Thread: Small Calves Any Suggestions

Work out hard. Most people workout virually no intensity. Bump it up a notch!

SUPERSETS
DROPSETS

16.2 is small? Crap!! I have 15" calves

Set the treadmill at the highest incline and walk at a slow to medium pace for about 5 to 10 minutes.(This pumps up your calves).Then do your regular calve workout.This works pretty good for me.

In proportion to the rest of me its small. I read your calves should be at least the same size has your arms.

My arms are about 16 3/4.

Originally posted by plouffe
Work out hard. Most people workout virually no intensity. Bump it up a notch!

SUPERSETS
DROPSETS

Intensity is the key to growth especially in calves. Just keep going till it feel like a blow torch is burnin your calves. Just keep tellin yourself DONT STOP YET

Exactly, I hate working calves -- But the burn is beautiful

You have to love pain to have good calves.... well pretty much all bodyparts but calves and legs especially.

I love soreness/burn but when I don´t get it that doesn´t mean that I failed at my workout.

Start heavy, finish with lighter stuff. I do standing then seated, haven't done donkeys etc

A lot of people have genetically "short" and small calves, thats life.

Don´t forget to warm up.

Thos original poster may not be working out intensely enough, or perhaps just doesn't have the genetics.

Burn your calves until they are screaming. Calf burns are my favorite....

Originally posted by Vieope
I love soreness/burn but when I don´t get it that doesn´t mean that I failed at my workout.

When you say soreness/burn what are you refering to the pain you feel during the acutal set or the pain the days after?
Burn is what you feel during the set and soreness is what you feel the days after.
If it's the first yes you must feel the burn.
If it's the second soreness is different for different people. If your not sore it dosn't mean you failed, but I would try to work them harder next time.

So do you advocate high reps Scott? Because you don't usually get a "burn" with high weight, low reps.

I usually do 4-6 rep, I rarely feel any burn, doesn´t matter what weight I`m putting on.

Yeah, you won't necessarily feel a burn whenever you do heavy weights/low reps. But that doesn't mean your not growing or hitting the muscle. At least that is what Gopro taught me concerning his Power week.

Exactly

Thanks for the suggestions, I will pick up the intensity and practice concentrating on the muscle more when I work them.

You have to keep in mind the type of muscle the calves are. They are ment to contract hundereds of times in a day. Look at sprinters calves. That's not to say low reps arn't needed as well. You should do both hi and low reps, but the type of muscle the calves are would dictate they would be best suited for higher reps. My rep range veryes from 6 - 25 reps. I do a little of both every calv workout, but I generally start with hi and end with hi. But like everything else everybody is diff. I generaly sugest what works best for me and the clients I have had over the last 15 years of consulting.

In my mind, "burn" is equal to fatigue.

I will have to paraphrase as I forget the exact quote:

'These types of muscles need higher reps due to their ability to re-oxygenate quickly'

This would be quads/hams/calves, I would also say neck. Muscles that put up with abuse day in and day out.

Forearms also?

Maybe, I like to go light and slow on forearms anyway. I have been using dumbells lately also FWIW, I do 10-15ish, not 20-30 though.

Originally posted by rock4832
Forearms also?

Yes if you walk on your hands Just kidding. Not as much as calfes (or legs in general). But hi and low reps for forearms is a good idea too.

Forearms respond so good. You can get massive forearms in no time. I used to do like 20 sum sets for forearms. Probally excessive, but they're big now.

Abs/traps too ?