Arnold Heavy Calves Training - BS??

[obsidian]

We've all read Arnold's stories about going to train with Reg Park who was using huge weights for his calves - 1000 lbs plus! This sounds like BS to me.

First of all Reg Park's calves were really not that amazing so obviously those heavy weights were not working. Steve Reeves had better calves (genetics) compared to Reg Park.

In my own experience I found using huge weights in calves training just meant that my form suffered and I could not do enough reps to get them to burn intensely. I have had better results with very high reps (25 - 50 lbs) and light weight or even body weight. When you look at ballet dancers they have amazing calves and are doing mostly body weight exercises.

Arnold was a bullshit artist. Remember the bad advices he gave the guy who yelled out onstage all oiled up and had to be carried off because of all the noise he was making - lol?

How many people have fucked up their feet / back trying to handle weights on the calves machines they shouldn't have because they heard about what Arnold said?

I also read that Arnold used esiclene in his calves to add that extra inch or more for photo shoots / competitions. Who knows. Just always been suspicious about him equating huge weights with calves growth when I found in my own case it just means sloppy form.

[obsidian]

Reeves had impressive Calves.



Reg Park's were not bad by any means but when looking at these two compared who's advice would you follow? The reality is Reeves just had better calves genetics and Park's training methods did not make a difference.

[Rudee]

According to Mike Quinn,  Weider sent Arnold to a doctor in Mexico to get his calves worked on.  Quinn claims Weider asked him to see the same doctor to get his calves done.

[cephissus]

Heavy or light, mine never grew.  I tried everything I could think of, even pellius' legendary dictionary routine.

For me, any intense calf work, whether high weight or high reps, kalmost always just results in a quick cessation of muscle sensation followed by a rapid onset of ankle/tendon pain.  Only once in a blue moon did I get a good pump going.

[obsidian]

Heavy or light, mine never grew.  I tried everything I could think of, even pellius' legendary dictionary routine.

For me, any intense calf work, whether high weight or high reps, kalmost always just results in a quick cessation of muscle sensation followed by a rapid onset of ankle/tendon pain.  Only once in a blue moon did I get a good pump going.

You will get a good pump doing very slow calves raises barefoot (on a flat surface, block not needed, hold a few seconds at the top) with body weight till the pain is so intense you cannot continue. Depending on how heavy you are this could be either 25 or 50 reps. Do a 100 reps of that and they will be in pain the next day.

Another thing that works pretty good are farmer's walks with a 60 lbs dumbbell in each hand. Walk on your toes for 100 feet or more.

I always feel like my calves look so much better after pumping them up. But only 1/2" is added and it is temporary. After the workout they deflate again. My calves are currently around 19" cold and I started out with 15" calves as a teenager!

I guess yes heavyweights (but not 1000 lbs?!) do help occasionally to shock them. I just don't see how anyone could do 1000 lbs raises and not fuck their feet up?

I agree with you - I find that with calves training the weakest link are the feet and ankles. They get punished more than the calves! However with light weights and high reps my calves are sore every time the day after working them out.

[The Abdominal Snoman]

Heavy or light, mine never grew.  I tried everything I could think of, even pellius' legendary dictionary routine.

For me, any intense calf work, whether high weight or high reps, kalmost always just results in a quick cessation of muscle sensation followed by a rapid onset of ankle/tendon pain.  Only once in a blue moon did I get a good pump going.

And once you get the micro tears in your Achilles, it's all over but the crying...

[Erik C]

Steve Reeves worked his calves doing Barbell Hack Squats going up on his toes, and putting the bar down between each rep, as Georg Hackenschmidt did. Hackenschmidt popularized the Barbell Hack Squat, and it was named for him, as people started calling it "Hack's Squat," though Hackenschmidt himself said the name "Hack" came from the German word for heel, as you need to lift your heels.

Steve Reeves designed a Barbell Hack Squat Machine (Not to be confused with modern Hack Squat Machine) when he was training at York, with Jon Grimek, for the Mr. Universe. The machinists there built it for him, and he used it to good effect.

[Rudee]

Heavy or light, mine never grew.  I tried everything I could think of, even pellius' legendary dictionary routine.

For me, any intense calf work, whether high weight or high reps, kalmost always just results in a quick cessation of muscle sensation followed by a rapid onset of ankle/tendon pain.  Only once in a blue moon did I get a good pump going.

My calves can get a pump very rapidly with just light weight.  They've always been a strength for me.  I've found that my best bodyparts are the ones that pump up the quickest and the easiest.   My weak bodparts are the ones that don't pump as easily or as quickly.  i.e.  I can get my calves completely pumped up with just two sets.  While my weaker bodyparts (my back) takes several sets to feel a full pump.  I firmly believe the bodyparts that pump the best, become your best bodyparts.  

[Skeletor]

I remember reading about the Reg Park 1000 lbs calves exercise and some years later reading the same story but the number was reduced to 800 lbs and then 600 lbs which still sounds ridiculous. High rep (20-25+) training for calves is torture but I don't think it produced any different results for me. I prefer something in the 12-15 rep range with full contraction.

[The Ugly]

Heavy or light, mine never grew.  I tried everything I could think of

This. Calves are genetic. Even Matarazzo said his never-lifted-weights dad's were bigger. He stopped training them altogether.

I still hit my shitty twigs only because it feels good.

[Erik C]

 I tried everything I could think of,

You really should have given it more thought then.

[TheShape.]

Calves are mostly a genetic trait, however if they're small but have good muscle shape you can put on good size by training correctly. I find that barefoot reps on a block of wood or a book work the best. Just do 100-200 a day.

[The Ugly]

Calves are mostly a genetic trait, however if they're small but have good muscle shape you can put on good size by training correctly. I find that barefoot reps on a block of wood or a book work the best. Just do 100-200 a day.

You've said nothing.

If they're genetically inclined for growth, light/heavy/ANY training will build them up.

[honest]

Arnold might have gone to Reg as Reg had built half decent calves from a low genetic base. Its absolutely pointless guys with low genetic ability for calves asking guys with calve genetics how they built them.

Arnold clearly had calve genetics but he needed to unlock the potential, maybe Reg was the key, wouldn't believe too much what mike quinn says most of his rants about anything are these days made from a prescribed medicated position, and anything from prior years was similar just unprescribed recs, instead. Dribble from a psychotic state of mind.

[Erik C]

You've said nothing.

If they're genetically inclined for growth, light/heavy/ANY training will build them up.

Why did all of you guys, who claim to have shitty genetics, ever start training to begin with?

[TheShape.]

You've said nothing.

If they're genetically inclined for growth, light/heavy/ANY training will build them up.

Nein, not just any training, heavy calf raises do nothing for me. All body weight and slow, controlled reps.

[obsidian]

Arnold might have gone to Reg as Reg had built half decent calves from a low genetic base. Its absolutely pointless guys with low genetic ability for calves asking guys with calve genetics how they built them.

Arnold clearly had calve genetics but he needed to unlock the potential, maybe Reg was the key, wouldn't believe too much what mike quinn says most of his rants about anything are these days made from a prescribed medicated position, and anything from prior years was similar just unprescribed recs, instead. Dribble from a psychotic state of mind.

Ok, good point. I just don't believe the ridiculous 1000lbs claim he made. Reg might have gotten the same results or even better if he trained like a ballet dancer.

[Moontrane]

I used all the exercises and got OK shape and size, but my calves really grew from powerlifting.

[Erik C]

Ok, good point. I just don't believe the ridiculous 1000lbs claim he made. Reg might have gotten the same results or even better if he trained like a ballet dancer.

Arnold never wrote a book, nor article, in his whole life. Everything was ghost written, and he got paid for putting his name on it. Especially from Weider, all kinds of bull shit was published. When Weider started getting ads for running shoes in his publication in the 1970s, he published articles stating that Arnold ran 8 miles per day. Never happened!

[obsidian]

I remember reading about the Reg Park 1000 lbs calves exercise and some years later reading the same story but the number was reduced to 800 lbs and then 600 lbs which still sounds ridiculous. High rep (20-25+) training for calves is torture but I don't think it produced any different results for me. I prefer something in the 12-15 rep range with full contraction.

Here Arnold is training with around 600 lbs.



http://www.flexonline.com/training/legs/calves/complete-arnold-calves

"Again, it’s about progression; if you’re using 1,000 pounds but can’t go all the way up, you’re training too heavy and wasting your time. The goal is to lift the heaviest weight possible that still allows you to use a full range of motion. I also used other techniques to squeeze out every last bit of intensity and spark new growth. Other than doing forced reps with the help of a partner, my favorite techniques were peak contractions and what I used to call a “pumping action.” Peak contraction is simply a matter of holding the top of each rep and squeezing the calves for three to four counts before lowering the weight. This was very painful, but I always relished the muscle burn and felt it would only make me bigger."

The article does acknowledge that if the weight is too heavy you're wasting your time.

How much is he training with here?

[obsidian]

Arnold never wrote a book, nor article, in his whole life. Everything was ghost written, and he got paid for putting his name on it. Especially from Weider, all kinds of bull shit was published. When Weider started getting ads for running shoes in his publication in the 1970s, he published articles stating that Arnold ran 8 miles per day. Never happened!

I am sure Arnold did provide some sound bites for the books - obviously they were written by others. It is irresponsible of them to suggest that he or Reg trained calves with 1000lbs - that would fuck up a lot of people if they even tried it.

[obsidian]

Lol, zero calves raises were done in this video below! Arnold never did 1000lbs calves raises - I'd like to see a picture as proof.

[Erik C]

FIXED: Here Arnold is posing with around 600 lbs.

[Chidoman]

Arnold was/is a good car salesman just like Tom Platz in his heyday of doing interviews ( wait a minute, Tom was indeed a car salesman)....Bottom Line: FULL OF SHIT!!...

[tommywishbone]

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