Design me a calf routine....

[needsize]

I have tried just about everything I can think of training wise and my calves just arent responding, which is compounded by the fact that everything else is growing....What are some of the approaches that have worked for you guys, and I would especially like to hear from guys that have had to work for their calves and it didnt come easy

 

[coolcolj]

Here are my most result producing calf exercises
Worth a try

I really like Romanian deadlifts onto toes, kills my calves. Hold the top position on your calves for a 1-2 count.
reps - around 6-8

Single leg calf raises holding a single dumbell, other hand for balance. slow down and then explode up, fling yourself up as fast and hard as you can. Hold the top for a sec or two. Poundage doesn't matter as much 6-10 reps. And yes its hard to balance, but that's why it works.

High pulls onto toes - either lighter weights pulled to sternum or heavier weights pulled to belly button. Get up high on your toes. Use sets of 6 and feel the calves scream! You'll get growth in your posterior chain, forearms, upper back and shoulders as well.

Anytime you deadlift and shrug get on on your toes, squats too (lighter ones). Never waste a moment to overload them

Calf machines never did much for me. You need that freeweights balancing and free motion.
I started with my calves at 14 inches with a 9 inch ankle 8 months ago, now they are just under 17inches just from the above.

 

[Haz]

But CoolColJ, don't your calves grow by just looking at the weights? I think it was you that posted pics of your legs, and if I remember right, your calves ballooned up like crazy. I'll try the exercises you mentioned though.

I feel for ya Needsize, cause my calves don't respond to shit either. I've tried high reps, low reps, , heavy weights, light, supersets, high volume, low volume blah blah blah. Nothing really seems to work. My calves have been the same size ever since I was a teenager. Luckily they were a decent size to begin with, but I probalby haven't put more then 1 inch on them over the years.

 

[gymtime]

I have naturally big upper legs, and pretty average calves. I have to work for what little results I get. But the best thing I've done for them is to concentrate on not loading up on the weight, but using a long, slow motion and squeezing hard at the top of the movement.

Calves are also the only thing I superset, and I do them on leg day. I do one with legs bent, one with legs straight, and again, really concentrate on form more than weight.

 

[louden_swain]

Needsize,

I feel your pain!! The calves are probably the most difficult muscle to develop in the body. The muscle tissue is very dense, therefore the calves require serious pounding to get them to grow. I suggest using both high and low reps and training to failure. This may sound crazy, but I recommend that you train them every 72 hours. Here might be some possibilities:

Workout 1 -

Seated Toe Raises - 3 x 30 or failure
Leg Press Toe Extensions - 3 x 30 or failure

Workout 2 -

Standing Toe Raises - 8 x 6-8

Workout 3 -

Donkey Toe Raises - 3 x 50
Dumbbell Toe Raises - 3 x 20

The key is to constantly fool the calves.

 

[rjl296]

my calves respond slowly, but I also wold trin them every 72 hours or 2x / week. I would cut L. Swains high reps in hald personally.

 

[coolcolj]

But CoolColJ, don't your calves grow by just looking at the weights? I think it was you that posted pics of your legs, and if I remember right, your calves ballooned up like crazy. I'll try the exercises you mentioned though.

Yes perhaps initially they did, but that was then and this is now

But while I don't train them directly now as such with calf raises, they sure get their share of overload! Every Oly lift I do hits the calves quite hard. As well as all the above.
I'm a big believer in using explosive and fast movements to make the calves grow. Most of the time people put weight on the calves in a slow long TUT while walking, standing etc.

You need to do the opposite of what they are used to, plus calves tend to have at least 50% white fiber in most people. The gastrocs are a muscle you use when jumping and sprinting, its also a very strong eccentric shock absorber so it is mainly fast twitch.
The soleus is the one you use while walking and standing, and is mainly slow twitch, it won't grow that much and squats will build them up anyway.

And don't forget the calves work on both the ankle joint and KNEE joint. They assist the hamstrings in flexing the knee joint That's why RDLS onto toes, glute ham raises, Leg curls etc work well on the calves. You need to pull you toes towards your knee to maximise it though
So you may wanna try "blitzing" the calves by some standing single leg curls (pull toes up), then straight after do some single leg dumbell calf raises, then single leg squat with heels raised.

Also anytime you bend over you increase the ROM and stretch on the calves, ala Donkey calf raise. Another reason why RDLs onto toes work well, but add some plates under your toes to improve ROM.

 

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[vinylgroover]

My calves have started responding since using controlled form and getting a peak contraction at the top of the movement.

I train them twice a week, no more than 10 sets total for the week and always use a different exercise each workout alternatinf between standing calf raises on the Smith Machine, single standing calf raises as CoolColJ described holding a weight in one hand and seated calf raises.

Unlike many people, i don't go blow parallel on the descent......i used to but that didn't do shit for my calves, i work in a rep range of 8-10 and really emphasise and hold the contraction at the top.

If you're lucky enough to live near a beach, do some beach sprints on soft sand......your calves will blow up like balloons.

 

[needsize]

Thanks for the ideas guys, I'll give them a try. My biggest question is around number of sets, I've done anywhere between 3-10 working sets and cant really seem to find a number that works for me