posted Mon, 09/23/2013 - 23:36
3801
CALVES strategies for calves genetically unfortunate???
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Hi bros,
as everyone knows,the development of the calves depends on the genetic.
here some are lucky and others are unlucky.
i'm in the last category.i can't develop the calves,i tried every road possible: impossible,they change the shape but the size remains the same.
i'd like to hear the opinions of experts here about calves routine or some strategy...so you can help the guys like me that have the same problem....
to build a big calves for us is impossible,but also a small improvement (also only 0.5-1cm)will be appreciated.
thanks ;)
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http://rosstraining.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=48422
This is a problem I've faced for a long time. The link above is for one of the best workouts I've ever used. It's called the Luke Sauder calf routine. Follow it to a T.
Remember a full stretch at the bottom and stay on the balls of your feet for a full contraction. Try to get up on your big toe without rocking your foot outward to your pinky toe.
Once you get the hang of this, step off the machine at the end of each set. Starting flat on the floor push up (use something to help pull your body weight) and get full contraction (All the way up on your big toe). 10 reps should do the trick. Do not rest your heels on the floor. Just tap and back up. This will help train your calves to achieve full contraction.
The claims are gaining up to 1" in one month. I didn't have these results but, after four months of this routine I have put on 1 1/4".
Last note is to remember if you're not eating enough to grow the rest of your body, your calves will definitely not budge. They seem to be the last to respond for me anyway.
Hope this helps.
thanks i take a look now
hi guys thanks for your contribution,
after 6 months of hard training my calves have the same size...
i tried every possible methods,but no improvements...i think that i can't fight with my genetic barrier of my calves, neither with aas and gh...
I thought the same as you long time ago there was a point where i didnt even train them out of desperation... but i said to myself... "fuck it, they HAVE to grow" and decided to train them hard. They have grown, not very much but theres progress.
Your calves have to hurt up to a point when you almost have tears in your eyes. Some people just stop when they start to burn, you have to keep going, think of puppies or flowers and ignore the pain, just keep doing reps until you cant even do a quarter of the rep. I guess you already know but just to make sure... always full range of motion and no bouncing.
Ive been training for more than a year high intensity style (1 effective set) and with 10 reps on standing and 10 on seated calf raise ive seen results, you need a lot of patience but its possible! Now im adding one legged calf raise at home on non workout days. Come on, you can do it!
Great info on this thread.. I myself have wiener calves and I go hard on them esp on leg day but growth is a joke. I'm gunna try a couple of these regiments thanks guys.
One other option, in addition to the shock and awe approach (super heavy or a shit ton of reps) is to massage them frequently with a foam roller or something stiff to work the fascia and other tissues. This is some advice I got and am now applying to my baby calves. I will let you know in two years if it works...
It also might enable hitting them more frequently by aiding recovery.
Most important thing about getting massive calves is doing your exercises WITHOUT SHOES!!!
Like arnold did it!
If you want to know why (pretty much to explain) just google it. But believe me it works. If you know how legs are looking inside you can imagine why it's the best method.
The second thing is, when pullin up the weights don't just do the usually range of motion. Go further...turn your heels in and get on your big toe. You gonna feel the difference when you are back down on your heels.
Well that's the way it worked for my calves.
Good luck ;)
Im just thinking outside the box here, but has anyone seen a cyclists calves. Now Im not sure how big you are or want to be, or what your goals are. But i would start riding the stationary bike at your gym on the most resistance possible. not only will it blow your calves up but will make your quads look athletic. fuck a treadmill i have bad knees from being an athlete my whole life. if your out of options try that out. youll feel a burn for sure, thats a promise, and its good for blood flow. peace bro good luck.
your thinking seems right, thanks for your contribution =)
I had the same problem u do. Until, one of the old school body builders at my gym help me out. I would do seated, standing ,and toe presses every week. 10-25 reps until I was blue n the face and they still wouldn't grow. So,he suggested I do sets of 100 reps. I told him he was crazy. Bro, I shit u not I started out w twenty five lbs. Four sets of 100 reps. Now I am doing 140lbs four sets of 100 reps and my calves are one of my strong points. Always getting compliments on my calves and how did I get them that way. Its works. Try it out for a while u won't b disappointed.
I hear one of the old schoolers say the same thing. i tried it and it has been the best calve advice.
my routine was on a seated calve raise machine
3 Sets
15 reps with my feet spread apart
15 reps with my feet in the middle
15 reps with my heels closer together
the trick was not to get up from the machine. you are able to take breaks but keep going until you finish
should take about 4-5 minutes.
I actually began trying this out because of this post...How many times a week do you do this calf workout?
Sorry, for late response. 2-3 times a week depending on DOMS. And different exercises and rep ranges...one day might b 100 rep range. While later n week I might do 25 rep range. Then, one workout I'll superset exercises. Just to keep it fresh. Today I did...seated calve raises 4sets of 100 reps and that was it. My calves r smoked !
great!i'm happy to hear an experience from you that you had my same problem..thanks bro i will keep you updated
Anytime brother
For me frequency is key. Just hit them 2-3 times a week with 4-8 sets each workout. And do that for at least 12 weeks. Normally i would stop after 4 weeks and just think "fuck it", but that was a big mistake. Just give them time and hit them consistently.
thanks bro,i've just started a new routine for them with more reps and i will train them 3 times weekly as you have told me
Toes in or out makes no difference for calf muscles as the muscle fibers all go in the same direction but the extra sets doing them helps.I have battled with my calfs for 30 yrs and for me light weight high reps is the only way they respond. heavy weights just get them pumped to quick but we all respond differently. i also do calf raises constantly why waiting for things in queues etc..failing all that get a pair of womens high heel shoes and go to work in them
works for the ladies.
thanks bro,so did you use only high reps?
i've never used 30reps..maximum 15reps..i want to try 30reps also,but really each is different i know!
yes 30 reps or more on every set is the only way my calves respond..feels like ur calf is going to exlpode, the best feeling ever :)..shake it up a bit do some heavy then drop the weight and pump out the reps see if that helps. worked for me after a lot of experimenting
thanks bro
AnonI got 15.5 inch claves they pretty round im 5'9" what works for me is on the leg press machine place my upper part of foot on push plate then i go all the way down past the plate and all the way. 1st you do standard feet str8 then i do feet pointing outwards then feet pointing inwards. Definitly help shaped my before 13inch calves
fantastic=)
thanks for the help bro
Seated Calf raises heavy heavy 3 reps ..multiple sets..mixed in with your calf routine. But have to lift them heavy to get them big!...its all about the stretch and motion in control. Not how many sloppy ones can be done with heavy weight..
only 3 heavy reps for multiple sets?i have never tried this...i use minimum 8reps until now....i want to try
thanks
Shock and Awe
Force them to do something you havent put them through
Remember - Calves get used extensively every day so they need to be attacked with a shock and awe approach. Be that reps, weight and TUT.
Some of the methods I have seen adopted and used myself involve
At a starting level - post up your current routine and then maybe worth seeing what you can change from that.....
thanks for the fast answer bro!
well at the moment i'm training them 2 times weekly..
at the moment i'm doing:
monday and thursday: 2-3series warm-up
calf machine 3x15-20 rest 90sec
standing calf raises exercise 4x10 rest 90sec
in this way,calves are sore for 2-3days after the routine...but let me know please what i could change!=)
Id give something like this a go
Standing Calve Raises : 3 sets of 10 reps [heavy and hard and explosive]
Seated Calve Raises : 3 sets of 15 reps - 4 second negative
Calve stretches off a platform so you go up and down very slowly and stop at the bottom for a deep stretch for as long as you can hold it each time
Aim to to that 3 days a week. And see how you get on. If you find you cant increase weight or reps or TUT cut back to 2 days a week.
ok thank you bro,i will start this week and i will keep you updated =)
Absolutely, heavy weight and explosive energy. What is also important to the deep stretch is the full extension of the calf muscle during the lift, get up on your toes and hold for 1-2 sec. I see far to many people doing partial calf raises.
thanks ,i will follow all your advice and see what happens!
Also, try a combination of rest/pause and drop sets to failure bro. you will love this and it is effective. Hurts like hell but.. no pain no gain.
Set 1: "feel set" - warm up with 15-20 reps
Set 2 and 3 "working set" - heavier to where you can only pump out 10-12 reps
Set 4 "grow set" - as heavy as you can go to 6 reps, then rest for 3 seconds and do another rep.. do this as many times as you can until failure
Set 5 "drop set" - same as set 4 except after your 6 reps, take weight off and rep it out brutha..
Oh yeah, no more than 1 minute rests between each set
Good luck man and happy growing!
Igi
thanks bro,i ll try it.
do you mean that calves need short rests?
The rest/pause technique is designed to add density by giving your muscles a short rest before executing another rep. This can be done a few ways, but I've found it to be most effective after my 'grow set' comes to failure and I cannot do any more reps. I will then keep my form in place but rest the muscle for a moment (3-10 seconds) and then do another rep, and do that until failure once more.
thanks,i've started today,now i can't walk =P