Small calves, need help!

[chocolatemalt]

Muscle Fiber Precentage Source:
Abcbodybuilding.com

Nice info on slow- and fast-twitch fibre percentages but, wow... what a painfully horrible site. Whatever coder wrote the javascript and flash there needs to be hunted down and killed with 2x4's imbedded with nails. Publicly. Corpse burned and dismembered. That way other coders will get the message and the world will be a much better place.

Or maybe my tren dose is too high.

 

[bjg]

i love how you assume just because someone lifts more weight than you would recomend its automatically with inproper form.
Why cant I calf press properly with a large amount of weight?
Surely you dont think its impossible do you?

edit note**
to be clear when i do this i step on the the vertical leg press machine where the plates are stacked behand my back, I stack 5, 45lb plates on each side =450 lbs + 250lbs (my weight) and I proceed to do calf presses with full extensions... I am not trying to brag by any means I just thought if i put it this way people would be able to see what i am saying. Its not that farfetched.

i never said anything about your form, i was saying that weight is not the issue in bodybuilding and that for comes first. i just mentioned the 700 lbs as an example.
and by the way i do have big and full calves and can do calf raises with the smith machine with over 400 lbs and this is no leg press machine. However i find it much more useful to train calves with less than 200 lbs and rarely go above 220 in my squats, and the results are much better without any injuries.

 

[sendit08]

i never said anything about your form, i was saying that weight is not the issue in bodybuilding and that for comes first. i just mentioned the 700 lbs as an example.
and by the way i do have big and full calves and can do calf raises with the smith machine with over 400 lbs and this is no leg press machine. However i find it much more useful to train calves with less than 200 lbs and rarely go above 220 in my squats, and the results are much better without any injuries.

ok i understand what you are saying but here is where i get confused.
dont you think that just taking a step from one place to the other is at least partially doing a calf excersice with 200+ lbs.
Like if you walked everywhere on your hands dont you think that your forearms would be significantly stronger than your calves.
I am just trying to aproach this rationally, I dont have scientific training or anything I just think my calves are holidn up my body weight all the time and for me to put some serious strain on them I would have to use multiple times my body weight to do so.

also post #27 "comment #1"
It seems like you are direclty commenting on my form being off.

 

[bjg]

^^^ twice your body weight is fine to workout with. so if you are 200 lbs add another 200 for vertical raises . The leg press machine needs more weight to be equivalent to the a vertical press. your movement should be a combination of slow sets and faster ones., and should range from full stretch to full contraction with a slight pause at full contraction. reps range from 10-20 if you can do more than slow 20 reps then add some weight. be careful sudden moves or push is not good for the tendons at this weight and can cause tendon problems and/or rupture. movements must stay smooth and uniform

 

[sendit08]

^^^ twice your body weight is fine to workout with. so if you are 200 lbs add another 200 for vertical raises . The leg press machine needs more weight to be equivalent to the a vertical press. your movement should be a combination of slow sets and faster ones., and should range from full stretch to full contraction with a slight pause at full contraction. reps range from 10-20 if you can do more than slow 20 reps then add some weight. be careful sudden moves or push is not good for the tendons at this weight and can cause tendon problems and/or rupture. movements must stay smooth and uniform

Your first two sentences confuse the shit out of me.
I just dont get why you think you know how much wheight is "fine" to be working out with.
Some people are stronger than others. Some people may have stronger legs while another person has a stronger chest.
What makes you think that you know exactly how much weight someone should be lifting. I would think that even experts would say that the amount of weight is what varys from person to person.

 

[bjg]

sure the weight varies but any weight will actually do the job, i can workout with 100 lbs or with 300 lbs and get the same results, the main idea is to focus on the movement and on the muscle used and on the form rather the weight. now i said if 20 reps is easy you can add some weight.
i assumed twice your body weight at first because for someone with strong calves this is a good weight. as if you are doing donkey calves with someone on your back.
don't be fooled by training with lighter weight , when done properly it is much harder than working out with heavy weights.

 

[sendit08]

sure the weight varies but any weight will actually do the job, i can workout with 100 lbs or with 300 lbs and get the same results, the main idea is to focus on the movement and on the muscle used and on the form rather the weight. now i said if 20 reps is easy you can add some weight.
i assumed twice your body weight at first because for someone with strong calves this is a good weight. as if you are doing donkey calves with someone on your back.
don't be fooled by training with lighter weight , when done properly it is much harder than working out with heavy weights.

you are really starting to talk in circles now.
if the exact same motions are being carried out for the exact same amount of repitions and every single thing was equal except more weight was used dont you think the added weight would increase hypertrophy?

 

[bjg]

^^^ how can you do the exact amount of repetitions with more weight????
i guess i was not clear enough: better to use light weight and good from with good smooth movement focusing on your target muscle and go maximum repetitions ( choosing weight that will not allow you to go over 15-20 reps) rather than increasing the weight that will force you to compromise with your form and focus. with heavier weights you cannot go to the maximum pump unless you use drop weights.
now when i say compromising from it means:
perfect form+ slow and smooth movement+ a little pause on maximum contraction with a good stretch going down SLOWLY+ focusing on your muscles contracting+ no jerking of weight or sudden moves + go to failure but not in all your sets and every workout, but at least to near failure where you have a good pump
if all the above are satisfied then you will be surprised how much your weights will drop.

 

[sendit08]

^^^ how can you do the exact amount of repetitions with more weight????
i guess i was not clear enough: better to use light weight and good from with good smooth movement focusing on your target muscle and go maximum repetitions ( choosing weight that will not allow you to go over 15-20 reps) rather than increasing the weight that will force you to compromise with your form and focus. with heavier weights you cannot go to the maximum pump unless you use drop weights.
now when i say compromising from it means:
perfect form+ slow and smooth movement+ a little pause on maximum contraction with a good stretch going down SLOWLY+ focusing on your muscles contracting+ no jerking of weight or sudden moves + go to failure but not in all your sets and every workout, but at least to near failure where you have a good pump
if all the above are satisfied then you will be surprised how much your weights will drop.

i give up.
you win.
you're just going to keep repeating yourself anyways.

 

[Arnold]

I recommend high reps for calves due to the muscle fiber type.

 

[Anibalyeah]

Genetics

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

I recommend high reps for calves due to the muscle fiber type.

The Gastroc is a fast twitch muscle. The Soleus is a slow twitch muscle.

Using a one size fits all is not an effective method.

Kenny Croxdale

 

[Mr Persistent]

6 times a week is overtraining man.. There's not a magical exercise tht will make them grow either it's pretty generic but there's still alot of growin left on them to go.. Train them once a week that's it failing that I know a guy who knows a guy who sells synthol lmao nah jut jokin!

On a side note I don't know how people can train chest and back on the same day after a punishing back session with heavy deadlifts the last thing on my mind is hey lets go train chest lmao

 

[Dr.G]

talking about genetics , yesterday i saw a guy with the biggest set of calves, he was on the fat side but huge calves, and when i asked him about it, he answered that he never trains legs!

 

[sendit08]

6 times a week is overtraining man.. There's not a magical exercise tht will make them grow either it's pretty generic but there's still alot of growin left on them to go.. Train them once a week that's it failing that I know a guy who knows a guy who sells synthol lmao nah jut jokin!

On a side note I don't know how people can train chest and back on the same day after a punishing back session with heavy deadlifts the last thing on my mind is hey lets go train chest lmao

I would disect your post one sentence at a time showing that you know nothing and I know everything but I forgot im not kenny!

 

[heavylifting1]

Sometimes its best to train the bodypart twice a week.

 

[theCaptn']

once every two weeks, high rep the shit out of them. I prefer standing calf raise, seated is sore on my quads if Ive been working them. I also do a heap of inclined treadmill for my cardio - start at 5 degrees for 5 minutes, then add a degree every minute until hit 15 degrees without changing speed, so it becomes a walking lunge. Drop the angle back to 5 then start again.

 

[heavylifting1]

High repping your calves or any muscle for that matter is a good way to get it to grow.

 

[TheFreak1]

Gastrocnemius usually more fast twitch dominant in most people so a controlled eccentric and explosive concentric slightly lower TUT. Straight legs(slight and I mean SLIGHT bend is ok for obvious reasons) to reach its fully stretched and shortened point.

Soleus, pretty much opposite of the Gastroc. For most individuals they have more slower twitch fibers in that area of the calves, so higher TUT, controlled eccentric and a controlled concentric...ugh...in other words a example tempo like a 2222 would be sufficient.

Once a week should be enough if your really hammering them hard.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

Once a week should be enough if your really hammering them hard.

Blitzkeig

For individuals genetically disposed to small calves, they need to work them pretty much everyday.

Srinters are a great exammple They have great calves. Sprinters work them everyday.

Kenny Croxdale

 

[jshredz]

Everyone here brings valid points! No need for arguments.

Try alternating and apply the different techniques throughout the year and see what works best for you.

Jshredz

 

[PushAndPull]

Hiking has worked wonders for my calves.

 

[Tdeizel89]

I think everything def doesnt work for everyone. But going heavy sumdays. Is great! Doing lighter weights higher reps works great to. I do them both. Then sum other days do tons of drop sets. And hiking couple days a week DEF. helps alot. Generics also sum ppl jus r born with great calves!! Jus figure out wut works best for you.

 

[Tdeizel89]

Genetics*

 

[ItzLouGunz]

Very interesting thread lmao...I've found that the combination of high + low reps works pretty well..but then again, everyones different and you just gotta see what works best for you...