Padding for Seated Calf Raises w/ Barbell

[Pairunoyd]

Anyone have an idea on what kind of padding is best to use for my legs when doing Seated Barbell Calf Raises? Towels are a pain and the squatting pads are thin. I'm looking around for something and would like your input before I settle.

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

Anyone have an idea on what kind of padding is best to use for my legs when doing Seated Barbell Calf Raises? Towels are a pain and the squatting pads are thin. I'm looking around for something and would like your input before I settle.

I do them on a smith machine and use a square P.F.D. boat cushion,it's just about the right size and thickness.
http://www.discountmarinesupplies.co..._CUSHIONS.html

[Pairunoyd]

I do them on a smith machine and use a square P.F.D. boat cushion,it's just about the right size and thickness.
http://www.discountmarinesupplies.co..._CUSHIONS.html

sounds like good padding, but how can i get it to stay put when i'm lifting a heavy barbell?

[hockeysc23]

sounds like good padding, but how can i get it to stay put when i'm lifting a heavy barbell?

Maybe not the easiest but what about using some nylon straps with buckles. You can buckel the cushion down around your legs?

[Pairunoyd]

i see the straps. dont think theyd fit my legs. theyll slide onto barbell though, right?

How do you do it?

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

i see the straps. dont think theyd fit my legs. theyll slide onto barbell though, right?

How do you do it?

They'll slide onto the barbell if you want,I guess that would work depending what's holding the bar.What are you using,power rack,multipress rack,stands?(I assume it's not a smith machine)

[Pairunoyd]

Powerline power cage. I set the barbell on the safety bars outside the cage. I set it pretty low so I can basically grab it, lift it a few inches and sit down.

I was thinking of buying some power hooks so that I dont have to lift it. I could just hang it on another barbell, lift it w/ the seated calf motion and then twist the barbell toward me so that the hooks clear. (I want the hooks for DB work anyway) Problem w/ that is I would guess the plates would hit the barbell its hanging from. You could do it if you hung it from the safety bars and you were facing the side of the cage, but I dont have room to do that. The barbell would hit my wall. I could rearrange but it'd most likely create problems elsewhere.

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

Powerline power cage. I set the barbell on the safety bars outside the cage. I set it pretty low so I can basically grab it, lift it a few inches and sit down.

I was thinking of buying some power hooks so that I dont have to lift it. I could just hang it on another barbell, lift it w/ the seated calf motion and then twist the barbell toward me so that the hooks clear. (I want the hooks for DB work anyway) Problem w/ that is I would guess the plates would hit the barbell its hanging from. You could do it if you hung it from the safety bars and you were facing the side of the cage, but I dont have room to do that. The barbell would hit my wall. I could rearrange but it'd most likely create problems elsewhere.

If you used a shorter bar to hang it from it should clear the plates(as long as it's olympic width).If you use smaller diameter plates you'll gain some clearance too.

[Pairunoyd]

yea, i thought about the shorter bar, like the safety bars, and using 25 lb plates (I use up to about 400 lbs though!) but im trying to justify those purchases. lol. If i keep buying all this stuff just to be able to do seated calf raises, might as well buy the machine!

NY Barbell has a seated calf I'd like:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SUPER-SEATED-CAL...713.m153.l1262

Like I said, I definitely want to get the power hooks for heavy db work, which I do a LOT of. So that $40 or $50 is very justified. Another issue is my workout area - 100 sq ft.

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

yea, i thought about the shorter bar, like the safety bars, and using 25 lb plates (I use up to about 400 lbs though!) but im trying to justify those purchases. lol. If i keep buying all this stuff just to be able to do seated calf raises, might as well buy the machine!

NY Barbell has a seated calf I'd like:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SUPER-SEATED-CAL...713.m153.l1262

Like I said, I definitely want to get the power hooks for heavy db work, which I do a LOT of. So that $40 or $50 is very justified. Another issue is my workout area - 100 sq ft.

Yeah a seated calf machine would be the easiest.LOL
I see decent ones for $50 all the time.

[Pairunoyd]

Yeah a seated calf machine would be the easiest.LOL
I see decent ones for $50 all the time.

If i could find a good one at that price i'd be all over it. The cheapest one I can find (excluding one like the powerline version) is around $200. Ive spent a ton of money lately, so im being strict on myself.

[Pairunoyd]

i thought about using Db's w/ the power hooks for seated calf, but im not too sure about padding and the length of the db's, ie db's hitting each other, forcing me to spread my legs or place my feet too far apart.

[FERRUM_MAXIMUS]

i thought about using Db's w/ the power hooks for seated calf, but im not too sure about padding and the length of the db's, ie db's hitting each other, forcing me to spread my legs or place my feet too far apart.

The dumbbells seem to have too many issues.

[Pairunoyd]

I could do the bb seated calf raises inside the cage?

Hang the SC Barbell (that's what I'll call the barbell I actually do the Seated Calf Raises with - SC Barbell = Seated Calf Barbell) from another barbell via Power Hooks. Lift the SC Barbell w/ the seated calf motion, i.e., w/ my calves, then push/slide/roll the barbell it was hanging from away from the SC Barbell. This should keep the SC Barbell's plates from hitting the other bar as I raise it up and down during seated calf raises. When I'm done, grab the barbell and pull it back to me so I can re-rack the SC Barbell.


(Like I said, I want the power hooks for db work anyway, so this helps justify the purchase, lending more value to their usefulness)


Does this sound like a winner? I'm bad about thinking I've found a solution only to discover I forgot some fundamental issue. It's true, I'm an air-head.

[Pairunoyd]

until i get the power hooks, i guess i could lift the bar up w/ my calves and then roll it up my thighs a bit, away from my knees, so that it clears the catches. That'd mean having to put more weight on the bar though, since I'd have more leverage and then having to roll it out toward my knees to re-rack.

[Tiak]

Damn... I have a set of power hooks and I never thought to using them for seated calf raises. Great idea!

[Pairunoyd]

Damn... I have a set of power hooks and I never thought to using them for seated calf raises. Great idea!

if you try these, please let me know of any issues. Thanks

[Pairunoyd]

I'd still have the issue of the top barbell being in the way until i lift the sc barbell and roll it away. I guess that means I'll still not be able to load it w/ 45's...

[Tiak]

What you'd need is for the top bar to be 4ft long. Just long enough to rest on the j-hooks, but narrower than the collars on the 7ft bar below it. I think you could do it with an ez-curl bar on the top. The hooks would just have to be lined up properly with the bends in the curl bar.

[brian_07]

I do them on a smith machine and use a square P.F.D. boat cushion,it's just about the right size and thickness.
http://www.discountmarinesupplies.co..._CUSHIONS.html

how much weight can the foam cushions hold before it starts to get uncomfortable?

[HiTMe]

anyone else try those boat pads? they worth buying for comfort?

[WaterBlender]

packaging foam, the ones that are one big piece. i took some from work, (we order in alot of stuff), pretty solid with small amount of cushion. it's about 1/12 inch thick. i also place it under my heels when i do squats, holds up well.

kinda looks like this