What is the best exercise for the calves?
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04-20-2005, 02:20 PM #1
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04-20-2005, 02:21 PM #2
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04-20-2005, 02:25 PM #3
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04-20-2005, 02:28 PM #4
tough one..
I've heard donkey calf raises (www.exrx.net) are the most effective, Arnold always did them...but I've never tried em, and they're kinda fruity to me (a guy basically sits on your back).
So, disregarding that one...
seated or standing calf raise (in a hack squat machine)
Another good one is to do forward lunges with dumbbells, and just touching the ground with your toes, that will work the calf.
Calves are stubborn growers though, the key for growth is high weight and high reps
I actually have a workout I got from a magazine that made my calves SIGNIFICANTLY bigger in just 3 weeks...and it still works your other leg muscles, so for a couple weeks you can try it for yourself..
Try this routine once a week. Do these exercises one after the other WITHOUT REST, 1 set each (try using a little lighter weight than usual since this is a circuit workout):
1) Lunge on tip toes, like I described above, 10-12 reps
2) Standing calf raise, 12-15 reps
3) Standing jumps (crouch down and jump up explosively, landing on your toes, this hits your calves)
Remember, do these 3 without stopping. Then rest for 90 seconds, and repeat these three exercises. Rest for 90 seconds after the 2nd time around, then do:
Standing calf raise, without weights for 2 minutes straight.
Then you're done. Trust me, your calves will be tiiired after this. And you'd only wanna do this workout for 3-4 weeks max, when you think that your calves are lagging behind. Mine grew visibly bigger in just 3 weeksThe complete shoulder and RC injury thread, written by myself:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=529968 (MASSIVE NEW UPDATE AS OF 10/6/05)
Form is paramount.
Focus, focus, focus.
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04-20-2005, 02:28 PM #5
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04-20-2005, 02:40 PM #6
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04-20-2005, 02:49 PM #7
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04-20-2005, 03:24 PM #8
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04-20-2005, 03:36 PM #9
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04-20-2005, 07:48 PM #10
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04-20-2005, 07:55 PM #11
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04-20-2005, 08:09 PM #12
there is NOTHING fruity about having someone riding your back while doing donkey calf raises.....
as long as that someone/s is a very hot, well-endowed naked female. that would be stimulation enough for me to hit those calf muscles!They say good things come to those who wait, but didn't tell us how long it's gonna take.
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04-20-2005, 08:20 PM #13
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04-20-2005, 08:30 PM #14
I found something a while back that's been working very well for me.
It was an article on BB.com, and it was about a guy who was insanely strong, but had difficulty getting bigger and better defined calves.
He found a guy that had enormous and great-looking calves, and asked his workout.
He then wrote an article on it, and I found it, and started using it.
Essentially, you work your calves twice a week (any of these exercises you want, doesn't really matter.) One of the times is a pure sculpting workout (low weight calf raises MANY times is good here), while the other time is pure bulk (6-8 reps of the highest weight you can manage doing calf presses, calf raises, etc.)
This has worked pretty well for me in only 2 weeks of use; my calves feel much stronger, and are much better defined.Work hard, play harder, lift hardest.
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