Which calf machines seem to give you the most results?

[IR45N]

Seated.
Standing.
Donkey.
Mix of all 3 (makes sense)

Have acess to all 3 but seem to use the seated. Worse, after an hour + of lifting, seems doing calves is more of a haphazard afterthought & yet I do like doing them. Suggestions?

[Boots]

Seated.
Standing.
Donkey.
Mix of all 3 (makes sense)

Have acess to all 3 but seem to use the seated. Worse, after an hour + of lifting, seems doing calves is more of a haphazard afterthought & yet I do like doing them. Suggestions?

A mix is great! I mostly do Standing calf raises (feet angled straight, out, in) then move on to the seated calf raise (for a couple of sets, my calves are usualy fried by that point).

[Bob 1]

A mix is great! I mostly do Standing calf raises (feet angled straight, out, in) then move on to the seated calf raise (for a couple of sets, my calves are usualy fried by that point).

What she said^^^^^^

[Original Poster]

A mix of all 3, but like booty.........most of my calve work is standing.
I use a hacksquat machine to do calve raises.........toes in, straight and out.

[greyhair]

Seated.
Standing.
Donkey.
Mix of all 3 (makes sense)

Have acess to all 3 but seem to use the seated. Worse, after an hour + of lifting, seems doing calves is more of a haphazard afterthought & yet I do like doing them. Suggestions?

Donkey and Standing can be interchanged.
I would do Seated first. This will pre-fatigue the soleus first.
Then immediately do the Donkey or the Standing. With the Soleus completely fatigued, the gastrocnemius has to do all of the work and then it can be completely fatigued too.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soleus


If you look at the diagram above, you can see that the hamstrings and the gastrocnemius both flex the knee. To get a really good hamstring workout, you need to pre-fatigue the gastrocnemius.

So the sequence should go like this

Seated calf
Straight leg calf (either donkey or standing)
Hamstrings



Greyhair

[dartol]

I like doing calf raises on the leg press. I do a press, then calf raise when I get to the top. I pause in between so I am not using momentum.

Darren

[oldsuperman]

Gosh guys all I do is standing calve raises on a platform. Do two sets, one leg at a time to til total failure, bout 35 each. One set toes in and one set toes out. I keep going as long as I can twitch the muscles, another 20 or so.

I know this will tick some of you off, but that's all I do! Pushing 18" calves! Genetics I guess.

[Ironized]

I see many use the toes in toes out, but looking at greyhairs diagram and the tendon attachment one wonders if straight on is better without stressing the knees? But hey, whatever works.

[oldsuperman]

I see many use the toes in toes out, but looking at greyhairs diagram and the tendon attachment one wonders if straight on is better without stressing the knees? But hey, whatever works.

Interesting thought, yet my left knee is missing its ICL sinse I was 15 and the lifts seem fine on it.

[Forge3]

I find facing backward in the hack squat machine, or proper position in the leg press as excellent means to exercise the calves for power and size. With the leg press the platform is off course elevated to suit the straight extended legs and almost complete isolation of the calves.

[IR45N]

Donkey and Standing can be interchanged.
I would do Seated first. This will pre-fatigue the soleus first.
Then immediately do the Donkey or the Standing. With the Soleus completely fatigued, the gastrocnemius has to do all of the work and then it can be completely fatigued too.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soleus


If you look at the diagram above, you can see that the hamstrings and the gastrocnemius both flex the knee. To get a really good hamstring workout, you need to pre-fatigue the gastrocnemius.

So the sequence should go like this

Seated calf
Straight leg calf (either donkey or standing)
Hamstrings



Greyhair

Thanks. This & every reply does give a good reminder that calves can/should be a regular training program and not an end of the iron session afterthought. I've known this; just a matter of getting the mindset to put it in play.