Calves...

[WannaBPowerful]

Need sum help here... My soleus grows at a pretty good rate. My problem is, my gastrocs wont grow. I want that ball at the top, but it just wont come. It stays flat. I have pretty good size in them, but i want the ball. Any info???

 

[The Dude]

My workout which has worked for me quite well.

Standing Calf Raise: 15,12,9,9 (duplicate weight), 15 reps. Target 15 reps on your first set. If you achieve it, you increase the weight for THAT set next time you do Standing CR. Pyramid up and then down on the last one. If you're going all out, the weight increases from set to set shouldn't be too much.

Then go to the Seated Calf Raise: Three double drop sets, max intensity. Target 15 reps on the first "leg" of the first set to determine your starting weight and when to increase. On the drops, go down about a third in weight. You shouldn't be able to hit 10+ reps on the drop sets unless you're at the point where you need to go up.

Next week, reverse it and do Seated CR's heavy and Standing CR's for drop sets. Supersetting toe raises with your first exercise helps A LOT too. Once I started doing that, I just got stronger and stronger and stronger.

 

[b fold the truth]

I honestly feel that it takes a long time to build big calves. Just keep adding mass and it will come. I think that calves come over time moreso...

bump..

B True

 

[coolcolj]

what I posted in another thread

Calves= fast twitch = low endurance = low reps

calf raise - 6 reps, explode the concentric, hold to top for 2 secs, lower in 4 secs - hold the bottom for 2 secs and repeat. Go to failure.

I do 1 or 2 sets, that's all you need.

My calves after 6 months of training, I'm not a bodybuilder though

I also jump quite a bit, and do sprints. They also help.
Also leaning forward in a calf raise works better I find, due to the greater pre stretch and ROM, I use some of those standing squat machines to do this, donkey calf raise is even better

 

[WannaBPowerful]

Thanx but...

I was kind of hopeing for a more detailed explination for the calves. What part of the motions work the soleus or the gastrocs? Does having the knees bent, like in a seated calf raise, work the soleus more or the gastrocs?

 

[Deciever]

Seated calf raise- the soleus is the only major muscle involved in performing ankle joint extension(plantar flexion) in the seated calf raise.

Now about the gastrocs(gastrocnemius). This muscle has shown to be best developed when heel raises are done w/ the legs kept straight. How ever, if the knee's are even bent slightly most of the workload is transferred onto the soleus.

 

[BillPT]

Soleus emphasis with the knees bent. Think more reps/fewer sets as soleus tends to be slow-twitch dominant (as much as 88%).

Gastroc emphasis with the knees straight. Gastroc is more fast-twitch dominant so mix up the reps from as low as 6 to as high as 12. The medial head of gastroc tends to dominate most calf raise movements regardless of foot position. Single leg calf raises tend to activate the lateral head of gastroc the most.