Author Topic: Bigger calves?  (Read 8096 times)

kicker

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Bigger calves?
« on: October 27, 2005, 05:21:11 PM »
Currently hit them twice a week on this split:

Tues: biceps/shoulders/calves (standing calf raises - 6 sets X 10 reps)

Fri: back/hamstrings/calves (seated calf raises - 4 sets X 10 reps; standing raises - 4 sets X 10 reps)

On Tuesday, I pyramid the weight up and the last 4 sets are taken to failure.  In Friday, the last 2 sets of each exercise are taken to failure.

They still measure at a paltry 15.25 inches.  :-\ So are having big calves to an extent a genetic trait?  I've seen many people on the street who look like they've never set foot in a gym with bigger and more defined calves...

Bear03

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2005, 05:51:24 PM »
Yes, and no.  Your calves can take a lot more pounding than you're giving them.  Also, do more seated calf raises, in my experience they increase size of your calves better.
:-)

Blake

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2005, 06:04:06 PM »
soccer players get crazy calves


So do obese bastards.   :)

kicker

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2005, 06:05:54 PM »
Seated are better than standing?  How about single-legged raises?

Yes, and no.  Your calves can take a lot more pounding than you're giving them.

So I should increase reps, sets, or both?  Care to share any routines that worked for you guys?

NoCalBbEr

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2005, 06:50:18 PM »
to get go calves all you need is three sets of seated and standing calf raise. and reps in the 15-20 reps. i found that doing standing calf raise on a smith works better the a standing calf machine for me. ppl say that saying calf raise is the best calf exerise or there but if think that seated calf raise is the better mass builder

NoCalBbEr

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2005, 06:51:29 PM »
oh and its a genetic thing also. just like forearms.

Blake

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2005, 07:00:19 PM »
yup

but then, they still look great in an isolated shot

Exactly.

I've got a good friend in NY who used to weigh over 300 lbs (fatass).  He dieted and got in shape, and is now around 210 at 5'11", with (I'd guess) around 12-13% bodyfat.  Funny thing is how absolutely ginormous his quads and calves stayed.  Not to mention how strong they are either.  It's a joke.

candidate2025

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2005, 08:18:08 PM »
i personally feel that seated calf raises flatten your legs out, epecially if done after you leg workkout.

if i were you, i would just do calf presses, standing calf raises on the machine with the ledge on it. its worked damn well for me.
d[-_-]b actin all cool

Bear03

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2005, 11:25:45 AM »
Seated are better than standing?  How about single-legged raises?

So I should increase reps, sets, or both?  Care to share any routines that worked for you guys?

I do calves 4 days a week.  At LEAST three days a week.  Days 1 and two, start with seated calve, 3 sets of 8-12, HEAVY.  Standing Calf, 3 sets of 10-15.  I do this day with my toes pointed out.  The next day is same rep range and exercises, but with toes pointed in. 

I rest completely on wednesday, then the next two days i begin with standing calf and do 6-12 reps, heavy, i try to do some drop sets again.  THEN i go to the seated calf and do high reps, try to pound out about 25 (still going heavy).  I do the same thing with these two days, one day toes out, the other day toes in. 

Knock it all you want, but i've added over an inch to my calves in 2-odd months.
:-)

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2005, 07:33:40 PM »
I think the two guys up there who talked about soccer players and obese people really hit the nail on the head.  The only thing giving either of these two kinds of people great calves is walking or running, most of them don't ever do a single conventional calf raise.  I noticed the obese people thing a while back this year and started doing farmers walks coming up on my toes with every step followed by sprints on an incline for a minute or so, until I can't do it anymore.   

big E

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2005, 12:22:59 PM »
i also wondered about fat people and guys who play golf walking on the green all the time. Big calves sure could be genetics? Or are they walking differently maybe more on the balls of there feet and not noticing it. Just think we are determining the genetics of our future generations. They might have calves from us busting our asses.
Thaiboxing,Bjj

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2005, 01:59:26 PM »
Trainign calves should be no different than any other body part-once a week. More often if you are on gear.

The calves are the most genetic muscle in the body-followed closely by the biceps-either you have them or are going to have them, or you will never have them. That is the truth. Has nothing to do with the way you walk.

My calves were 17 inches before I ever started training-they are 20 now drug free  and they stay at 20 whether I train them or not. I train them hard once a week b/c I like the calve pump I get-but I can stop training them completely and lose no size at all-very genetic muscle.

JOHN MATRIX

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2005, 05:32:24 PM »
ive tried all the shit mentioned here and my calves are still shit.

calves are genetic. if you want them to get bigger, get fat.

all ive managed to do is add a bit of size and some cuts to the front using 'ankle curls' and deads.
my 'diamond shape', that which comes from your rear, inner calves, wont grow from anything.

dontknowit

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #13 on: November 01, 2005, 04:16:38 AM »
JM
do you have a fetisch with obese people? Your solution for every problem is getting fat ;D

About obese people en big calves, not true, I think it's genetics and wearing a 150 pound fatsuite every helps them develop better. I see a lot of obese people with the shape of a pear and skinylegs, while in the meanwhile women working in factory's walking all day long have tremendous ankles, the rest looks like shit, but the ankles are good.

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #14 on: November 02, 2005, 02:44:53 PM »
try this:
     if your gym has an aerobics room, sneak in when the soccer mams aren't around and hijack one of the step boards.  you know, the little thing they use to step up and down from, i know you've seen it.  take it over to a smith machine and raise the bar up like you are going to do smith squats, enough that you can stand under it.  use it to do standing calf raises with the weight squat style, on your back.  put enough weight that you can do twenty reps, almost to failure.  for me its 2 plates each side.  take a slghtly less than shoulder width stance, but point your ANKLES in a bit.  now do your raises.  but instead of doing twenty reps, do 75.  make sure you do full reps, all the way down, all the way up, good contraction at the top. do raises till you cant, then pause for about 5 seconds, and do more raises.  do this till you hit 75 reps, resting ony enough to let some of the lactic acid building up in your calves dissapate. even if you have to do it 5 reps at a time, keep going till you hit 75.  this will only take about 4 minutes, but its a damn tough four minutes.  you wont believe the pump, and if you can still walk afterward, which i doubt,  next time add more weight.  wait till the next day and see how sore you are.  when your calves are bulls, thank me.

davie

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #15 on: November 02, 2005, 03:09:13 PM »
When you said stop long enough for lactic acid to go away, did u mean pause in the stretch position of the rep or did u mean, rack the weight and step away until the lactic acid fades??

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davie

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #16 on: November 02, 2005, 03:11:45 PM »
Ive got one using that step board aswell.
Grab db in each hand. atand on step block,feet at shoulder width,do 30 reps, immediately after do another 30 with feet wide, then do 30 feet right together.  Rest a few seconds and repeat. Once uv dun those 3 sets agin. rest a fewseconds and repeat once more.
Always do 30 reps, if u cant pause in the stretch position of the rep dont step away or put db's down.
Yummy.

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DBall

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #17 on: November 02, 2005, 06:00:56 PM »
I meant pause, just for a few seconds. at the bottom of the rep, the strech position. dont rack the weight. rest your heels on the floor for a bit if you have to.  the burn is incredible.

fatty

big E

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #18 on: November 02, 2005, 06:49:32 PM »
try this:
 if your gym has an aerobics room, sneak in when the soccer mams aren't around and hijack one of the step boards. you know, the little thing they use to step up and down from, i know you've seen it. take it over to a smith machine and raise the bar up like you are going to do smith squats, enough that you can stand under it. use it to do standing calf raises with the weight squat style, on your back. put enough weight that you can do twenty reps, almost to failure. for me its 2 plates each side. take a slghtly less than shoulder width stance, but point your ANKLES in a bit. now do your raises. but instead of doing twenty reps, do 75. make sure you do full reps, all the way down, all the way up, good contraction at the top. do raises till you cant, then pause for about 5 seconds, and do more raises. do this till you hit 75 reps, resting ony enough to let some of the lactic acid building up in your calves dissapate. even if you have to do it 5 reps at a time, keep going till you hit 75. this will only take about 4 minutes, but its a damn tough four minutes. you wont believe the pump, and if you can still walk afterward, which i doubt, next time add more weight. wait till the next day and see how sore you are. when your calves are bulls, thank me.


I saw a workout similar to this on bodybuilding.com gee the writer even said when your calves are bulls thank me? Anyway you get supper sore yes but no growth here i did it for about a month.
Thaiboxing,Bjj

Sculpter

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #19 on: November 10, 2005, 07:02:53 PM »
Try adding donkey calf raises to your routine.They'll blow them calves up!!

davie

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #20 on: November 11, 2005, 09:03:14 AM »
My gym doesnt have seated calf machine, but iv made up variation.
I get ez curl bar and load it up with weight,sit on bench and place it on lower thighs near my knees (put padding/jumper round it or it would b uncomftorble). i then do 4 sest 15 reps pausing for 4 seconds at the top of each rep and taking 4 seconds to lower the weight aswell.oooowwww!!

Most benches have blocks at each end (u know what i mean) so u put ur toes on that so you can get a good stretch at the bottom.

davie
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strongman718

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #21 on: November 11, 2005, 03:48:11 PM »
you should try standing one hand calf raises on a block.  Lots of  pros from the early 90's and below have done them and they are great mass builders.  For some reason people has forgotten them

Bear03

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #22 on: November 11, 2005, 06:40:32 PM »
you should try standing one hand calf raises on a block.  Lots of  pros from the early 90's and below have done them and they are great mass builders.  For some reason people has forgotten them


I thought it was seated calf raises that really give you that diamond shaped calve muscle.
:-)

strongman718

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #23 on: November 12, 2005, 01:16:54 PM »
I thought it was seated calf raises that really give you that diamond shaped calve muscle.
Yeah they do but standing one handed calf raises with a dumbell does a great job if you cant see results from the seated version. 

Howard

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Re: Bigger calves?
« Reply #24 on: November 13, 2005, 11:29:15 AM »
Try 1 leg at a time standing calf raises, that isolates each calf, could help.
Howard