Calf excercises

[J-girl]

how do u guys work ur calves?

[sara_uk]

Standing calf presses on the machine (three sets in the 12-16 rep range works for me) along with about 70 miles of bicycling a week.

[dave22]

I do drop sets on the seated calf machine, expect to feel pain, but with calves you need to feel the pain.

[freaker]

Seated calves, standing calves, 45-degree calves, hack squat calves, leg press calves. I do a variety, but I only do one set for each exercise. That one set is always taken to failure though, and often times I'll do drop sets or partial reps after going to failure.

[J-girl]

Originally posted by freaker
Seated calves, standing calves, 45-degree calves, hack squat calves, leg press calves. I do a variety, but I only do one set for each exercise. That one set is always taken to failure though, and often times I'll do drop sets or partial reps after going to failure.

what do u mean by "taken to failure"?

[sara_uk]

Means "do 'em until you can't do any more".

[J-girl]

oh okay thanks sara ... right now i am doing 3 sets of 10 reps each on the seated calf raise and 3 sets of 10 reps each on the squat machine calf raise thingy... is that enough?

[Bouncer79]

I find pre-exhaust best for calves...

1. Seated calf raises at about 50-65% your 10rep max to absolute failure (usually 10-12 sets)....
2. Same method for Hack Calf Raises...
3. Seated calf raises again for 3 heavy work sets
(10-12reps, 8-10reps, failure)
4. Standing Calf Raise with same method

My calves are one of my greatest bodyparts and this may sound like overtraining to a lot of you, but this is what it takes for me... the pre-exhaust lets me do work sets with lighter weight and completely avoids me from pulling tendons (which I do all the time at my max). I work this in a circuit with quads or hams, and back. If you feel this is more than you could do don't try it the same way... split it up... do the seated pre-exhaust and work sets one day, and your second leg day do the hack and standing calf raises....just be careful and remember not to stack too much weight for your work set... if you do your pre-exhaust right you shouldnt be using your max10 weight for work sets. Try it and let me know.

[lesters]

the calf muscle is a endurance orientated muscle guess what blast it twice a week with heavy weight . 4 to 6 reps 3 sets becareful long stroke with heavy weight could hurt your achilles tendon. use short to medium strokes on seated calf standing calf puts pressure on your back and drains energy from other muscles.the steroid guys inject roids into the muscle bad choice and these guys squirt synthol into the calf bad choice , good luck and lift heavy.

[sara_uk]

J-girl, lesters is right about the calf muscles: they're endurance-oriented. I'd up your reps into the 15 range to be sure of exhausting the whole thing. What weight are you using, and is your final set to failure?

[freaker]

Originally posted by J-girl
oh okay thanks sara ... right now i am doing 3 sets of 10 reps each on the seated calf raise and 3 sets of 10 reps each on the squat machine calf raise thingy... is that enough?

If you're doing 3 sets at 10 reps, I can tell you're not going to failure. I know this because if you go to failure at 10 reps on the first set, there is no way you're going to be able to do 10 reps on the 2nd and 3rd set. Most likely it starts to burn around 10 reps so you figure that's enough. Try this one out, do 10 full reps and then do 10 partial reps each set. With a partial rep, you don't do a full range of motion, you just stay in the top part of the movement. You could also just get really intense and do 15 full reps. If you truely can't do 15 full reps, do as many full reps as you can, at least you know you'll truely be going to failure.

[jonathan reeves]

I find because most calf muscles are fast twitch due to walking and use etc. that higher reps work great. I will either due standing or seated calf raises(donkey calf raises if i could) for 3sets of 20

[sara_uk]

I think you mean slow twitch, jon :)

I enjoy pyramid sets on calves. At the moment I'm doing standing calf raise sets of seventeen at 1.5 x bodyweight, then 2.5x bodyweight (which is hard) and then 3x bodyweight (which is unbearably brutal). I have to stretch out between sets.

Note: I have very strong calves, as I'm a cyclist!

[jonathan reeves]

opps:) thanks for the correction