.

This is my routine, only 1 movement (exercise)
(used to do donkey raises, but I no longer have that available )

seated calf raises: (all reps slow but deliberate w/ a 2sec squeeze at the top) & about a min b/w 1st 5 sets/ 15sec b/w sets 6-9

lbs____reps/sets
2x45 15reps
3x45 15reps
4x45 12reps
5x45 10-12 reps
5x45 & a 25 8-10 reps
5x45 6reps
4x45 6reps
3x45 6reps
2x45 6reps
(1min rest)
1x45 (super slow burn-out w/ long neg's)

Many'll say it's overkill and no, you can't hardly walk afterwards, but it's worked for about 4 of 5 guys I've recommended it to ...and me

I like to superset seated and standing calf raise.
I've found a very heavy weight works the best with a rep range of 13-15 is best.

As for foot placement, it probably wouldn't hurt changing it now and then, I don't because I go heavy and don't want to risk injury.

Foot placement. I keep 'em parallel until I feel one side getting preferential cramping LOL

I've never had a problem with foot cramping, might have something to do with the shoes?

I usually do 8 sets of seated and stand up calfes.

Some guys do them by changing foot pacement ,i.e., toes pointed out/inisde..Could this change be beneficial in terms of calf developement?

What do you think?

Originally posted by Scotty the Body
I've never had a problem with foot cramping, might have something to do with the shoes?

No, not the feet, but after a while, those 2 sec squeezes start on my calves

Originally posted by Vvitto
I usually do 8 sets of seated and stand up calfes.

Some guys do them by changing foot pacement ,i.e., toes pointed out/inisde..Could this change be beneficial in terms of calf developement?

What do you think?

Theoretically, yes.
But I why not keep 'em parallel and go for total action. Trying to focus on that may just waste energy that could be better used for general building.

I have trained calves about 8 times... My calves are really really week, but I am very new to this work out stuff. I usually do standing calf raises about 3 sets of 10 if I can last that long before they feel like they will explode. By the way my calves about 16.5 inchs and I weigh 155 pounds at 5' 10". Everyone says they are really good and my sisters boyfriends uncle call the award winning. I dont know Im kinda skinny but my calves look good I guess I have to start going to the gym though cause I got a jelly belly and can only curl 20 lbs

Sounds like you've got a good set of calves, keep at it

I like standing calf raises on a front squat machine, and seated afterwards, in the 10-30 rep range, usually 15-20ish.

Personally I love destroying my calves. (probably due to me having a calf fetish) (ummmm... gacstrocnemius fetish, so you don't all think i'm into young cows...nasty) anyway, I work 'em till they explode.

Three main moves, work the two muscles that compose what is commonly referred to as the calf. The gastrocnemius (the little horseshoe at the top near the knee) and the soleus which is the long flat one underneath the gastroc.

Suppoesedly standing heel raises work the gastrocs, and seated heel raises work the soleus. The donkey I like coz it just plain works!!!

You don't have to go heavy initially, make sure that when you do lift the first couple of times, you make sure you really squeeze the muscles at the top of the movement, so that it almost hurts, almost like getting a cramp.

And change rep schemes as often as you can to keep the muscles guessing.

Good luck mate

Whats on your view small calves?
Define small please!
14 in or 15 in or 16?

"Small Calves" I would define as not being in proportion to your thighs.

There was an older guy that use to come to the gym often during the winter, he had AWSOME calves, they were out of proportion to the rest of his legs, kind of looked like Popeye but in the legs.
I asked him what he did for a living, he said he was a carpenter and spent alot of time on step ladders and that along with genetics is probably why they were so out of proportion.
They looked cool though.

Originally posted by Vvitto
I usually do 8 sets of seated and stand up calfes.

Some guys do them by changing foot pacement ,i.e., toes pointed out/inisde..Could this change be beneficial in terms of calf developement?

What do you think?

Yup, Be benificial in overall calf develpoment. Switching toe or foot position changes the angle from which the calve is worked.....
..High reps and heavy weight is my recomendation.

The whole muscle still has to fire so I wonder if different foot position really makes much difference?

You said it all right there. Hard work and determination. Believe me they will grow. You need to prioritize your weaker bodyparts. Do them more frequently and Don't be afraid to go heavy on them. Calves are a tuff muscle to build for just about everyone. They and abs are muscles I feel can be trained more then once a week so train them more.
I hate the word "genetics" and hate it being used as frequently as it is. It's my belief that Genetics play a big part but not as big as people give them credit for. Don't use it as an excuse.

Originally posted by Vvitto
"if your cursed with small calves it takes years and years of hard work to get them big, or even proportioned with the rest of your body."





Just curious to hear from those who are not blessed with genetically great calves but who have managed to build them.

Does foot placement matters,frequency,reps?Range of motion?

I'm not sure about this but I thought calves are supposed to be the same measurement as arms. I may be wrong. I totally forget. Maybe it was forearms.
All I know my calves are behind my arms for sure.

Originally posted by firestorm
I'm not sure about this but I thought calves are supposed to be the same measurement as arms. I may be wrong. I totally forget. Maybe it was forearms.
All I know my calves are behind my arms for sure.

I Hope not....otherwise im lacking in the arms department

Keep the rep range around 20-25 and be sure to do a full range of motion!! The calf muscle is very tough.....

High reps aren't going to bring about as much hypertrophy as you're wanting IMO.

I agree with Corn, I use to do high reps around 18-20 but found better results and increase in strength when I upped the weight and kept the reps around 10.

Hey, scotty
Are we really agreeing on something?

Its crazy, I know.

Yea I never really understood that super high rep thingy either for calves. I only do my 1st set of 20 reps for a warmup and then never over 12 after that.

I do 50 rep sets for calves.