CALVES- Lets grow them!

[urdu2english]

Awesome!

[Pseudonymous]

Had a question regarding calves, as everybody knows, seated works the soleus more and standing works the gastrocs. How is seated upright on a leg press machine with ur legs fully extended for working the gastrocs in comparison to doing standing, are they exactly the same or is the bend at the waist/hip making them less beneficial?

If its been answered somewhere, if you could point me in the direction, would be helpful.

[predateur1]

good post !

[adamlee9]

Fuuuu!
Thanks brah, much needed help.

[DomTheBuilder]

Hey thanks to you switched from 5x5 390lbs to 5x12

[Amphiney]

usually after the calves workout I have pain in muscle for about 3-6 days when i strech it, not even talking about when I try to touch It - hurts badly.

[elliottsohns27]

It seems so hard to build my calves.

[marksteve]

Great post awesome points..

[JohnSmeton]

Had a question regarding calves, as everybody knows, seated works the soleus more and standing works the gastrocs. How is seated upright on a leg press machine with ur legs fully extended for working the gastrocs in comparison to doing standing, are they exactly the same or is the bend at the waist/hip making them less beneficial?

If its been answered somewhere, if you could point me in the direction, would be helpful.

leg press calve riases work similar to donkey calve I believe. I still like donkey calve the best for back thickness

something ive been doing is going seated really heavy and putting the plates on the side, after getting a few sets of full range , then move into limited range, where I can go heavier so i dont tear a muscle, my calves seem to be responding well to this

putting the 45's on the sides so limted range of motion

[ErikBlackthorn]

Calves are a common problem. I have 18" calves at 6'2", and I never work them directly, unless you mean my footwork drills (there are stepping techniques that make a step forwards into a step backwards and sudden directional changes. I'll post them up later.)

For people who are seriously lacking in calf size, the best way to work them is the same way you do your forearms: With a twisty rope over your head! Hah! That's partially true. Start walking on the balls of your feet as much as possible. But, there is a, "the best calf exercise, ever," exercise: an ankle-only sissy squat.

Get something you can use to support yourself. Squat down so your hams are against your calves. Put your feet flat on the floor with your weight completely on your lower leg and your supporting arm. Roll your weight onto your heels and try to touch your toes to your shins. Then roll your weight forward over the ball of your foot, and try to stand on your toes. Clamp down your calves as hard as you can as your weight goes from your toes to the balls of your feet and your big toe; try to rip the floor apart with the balls of your feet, like you're trying to turn duck-footed; but, don't let your feet actually turn. Then go back to flat footed, carefully rolling your weight down the external "blade" edge of your foot before you lay your heel down.

Do that until your legs cramp. Once they cramp, immediately ice them down, then apply heat. Do that every other day.

In addition to that, start walking more on the balls of your feet, adding a slight bounce to your step, without letting your heel strike the ground.

Icing them down and applying heat after is CRUCIAL. Ice makes the capillaries shrink into the tissue. Chill your calves after they cramp from that exercise. Heat makes the capillaries expand. Warm them back up after they're chilled. It flushes the tissues and makes them grow much, much faster.

[CookieKidd]

Great post!
Loved the Tibialis Anterior exercises. Would have never thought of using a dumbbell like that.

[akirillychev]

i don't focus to much on my calves but i do them once or twice a week i do seated and standing calve raises. On a random note tho when i do standing calve raises it makes me wanna go pee i noticed it has been happening it's one of the weirdest things in my opinion haha

[tannerspear8]

Great post!

[marie4u]

it looks difficult.

[PureGenetics101]

Calves are one of the hardest to grow, along with forearms. Those two are mainly determined by your genetics, either got big calves or forearms naturally,ir you don't.

You can still make them grow though, just that it's gonna be hard as ****.

[mctrader07]

Decent post! Hopefully this will answer a lot of questions people have got about lower legs!

lol, Calves are my specialty. I was blessed with calves send me a private message. tell you some tricks.

[mctrader07]

working the legs are very important.

you need to start with your base to create a full body.

http://www.checkoutmythings.com

don't look like a rooster lol

also legs is the most testosterone output f.y.i.

[martinkrall359]

I will never hit my calves again, NEVER, I have never experienced this much pain in my live, it feels like Im getting constant stabed, **** this I will just train leg, calves by running etc.

[Greasy7718]

Gonna give this a try. I have been going crazy heavy on calves for the last 4 months. Toes in. Toes out. Nuetral. jumping rope. Box jumps. 20-30 reps calf pulses on the leg press with 350-600lbs and I seriously still look like I barely beat polio. Nice gains everywhere else. Maybe the growth in my quads is making my calves look like hot dogs?

[futurebody90]

awesome exercises

[futurebody90]

calves are often neglected. but nothing wont change if no work is getting put in

[Kenacillin]

Had a question regarding calves, as everybody knows, seated works the soleus more and standing works the gastrocs. How is seated upright on a leg press machine with ur legs fully extended for working the gastrocs in comparison to doing standing, are they exactly the same or is the bend at the waist/hip making them less beneficial?

If its been answered somewhere, if you could point me in the direction, would be helpful.

I guess it all depends on the angle in which you have hip flexion. The bend at the hip "may" cause a greater elongation(stretch) at the gastrocs due to active insufficiency, which you have less of standing straight up. I would say that they can be more beneficial, but you will be doing less actual weight (compared to machine/pulley weight). I like them. My calves are growing.

[alexman2323]

Are there any more workouts for calves.

[PhilyPhresh]

This was a good read, and thanks for the vids. I have had calve envy toward some of the guys I work out with, and this gives me a good idea of what I need to do. I don't work out in a traditional gym, so I don't have the machines, but I think I can alter a lot of them into free-weight movements. But again, thanks for the informative post!

[TrueBlue02]

Wow, a handful of exercises right under my nose. Incredible guide.

[Eckobird]

Is there any point to start training calves/ legs for the first time while cutting or should i wait till I bulk in a few months to get some good noob gains.?

[mavajo]

I've always been fortunate to have well-developed calves, even when my lifestyle was 100% sedentary with no exercise what-so-ever. I would have people ask me if I was a runner (I wasn't).

It's either thanks to pure genetics, or perhaps it's because of the way I walk and/or take stairs. I've always been a fast-walker - as if I'm in a big rush everywhere. And ever since I was a kid, I've been in the habit of taking stairs 2-3 at a time - and I've either lived in a split-level house or 3rd floor apartment since I was 9. So 20 years of leaping up stairs multiple times per day.

[andrepony]

good post ! very useful information

[MikeyLeMunch]

Nice post!

Forgive my ignorance, but the bottom 3 movements seem to be the same action? Is that correct or am I missing something

You're cool, bro. After reading Ironlife's muscle activity post, the benefits of standing/seated:
Standing = superficial part of the calf that you see flexed, those diamond shaped bad boys.
Seated/bent= hidden beneath the superficial part, adds mass to the lower leg.

Both are equally important and just as tricky to grow.

[marie4u]

what about females? same rule apply for females?