my calves have been sore every workout now-hope im on to something

[NaturalWonder83]

so i have weak calves...very stubborn...ive tried many ways of training them

Lately what ive been doing is forceful positive rep...squeeze in contracted postition...then slowly lower and hold in bottom stretch postion for 3-5 secs...then repeat for about 12-15 reps

I think its similar to DC calf protocal...

calves have seemed fuller and they seem bigger...only time will tell...

[pumpster]

Sounds tough, but ya that's the way to find out. Try different things + hard work.

[NaturalWonder83]

Sounds tough, but ya that's the way to find out. Try different things + hard work.

i guess maybe cuz im taking momentum out of the equation?
hey pumpster-what do u think is more important on calf training? negative/stretch or the squeeze or time under tension? or is it all equal in your opinion?

[windsor88]

you can get them stronger but calves are genetics.  Mine are pro caliber and I hardly ever work them.  Now everything else on me sucks but the calves are my "Lights Out"

[Zach Trowbridge]

You can also try Pavel's "greasing the groove" technique, I've been using it with donkey calf raises and with chinups for my back for a little over a week and it's working pretty well for both - the idea is to just take a weight you can hit maybe 8-10 reps with and just do 5 reps per set, sporadically through the day.  I work at a gym so it's pretty easy for me to do, but you can probably tweak some at home variations of calf raises with dumbbells or something similar.  I usually just do a set of each any time I pass by a calf machine or chinup bar, so I usually end up doing 20-60 reps per day depending on how busy I am.  My right calf is up about 3/8" in a bit over a week, which I take to be an appreciable gain.

[pumpster]

you can get them stronger but calves are genetics.  Mine are pro caliber and I hardly ever work them.  Now everything else on me sucks but the calves are my "Lights Out"

I think that common notion's self-limiting, a cop-out for any muscle. Gentics is part of it, but there are plenty of other variables that have to be played with including focused serious work and a willingness to experiment to be sure all potential's unlocked. Without covering all bases, no one really knows what could be there.

Schwarzenegger's calf development remains the textbook example. If Arnold had followed your belief and ascribed so-so calves to genetics, he wouldn't have developed great calves by going the extra mile. He'd have given up earlier after assuming it's all genetics.

[Bluto]

But isnt Arnolds calves even to this day pretty big which should imply that it had a lot to do with genetics after all or they would've shrunk noticably

[Bluto]

Gene you should measure your calves regularly to document progress and not just go by feel

[NaturalWonder83]

You can also try Pavel's "greasing the groove" technique, I've been using it with donkey calf raises and with chinups for my back for a little over a week and it's working pretty well for both - the idea is to just take a weight you can hit maybe 8-10 reps with and just do 5 reps per set, sporadically through the day.  I work at a gym so it's pretty easy for me to do, but you can probably tweak some at home variations of calf raises with dumbbells or something similar.  I usually just do a set of each any time I pass by a calf machine or chinup bar, so I usually end up doing 20-60 reps per day depending on how busy I am.  My right calf is up about 3/8" in a bit over a week, which I take to be an appreciable gain.

thats a good idea i may want to try...

Gene you should measure your calves regularly to document progress and not just go by feel

true...i will measure them tommorow

[pumpster]

But isnt Arnolds calves even to this day pretty big which should imply that it had a lot to do with genetics after all or they would've shrunk noticably

No, because it's relatively easy to maintain size when muscles are used regularly with decent loads, alot easier than getting it. Calves are heavily used reguarly day to day to bear bodyweight. Plus in addition he does cardio, which is more calf work. Same thing with Yates, he's shrunk significantly but not the calves to the same extent.

[Bluto]

No, because it's relatively easy to maintain size when muscles are used regularly with decent loads, alot easier than getting it. Calves are heavily used reguarly day to day to bear bodyweight. Plus in addition he does cardio, which is more calf work. Same thing with Yates, he's shrunk significantly but not the calves to the same extent.

The day to day-theory is bullshit and doesnt do shit, same with cardio. Aint nobody keeping size because of that on any bodypart, ain't nobody keeping size due to cardio. If that would be the case people could stop lifting weights and just walk around like a schmuck all day and do a little cardio to keep gains even though they're eating far less and skipping weights... 

Reason Dorians calves are as big as they are is because of genetics.