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Calf mass advice
Posted on 4/14/24 at 9:50 am
Posted on 4/14/24 at 9:50 am
Anyone ever had success adding significant calf thickness? What triggered the growth? Does doing tib work help?
This post was edited on 4/14/24 at 10:02 am
11
Posted on 4/14/24 at 10:02 am to Geert
I don't know of a single serious cyclist that doesn't have massive calves and quads. When they lock into the pedals and do the "push/pull" motion of pedaling it really works the calves.
When I did a good bit of lifting, I found calf/toe raises with weight really pumped mine up. I'd put the balls of my feet on a stable platform that was about 4 inches off the floor and get a good stretch when doing them as opposed to just doing them on the flat floor.
When I did a good bit of lifting, I found calf/toe raises with weight really pumped mine up. I'd put the balls of my feet on a stable platform that was about 4 inches off the floor and get a good stretch when doing them as opposed to just doing them on the flat floor.
Posted on 4/14/24 at 2:34 pm to Geert
I wish I could help here but I could spend every workout doing calf exercises and not sure they would look any different if I never trained them. It’s weird because my quads and hams definitely don’t behave like this and respond but not my calves. And then I see dudes who haven’t been in a gym in years and they have calves like Popeye has forearms. Crazy, but then I have heard athletic type dudes don’t really get big calf development. Kinda like Jon Jones. Dude looks like he has chicken legs but is actually strong af.
Posted on 4/14/24 at 3:54 pm to MWP
As a person who was genetically gifted massive calves and big forearms I always get quite a bit of "How do I get my calves bigger?" types of questions(forearms too). Obviously I know that I didn't have to do anything, I was just born this way, but dudes see me and think I have the answer, I do not, but the frequency of the question made me do some research and I always read the same thing over and over, which is that calves just don't grow like other muscles do when trained.
Forearms, I believe, do grow if you train them, but I always recommend against direct forearm work. You get the forearm work from lifting and getting bigger in general. You use your grip when you lift and play sports and that's all the work you need, just use your hands and test your grip a lot.
For calves, I think walking and cycling are your best bet. I have done a lot of both and I did a bunch of both while I was a kid so maybe that helped grow my already beefy calves. I also have big teardrop vastus medialis muscles, and I distinctly remember those burning like hell any time I cycled. Cycling up hills was great leg work.
But MWP is right, how many explosive, fast, highly athletic people do you see with monster calves? I don't see any. In fact, people with big buffalo legs like me are usually, as you would guess, a little "heavy legged" when it comes to speed and power. I think I always did decent with speed and power, but endurance....forget it, running long distances with big heavy legs is like swimming in wet jeans, just dragging weight around.
I understand the desire, I've heard many a chicken legged athlete/lifter lament how embarrassed they are of their skinny calves, despite their athleticism, and I just don't get it. To me, if you're strong, agile, explosive, and can athletically perform the way you want to, who cares? Would ripped, vascular calves be okay, even if they aren't "big", I would think so, but I've never understood bodybuilding.
Forearms, I believe, do grow if you train them, but I always recommend against direct forearm work. You get the forearm work from lifting and getting bigger in general. You use your grip when you lift and play sports and that's all the work you need, just use your hands and test your grip a lot.
For calves, I think walking and cycling are your best bet. I have done a lot of both and I did a bunch of both while I was a kid so maybe that helped grow my already beefy calves. I also have big teardrop vastus medialis muscles, and I distinctly remember those burning like hell any time I cycled. Cycling up hills was great leg work.
But MWP is right, how many explosive, fast, highly athletic people do you see with monster calves? I don't see any. In fact, people with big buffalo legs like me are usually, as you would guess, a little "heavy legged" when it comes to speed and power. I think I always did decent with speed and power, but endurance....forget it, running long distances with big heavy legs is like swimming in wet jeans, just dragging weight around.
I understand the desire, I've heard many a chicken legged athlete/lifter lament how embarrassed they are of their skinny calves, despite their athleticism, and I just don't get it. To me, if you're strong, agile, explosive, and can athletically perform the way you want to, who cares? Would ripped, vascular calves be okay, even if they aren't "big", I would think so, but I've never understood bodybuilding.
Posted on 4/14/24 at 3:57 pm to Geert
For calves, research suggests making sure to get a massive stretch at the bottom is crucial. Then just need a 1/2 rep really, getting full contraction doesn’t add anything. I’ve been doing 3 sets to failure twice a week and have noticed significant growth
Posted on 4/14/24 at 4:51 pm to Geert
Calves are mostly genetic. There’s a video on YouTube of Mike Mentzer training Boyer Coe on calves. Watch it. Explains everything.
This post was edited on 4/14/24 at 4:52 pm
Posted on 4/14/24 at 4:56 pm to Geert
quote:
Calf mass advice
Gain a lot of weight then walk it off
Posted on 4/14/24 at 5:41 pm to DrDenim
quote:
But MWP is right, how many explosive, fast, highly athletic people do you see with monster calves?
Posted on 4/14/24 at 6:21 pm to Geert
Knees Over Toes jacked my calves. Also recommend a zero drop shoe.
Posted on 4/14/24 at 6:37 pm to whiskey over ice
I don't know who that is, does he have monster calves? or big calves? Looks like he got normal sized calves. All I'm saying is MONSTER calves are not predominant amongst the fleet footed, explosive guys, but I'm sure we can find a few examples. There's always some exceptions.
Posted on 4/15/24 at 5:38 am to Aubie Spr96
quote:
Knees Over Toes jacked my calves.
Backwards sled drags seriously changed mine
Posted on 4/15/24 at 7:47 am to Geert
really 3 ways
1) Doggcrapp training protocol 2/3x per week. i believe this is the single best way to add mass to the calf. google it. its painful but works
2) High Frequency blood flow restriction for a meso cycle. so 6-8 weeks of 3-5x blood flow restriction training. google bfr calf training. again painful pumps
3) high frequency training- so this can be done simply as 100 calf raises a day for a while then progressed. can be backwards sled drags as mentioned, can be any exercise just done 5x per week for tons of overall volume. Tib raises help also to get overall lower leg mass.
one other thing....if you have never trained the calf in a stretched position, like with a donkey calf, i high recommend it.
if i was drawing out a plan...i would look to do 8-12 weeks of BFR training concentrating on holding the stretched and top position for a true 5 count at bottom, 3 count at top and progressing the weight/reps and going to failure every set. start at 2x per week for 3 weeks. then 3x per week for 3 weeks. then 4x per week for 3 weeks, then 5x for 3-6 weeks depending on overall soreness and recovery. do this while in a surplus with lots of protein and rotating 2 or 3 exercises. like standing and sitting for first 3 weeks. then sitting/standing/donkey once you go 3x per week, then add leg press raises at 4x and add extra donkey day at 5x.
1) Doggcrapp training protocol 2/3x per week. i believe this is the single best way to add mass to the calf. google it. its painful but works
2) High Frequency blood flow restriction for a meso cycle. so 6-8 weeks of 3-5x blood flow restriction training. google bfr calf training. again painful pumps
3) high frequency training- so this can be done simply as 100 calf raises a day for a while then progressed. can be backwards sled drags as mentioned, can be any exercise just done 5x per week for tons of overall volume. Tib raises help also to get overall lower leg mass.
one other thing....if you have never trained the calf in a stretched position, like with a donkey calf, i high recommend it.
if i was drawing out a plan...i would look to do 8-12 weeks of BFR training concentrating on holding the stretched and top position for a true 5 count at bottom, 3 count at top and progressing the weight/reps and going to failure every set. start at 2x per week for 3 weeks. then 3x per week for 3 weeks. then 4x per week for 3 weeks, then 5x for 3-6 weeks depending on overall soreness and recovery. do this while in a surplus with lots of protein and rotating 2 or 3 exercises. like standing and sitting for first 3 weeks. then sitting/standing/donkey once you go 3x per week, then add leg press raises at 4x and add extra donkey day at 5x.
Posted on 4/15/24 at 8:01 am to DrDenim
quote:
I'm saying is MONSTER calves are not predominant amongst the fleet footed, explosive guys, but I'm sure we can find a few examples. There's always some exceptions.
Get a glimpse of Manny Pacquiao's calves when sparring or boxing in the ring. They are massive for a guy is size. When fighting at welterweight (147 lbs.) his calves were every bit as big as a guy 200+ lbs. who worked them out.
Posted on 4/15/24 at 8:11 am to lsu777
Calves are rough. You either have them or you don't. If you don't, the amount of work to make them grow no body wants to Deal with.. I had good calves but tore my left calve bad playing softball and tore my right calve playing alumni soccer. Reason I quit sports. My calves keep popping. But I find the other stuff outside the gym builds the calve more. Running, biking, jumping, playing sports. It seems to help build it full unlike just hammering away at calf raises.
Posted on 4/15/24 at 8:13 am to bayouvette
maybe but i have seen, and have done so myself, people add tons of mass using Dantes technique.
Posted on 4/15/24 at 8:20 am to bayouvette
quote:
hammering away at calf raises.
Because most people do them incorrectly. Proper calf work is not fun or for faint of heart if you want them to grow.
Posted on 4/15/24 at 9:22 am to ronricks
Right. I see most people bouncing a light weight around on the calf raise machine to nowhere near failure. Of course they don’t see results
Posted on 4/15/24 at 2:01 pm to Geert
1. Get in time machine.
2. Convince an ancestor of yours to have sexual relations with an Asian person.
3. Return to present and enjoy larger calves.
2. Convince an ancestor of yours to have sexual relations with an Asian person.
3. Return to present and enjoy larger calves.
Posted on 4/15/24 at 2:22 pm to ronricks
quote:
Because most people do them incorrectly. Proper calf work is not fun or for faint of heart if you want them to grow.
The worst muscle soreness I ever had was the first and last time I hit a calf machine hard. In my twenties at college and pounded calf raises after a leg workout. Kept loading more and more….”this is easy”.
I legit couldn’t walk for 3 days.
Posted on 4/15/24 at 3:15 pm to DrDenim
It’s ankles. Look at the ankles. You will never see a great athlete with fat ankles. You want the skinniest ankles you can find looking for an athlete
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