100 rep calf raises?

[Curlers]

Is there any reason this wont work?

I was browsing the T-nation forum the other day and i came across a thread where someone said they had some of their best gains by doing this. He said when every day when he'd get in from high school he'd perform long sets to fail with just his body weight to the point where he couldnt do another calf raise.

i think im gonna give it a go. nothing ventured, nothing gained.

whats your opinions on this?

[terman1]

Try it out for a while and report back. Not to discount the method but 100 reps at bodyweight is probably equal to the amount of work you get out of your calfs by taking a short walk down the street. It's likely you would finds yourself doing several times that amount just to get to the point where your calfs are feeling fatigued which would take an unnecessary amount of time, imo. For me I would rather use a barbell or hold on to a pair of dumbbells and up the intensity and work within a more reasonable rep range.

[TheDarkKnight27]

It works kinda. I do this and my calves grew slightly... while i was cutting. So that's saying something. It's really helped me get a mind/muscle connection with my calves. I have to stimulate them almost everyday for them to grow i think. It's tricky.

[musicianman]

Try it out for a while and report back. Not to discount the method but 100 reps at bodyweight is probability equal to the amount of work you get out of your calfs by taking a short walk down the street. It's likely you would finds yourself doing several times that amount just to get to the point where your calfs are feeling fatigued which would take an unnecessary amount of time, imo. For me I would rather use a barbell or hold on to a pair of dumbbells and up the intensity and work within a more reasonable rep range.

Could be wrong, but I think he's talking about single-legged calf raises to failure. I personally start feeling a burn around 30 or so.

[terman1]

Could be wrong, but I think he's talking about single-legged calf raises to failure.

Hmm, perhaps your right, OP may need to clarify a bit. I automatically envisioned someone just standing there empty handed with both legs at the same time. Even single legged, I'm still slightly apprehensive of this method. I personally do 3 sets of 15-20 with around 200 pounds on my back so even one legged I can still do around 45-60 reps with 100 pounds on one leg, (not to mention that I weight in at around 200 pounds to begin with before even adding any additional weight). Still seems like it would be an excessive amount of volume with something that can be achieved much easier by just holding a heavy dumbbell.

I am curious to hear if anyone else has tried this and what results they have seen.

[musicianman]

Even single legged, I'm still slightly apprehensive of this method. I personally do 3 sets of 15-20 with around 200 pounds on my back so even one legged I can still do around 45-60 reps with 100 pounds on one leg, (not to mention that I weight in at around 200 pounds to begin with before even adding any additional weight).

Lolwut?

Your total weight with 200 pounds on your back: 400 pounds on two legs, 200 pounds on each leg

100 pounds on your back and single-legged is 300 pounds on one leg.

Not sure if srs. You're saying that the latter single-legged option is easier even though it's harder.

[terman1]

Lolwut?

Your total weight with 200 pounds on your back: 400 pounds on two legs, 200 pounds on each leg

100 pounds on your back and single-legged is 300 pounds on one leg.

Not sure if srs. You're saying that the latter single-legged option is easier even though it's harder.

I apologize, been a long day and I may have worded it wrong and made it more confusing then it needed to be, lol. To clarify, I'm saying that I can do two legged calf raises with a 200 pound barbell for 45-60 total reps so theoretically I should be able to do them on one leg with a 100 pound barbell for roughly the same amount of reps.

Long story short, without the added weight it would take an unrealistic amount of time/volume vs. weighted for me to achieve the same results so in my opinion bodyweight calf raises just sound like time which could be better spent.

[Curlers]

surely though, going to failure with weight or no weight is still going to failure either way you look at it? i know cyclists are always brought up when the subject is on high rep calf training, granted they've been doing it years, but if cyclists can get them through daily high reps (not going to failure) then surely you can get them by going to failure day-on day-off?

im on the fence about calf training. i dont know if its better to hammer them twice a week, or do higher reps to fail in a day-on day-off fashion.

thoughts?

[NCAA]

surely though, going to failure with weight or no weight is still going to failure either way you look at it? i know cyclists are always brought up when the subject is on high rep calf training, granted they've been doing it years, but if cyclists can get them through daily high reps (not going to failure) then surely you can get them by going to failure day-on day-off?

im on the fence about calf training. i dont know if its better to hammer them twice a week, or do higher reps to fail in a day-on day-off fashion.

thoughts?

So you think calf raises fail no matter what? I don't think that's true.. If you feel a burn it's working something

[Tyrbolift]

im on the fence about calf training. i dont know if its better to hammer them twice a week, or do higher reps to fail in a day-on day-off fashion.

thoughts?

Calves are a particular bp where there is a wide variance of response to different methods of training from one person to another.

-Genetics. You inherited calves especially better suited for running, cycling, weightlifting, or whatever, or any combination.

-Your history of sports, hobbies, or physical labor activities that involve calves from birth until today.

-This will help you decide what training program you should at least try.


From a bber perspective, my inherited meso/endo base responded to a very high volume of bicycling by getting fairly big, but not defined at all.

Other examples of cyclists calves that do the equivalent work range in all sizes and degrees of definition.

So what I did was to try to continue on progression in higher weights, but maintain the high rep high frequency cycling.

[provesomething]

i like to walk up stairs on my toes, i get the calf raise effect. try making it a habit it works.

[Tyciol]

Try it out for a while and report back. Not to discount the method but 100 reps at bodyweight is probably equal to the amount of work you get out of your calfs by taking a short walk down the street.

I think the main difference is probably keeping the tension on the muscle whereas when we walk we get the brief rest as we lift the leg and step forward.

I would rather use a barbell or hold on to a pair of dumbbells and up the intensity and work within a more reasonable rep range.

Agreed, it's cool to work up to 100 reps with BW and all that, epic patience and stuff, but then I'd be all "I don't want to do any more" and holding (even if for OP it's initially a light weight) to increase the intensity would be more interesting.

[Curlers]

So you think calf raises fail no matter what? I don't think that's true.. If you feel a burn it's working something

i think you've misread the post... im talking about training 'TO FAILURE' not that whatever you do i going to fail.. if i didnt think anything would work i wouldnt plan to train them or even make this post...

[Akeal16]

surely though, going to failure with weight or no weight is still going to failure either way you look at it? i know cyclists are always brought up when the subject is on high rep calf training, granted they've been doing it years, but if cyclists can get them through daily high reps (not going to failure) then surely you can get them by going to failure day-on day-off?

im on the fence about calf training. i dont know if its better to hammer them twice a week, or do higher reps to fail in a day-on day-off fashion.

thoughts?

i don't think it quite works this way... training to failure on low weights/high reps to failure is going to work you in terms of endurance and high weights/low reps will be more strength-base.

Although they're obviously both training to failure, they will likely produce quite different effects.

Not sure if this is bro-science, but i've read that it depends on your muscle fibre composition. If you have more red or 'slow twitch' muscle fibres then higher rep ranges will be more effective. If your calves are made up of more white (fast twitch) muscle fibre then it will grow more in response to lower rep ranges and heavier weights