Were Arnold's calf gains real or synthetic?

[YLLSHTH]

Arnold is the only documented case in history of a man that went from having garbage calves to calves of the gods. He did the impossible, the thing that countless people have claimed to have done, but none other than Arnold have ever proven.

So I wonder what was his secret? Deal with the devil? Implants?

[IroNat]

His calves were real.
He had very good genetics for calves.
They just needed work.
Also the technology for fake calves is not very good to this day.
No way could a surgeon implant calves that looked as good as Arnold's.

[MajorDomo]

https://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=644152.0

[TheShape.]

Implants can’t flex or show muscle fibers.

[Hulkotron]

It looks like Arnold didn't train hamstrings.

[NaturalWonder83]

I feel he had elite genetics.

Could he have been one of the hardest working, hardest training, most driven people in history? Look at all he accomplished. Note his personality, his desire to dominate, his natural talents, his ability to master anything he accomplishes, his charisma, his sex drive, and his ruthless aggression to wipe out his competitors. He had a vision for the life he wanted and he achieved it. I think he's 1 in a million and at a level we can never comprehend or be like.

[Rambone]

It looks like Arnold didn't train hamstrings.

Arnold’s hams in 1980 were pitiful. Just ask Royalty

[YLLSHTH]

I feel he had elite genetics.

Could he have been one of the hardest working, hardest training, most driven people in history? Look at all he accomplished. Note his personality, his desire to dominate, his natural talents, his ability to master anything he accomplishes, his charisma, his sex drive, and his ruthless aggression to wipe out his competitors. He had a vision for the life he wanted and he achieved it. I think he's 1 in a million and at a level we can never comprehend or be like.

Total absence of reason

[NaturalWonder83]

Total absence of reason

No.

[Van_Bilderass]

The mistake is in thinking Arnold had bad calf genetics or that they were ever really wildly out of proportion.

And let me not get started on the ridiculous 1,500lbs standing calf raises he supposedly did to "bring them up."

Edit. I was lazy and didn't even read past the OP. Nat said it.

His calves were real.
He had very good genetics for calves.
They just needed work.
Also the technology for fake calves is not very good to this day.
No way could a surgeon implant calves that looked as good as Arnold's.

[YLLSHTH]

The mistake is in thinking Arnold had bad calf genetics or that they were ever really wildly out of proportion.

And let me not get started on the ridiculous 1,500lbs standing calf raises he supposedly did to "bring them up."

My calves suck, they look similar to young arnold's, but they have not budged a millimeter in my adult life. I've trained them hard, but since I never saw results in months of hammering away at them, I never trained them more than a few months. If you cant even gain a millimeter after let's say 3 months, I don't see the point in continuing. They'll never grow.

[Humble Narcissist]

Implants can’t flex or show muscle fibers.

Especially in the 1960's.

[MajorDomo]

My calves suck, they look similar to young arnold's, but they have not budged a millimeter in my adult life. I've trained them hard, but since I never saw results in months of hammering away at them, I never trained them more than a few months. If you cant even gain a millimeter after let's say 3 months, I don't see the point in continuing. They'll never grow.

https://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=156877.0

This thread is about how Pellius, (who published under the name mtwain on Ironage)  a member here who passed away, built scrawny calves into monsters, using nothing but single leg calf raises with nothing but body weight.

[Pet shop boys]

It looks like Arnold didn't train hamstrings.

Imagine if he did !!


WoooSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH   the Goat

[Van_Bilderass]

My calves suck, they look similar to young arnold's, but they have not budged a millimeter in my adult life. I've trained them hard, but since I never saw results in months of hammering away at them, I never trained them more than a few months. If you cant even gain a millimeter after let's say 3 months, I don't see the point in continuing. They'll never grow.

My bodybuilding genetics suck ass, every body part is terrible considering my lifting career, but most especially calves. The only thing that increases the size of my calves is gaining weight period. Well maybe they are an inch bigger than without any lifting at all plus I'm pretty sure they are way more vascular than they would've been. Mr Mike Mentzer said genetics can only be properly assessed in retrospect and I think that is correct. If your muscles responded you did have good genetics whether you thought so before or not. Someone might say what I'm claiming is cope because I was just too stupid to figure out the correct routine or else I was lazy and just avoided work, but I vehemently disagree

https://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=156877.0

This thread is about how Pellius, (who published under the name mtwain on Ironage)  a member here who passed away, built scrawny calves into monsters, using nothing but single leg calf raises with nothing but body weight.

Pellius was a fantastic fella, a damn shame he passed away. Rest in Peace.

His case was definitely interesting. I'm certain he trained like a madman but I'd say his genetics for calves were what was evidenced by what his calves became after trying to grow them. Our potential may not be as bad as we assumed until we really tried. But at the same time it's possible he tried extra hard on calves and that did have some effect.

[Bevo]

https://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=156877.0

This thread is about how Pellius, (who published under the name mtwain on Ironage)  a member here who passed away, built scrawny calves into monsters, using nothing but single leg calf raises with nothing but body weight.

His calves are shredded to the bone these days I’ve heard

[Royalty]

▫️

[Royalty]

▫️

[tacobender]

Did him and Franco Peg each other is the question

[jude2]

His calves looked great in Twins.

[tacobender]

His calves looked great in Twins.

so did my sac

[YLLSHTH]

My bodybuilding genetics suck ass, every body part is terrible considering my lifting career, but most especially calves. The only thing that increases the size of my calves is gaining weight period. Well maybe they are an inch bigger than without any lifting at all plus I'm pretty sure they are way more vascular than they would've been. Mr Mike Mentzer said genetics can only be properly assessed in retrospect and I think that is correct. If your muscles responded you did have good genetics whether you thought so before or not. Someone might say what I'm claiming is cope because I was just too stupid to figure out the correct routine or else I was lazy and just avoided work, but I vehemently disagree
 

Pellius was a fantastic fella, a damn shame he passed away. Rest in Peace.

His case was definitely interesting. I'm certain he trained like a madman but I'd say his genetics for calves were what was evidenced by what his calves became after trying to grow them. Our potential may not be as bad as we assumed until we really tried. But at the same time it's possible he tried extra hard on calves and that did have some effect.

Adding 45lbs of solid muscle since adolescence all the way to my prime and then losing it all again after retiring from the gym,  none of that made my calves budge a millimeter.

[YLLSHTH]

https://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=156877.0

This thread is about how Pellius, (who published under the name mtwain on Ironage)  a member here who passed away, built scrawny calves into monsters, using nothing but single leg calf raises with nothing but body weight.

These look like oil lumps. PIP