Author Topic: For those with stubborn calves willing to try something new... (Read 4818 times)

Grape Ape · « **Reply #50 on:** November 08, 2015, 06:01:26 AM »

Quote from: _aj_ on November 08, 2015, 04:26:51 AM

I had been making some progress in my shit calves when I blew my Achilles two years ago. Now the surgically repaired one is permanently about 40% weaker and about 1/2" smaller. I believe that the tendon healed just a tiny bit longer than previous. So now I have one shit calf and one calf from a paraplegic. FML $:-\$

A severely sprained ankle some how manifested in me not being able to flex my right calf muscle for the last 12 years.

After training with a rucksack and logging tons of miles that changed for the first time a few weeks ago.

Thespritz0 · « **Reply #51 on:** November 08, 2015, 06:08:15 AM »

Quote from: _aj_ on November 08, 2015, 05:40:26 AM

Broscience Alert!!

^^
Not Quite...
First off, low-rep training with heavy loads translates into an ability to use more weight during [your] 'hypertrophy range, which increases time under tension and thus enhances growth...
Alternatively, high-rep training with light weights helps increase buffering capacity, allowing you to crank out an extra couple of reps at a moderate-rep range. Moreover, heavier-load training tends to target the high-capacity muscles associated with the largest type-II muscle fibers, while light-load training focuses more on the endurance-oriented type-I fibers.
What does all of this mean, GetBiggers? This combination of training approaches maximizes hypertrophy along the spectrum of fiber types. In other words, training with this variety of volume and intensity will maximize your ability to grow.

_aj_ · « **Reply #52 on:** November 08, 2015, 06:08:27 AM »

Quote from: Grape Ape on November 08, 2015, 06:01:26 AM

A severely sprained ankle some how manifested in me not being able to flex my right calf muscle for the last 12 years.

After training with a rucksack and logging tons of miles that changed for the first time a few weeks ago.

Now that Soulcrusher is gone, you are the new Bringer of Ruck.

_aj_ · « **Reply #53 on:** November 08, 2015, 06:11:39 AM »

Quote from: Thespritz0 on November 08, 2015, 06:08:15 AM

^^
Not Quite...
First off, low-rep training with heavy loads translates into an ability to use more weight during [your] 'hypertrophy range, which increases time under tension and thus enhances growth...
Alternatively, high-rep training with light weights helps increase buffering capacity, allowing you to crank out an extra couple of reps at a moderate-rep range. Moreover, heavier-load training tends to target the high-capacity muscles associated with the largest type-II muscle fibers, while light-load training focuses more on the endurance-oriented type-I fibers.
What does all of this mean, GetBiggers? This combination of training approaches maximizes hypertrophy along the spectrum of fiber types. In other words, training with this variety of volume and intensity will maximize your ability to grow.

Double-Down Broscience Alert!!!

Thespritz0 · « **Reply #54 on:** November 08, 2015, 06:18:14 AM »

Quote from: _aj_ on November 08, 2015, 06:11:39 AM

Double-Down Broscience Alert!!!

^^
So what's your great advice?? You BLEW your calves, right? Mixing Heavy/Light training works for me, and I'm injury free...
At least if you are KNOCKING someone, BRING something to the table yourself.

_aj_ · « **Reply #55 on:** November 08, 2015, 06:51:54 AM »

Quote from: Thespritz0 on November 08, 2015, 06:18:14 AM

^^
So what's your great advice?? You BLEW your calves, right? Mixing Heavy/Light training works for me, and I'm injury free...
At least if you are KNOCKING someone, BRING something to the table yourself.

I blew my Achilles running 40yard sprints. At 49 years old. Even at that, I had to do at least 4 other stupid things to cause the rupture.

With calves, genetics rule. If you have shit calves, you'll likely always have shit calves unless you move to a planet with 2.5 gravities.

The best training advice was earlier in this thread: if you have shit calves, buy long pants and train in those. Problem solved.

Man of Steel · « **Reply #56 on:** November 08, 2015, 06:55:22 AM »

one word...bathtub

NelsonMuntz · « **Reply #57 on:** November 08, 2015, 07:02:43 AM »

I had really shitty calves years ago, they improved with alot of what you guys mentioned basically everything including workouts where I would have 1 exercise for mutiple sets of 50-100 reps adding weight. Granted when you are doing 50-100 rep sets there is a point within the set that full reps are impossible even with rest pause. from there I would do partials, restpausing to make sure to get 100. Burn like a bitch.

But when I would do something like that but alternate workouts in the more conventional set/rep pattern, ie 3-5 sets x 6-15 reps, they grew.
Few years ago they topped out at 17 and a half inches with a few veins(which was my dream lol). That was a long way from the 13-14 inch calves I had at 220-230 lbs back before the mid 90's lol.

Been back in regular workouts since september, and recently while doing cardio was watching some of these guys doing the stereotypical arms arms, chest, shoulders,arms, arms, leg ext/leg curl, partial seated leg press and crappy form pulldown type workouts with the pant legs rolled up and horrible shitty literally non existent calves,yet decent arms. It made me think of I believed Poliquin saying years ago that if guys devoted 1 set of calves for ever set of arms they do over whatever bodypart split there would be some pretty decent calves out there.

So now I say fuck it and just do 1 workout devoted to just calves rather than tagging it on to other bodypart days 2-3 days a week. Plus I finish off with some additional moderate low back, glute work

And my calves are coming back either way

_aj_ · « **Reply #58 on:** November 08, 2015, 07:06:52 AM »

I still do calves 2x/week on "legs" day, which I reverse the usual order and do:

- calves
- glutes
- hams
- quads

They all suck, but I never give up, never surrender!

dr.chimps · « **Reply #59 on:** November 08, 2015, 07:10:54 AM »

Quote from: Man of Steel on November 08, 2015, 06:55:22 AM

one word...bathtub

Tell me, Clarice. Has the tub stopped screaming? Wonder how many people still remember that pic?

wes · « **Reply #60 on:** November 08, 2015, 07:18:31 AM »

Arnold and most of his era,worked calves daily starting whatever bodypart of the day off with calves first.

Just a thought.

NelsonMuntz · « **Reply #61 on:** November 08, 2015, 07:29:24 AM »

Quote from: wes on November 08, 2015, 07:18:31 AM

Arnold and most of his era,worked calves daily starting whatever bodypart of the day off with calves first.

Just a thought.

They all had decent calves then as well, at least built with hard work and not just site injections.

I did Arnold double split from the Encyclopedia of Modern bodybuilding(original edition, which had better inspiring photos btw) back in the summer of 1987.

LOL, I lasted about 6-8 weeks, but it taught me the value of hard work in the gym. Do something like that for a while might not make the best gains but it makes everything else easier and I exploded in pure natural strength and bulk size the 2 years after once I went over to the 3 and 4 day on, 1-2 days off split

PS- I did not see mentioned here, but 1 element of calf training that is often ignore is doing calf raises for the front of the calf. Some gyms I belonged to over the years had the special apparatus for this, if not simply sit on the floor in front of the low pully and put your foot(shoe on) into the attachment for 1 arm movements and do the raises pulling with the top of your foot

WalterWhite · « **Reply #62 on:** November 08, 2015, 09:41:48 AM »

Quote from: local hero on November 08, 2015, 04:37:31 AM

So you confuse the muscle to shock it into growth?

Yes always change things up. Also mix numbers of reps, flex/hold at the top, stretching etc.

ritch · « **Reply #63 on:** November 08, 2015, 10:15:46 AM »

Quote from: NelsonMuntz on November 08, 2015, 07:29:24 AM

They all had decent calves then as well, at least built with hard work and not just site injections.

I did Arnold double split from the Encyclopedia of Modern bodybuilding(original edition, which had better inspiring photos btw) back in the summer of 1987.

LOL, I lasted about 6-8 weeks, but it taught me the value of hard work in the gym. Do something like that for a while might not make the best gains but it makes everything else easier and I exploded in pure natural strength and bulk size the 2 years after once I went over to the 3 and 4 day on, 1-2 days off split

PS- I did not see mentioned here, but 1 element of calf training that is often ignore is doing calf raises for the front of the calf. Some gyms I belonged to over the years had the special apparatus for this, if not simply sit on the floor in front of the low pully and put your foot(shoe on) into the attachment for 1 arm movements and do the raises pulling with the top of your foot

[/b]

that won't help someone with shitty ass calves, lol... You can do it on a lower pulley attachement if you really wanted to. That is a "finishing touch" move, won't put on inches to someone who is struggling with calve development. It really has to be the least used machine of them all.

NelsonMuntz · « **Reply #64 on:** November 08, 2015, 11:46:45 AM »

Quote from: ritch on November 08, 2015, 10:15:46 AM

[/b]

that won't help someone with shitty ass calves, lol... You can do it on a lower pulley attachement if you really wanted to. That is a "finishing touch" move, won't put on inches to someone who is struggling with calve development. It really has to be the least used machine of them all.

I respectfully disagree. like you said the least used machine of all, well that is yet another reason there are so many shitty calves, ie not developing them from all angles. It's like just doing only stand calf raises, not doing seated calf raises or other movements vailable, never mind set, rep and/or frequency ranges then complaining about a lack of progress

fully developed from that side could add potentially another inch.

It also cuts down on strains and injuries in the calf area because all over balance of strength

Anyways, it is just a suggestion, if what you are doing works for you, then keep doing it.

Thats what I do.

ergo · « **Reply #65 on:** November 08, 2015, 12:40:43 PM »

If you have great calves any thing you do will enhance them but that does not necessarily mean you are training them correctly. If you are having and have always been having difficulty adding size and definition to your calves due to some genetic limitation it is because you have not been training them correctly and have been following routines that have been parroted down forever in every article you read. I'm sure you have tried every magazine routine possible and have had very little success and have come to the conclusion that you just cannot have stellar calves and will just continue to wear sweatpants to the gym. This is not true for you. 1st you have been lead to believe that you must train the soleus and the gastrocnemius separately. You cannot separate out the individual muscles of the calves as both of these muscles will fire. Training the calves in a bent knee position (seated) greatly reduces the amount of resistance that can be used and is extremely detrimental in what you are trying to accomplish, which is hypertrophy based upon the first law of moving max resistance for your desired number of repetitions. 2nd you have been lead to believe that the calves require a complete full range of motion (ROM) on the negative stretch. This is completely false and once again detrimental to your goal of using as much resistance as possible. You need only go parallel. Any further limits power! 3rd you have been lead to believe that calves require higher reps (remember a rep is just a unit of time) again higher repetitions is detrimental to your goal of using maximum resistance. Calves are best trained in the 4-8 rep range using a Standing or Donkey calve machine. You can push as high up on the positive as possible for the first 4 reps and then continue on for mini partials, as calves are one of the only muscles that will fire using mini partials. Correct these three fallacies and you will use 100's of pounds more resistance immediately. Now for the point that is crucial for your calve development. Always use bands in conjunction with the machine as a form of added resistance from the start at warm ups through your heaviest set. Bands will incrementally increase up to 100's of pounds of added resistance when needed most at the point of peak contraction where you are at your strongest while providing a constant increase in TUT during the positive and a strong damaging gravitational assist on the negative. One rep with bands assisting will create more complete tension for growth then multiple reps without bands. What this means is that the low repetitions that you are doing with tremendously heavier resistance, always creating an increase in TUT from the added band tension, equates to the theory of using higher reps except your poundage will be astronomical compared to trying to grind out 20 lesser tensioned repetitions. I gave up all hope until I was able to extrapolate out this training method. I never thought it would be possible to make any improvements in my genetically high inserted calves. They are not gigantic and never will be, but they are stellar.

ergo · « **Reply #66 on:** November 08, 2015, 12:44:32 PM »

calves band work 2-4 working sets twice a week...

njflex · « **Reply #67 on:** November 08, 2015, 04:52:22 PM »

Quote from: ergo on November 08, 2015, 12:40:43 PM

If you have great calves any thing you do will enhance them but that does not necessarily mean you are training them correctly. If you are having and have always been having difficulty adding size and definition to your calves due to some genetic limitation it is because you have not been training them correctly and have been following routines that have been parroted down forever in every article you read. I'm sure you have tried every magazine routine possible and have had very little success and have come to the conclusion that you just cannot have stellar calves and will just continue to wear sweatpants to the gym. This is not true for you. 1st you have been lead to believe that you must train the soleus and the gastrocnemius separately. You cannot separate out the individual muscles of the calves as both of these muscles will fire. Training the calves in a bent knee position (seated) greatly reduces the amount of resistance that can be used and is extremely detrimental in what you are trying to accomplish, which is hypertrophy based upon the first law of moving max resistance for your desired number of repetitions. 2nd you have been lead to believe that the calves require a complete full range of motion (ROM) on the negative stretch. This is completely false and once again detrimental to your goal of using as much resistance as possible. You need only go parallel. Any further limits power! 3rd you have been lead to believe that calves require higher reps (remember a rep is just a unit of time) again higher repetitions is detrimental to your goal of using maximum resistance. Calves are best trained in the 4-8 rep range using a Standing or Donkey calve machine. You can push as high up on the positive as possible for the first 4 reps and then continue on for mini partials, as calves are one of the only muscles that will fire using mini partials. Correct these three fallacies and you will use 100's of pounds more resistance immediately. Now for the point that is crucial for your calve development. Always use bands in conjunction with the machine as a form of added resistance from the start at warm ups through your heaviest set. Bands will incrementally increase up to 100's of pounds of added resistance when needed most at the point of peak contraction where you are at your strongest while providing a constant increase in TUT during the positive and a strong damaging gravitational assist on the negative. One rep with bands assisting will create more complete tension for growth then multiple reps without bands. What this means is that the low repetitions that you are doing with tremendously heavier resistance, always creating an increase in TUT from the added band tension, equates to the theory of using higher reps except your poundage will be astronomical compared to trying to grind out 20 lesser tensioned repetitions. I gave up all hope until I was able to extrapolate out this training method. I never thought it would be possible to make any improvements in my genetically high inserted calves. They are not gigantic and never will be, but they are stellar.

good read ergo...thanks..