calfs

how do I get big calf muscles.

Is this just for the look? Have body builder style weights not worked? I have not got big calfs, in fact quite small, but they seem elastic and powerful anyway. I only use reps of less than 10 (mainly around 5) for a period in winter, and then mainly let track inc. plyometrics take over.

This may not be anatomically correct but how high are your calves from heel.

People with lower points seem to have bigger calves.

I don’t do any calf work in the gym any more. Get it all the track - sprinting

I dont know how far my calfs are from my heel. I just want to know what is a workout you can do to get bigger calfs. Do I do high reps of calf raises or low reps of calf raises, and how often do you have to work them out.:afro:

if they won’t grow with regular methods and for some reason you really really want them to or maybe even need them to,

kill them twice a week
one day low rep high intensity
another day very high rep low intensity

one time I wanted fat kid calves, what a waste of time :shoot:

Oly lifts and lots of jumping made my calves bigger

If you were not born with a high amount of muscle fiber in your calf, it is difficult to get alot of hypertrophy. That being said, the biggest mistake I see people make is not doing the proper rep protocols for the soleus vs. the gastroc. The gastroc is more fast twitch, therefore needs to be introduced to higher intensity loading. The soleus is predominantly slow twitch, therefore should receive higher reps(>20). Also, technique needs to be solid. Most do not stretch and contract fully. Too much bouncing. Try hammering them frequently such as three days a week for say one month. Perhaps that will shock them into growth.

I’ve never had particularly big calves, despite the fact that I’ve played soccer, rugby, and run and cycled recreationally for years. Over the past 7 weeks I’ve been training exclusively to compete in weightlifting and my training has focused exclusively on the competitive lifts, power versions, squats, and some med ball work. Reps in the 1-5 range, and mostly 1-3. My calves are bigger now than they’ve ever been.

I haven’t gained any weight overall, but my legs, traps, back and forearms are much larger. My chest, upper arms, and perhaps my delts have lost some size, but this is to be expected since I haven’t done any pressing or specific arm work in nearly two months. It’s fun to watch your body remodel itself in response to training demands.

Why do u want big calves ?

Originally posted by gloopzilla
Why do u want bg calves ?

To run more slowly? :smiley:

lol - be warned - I’d never had achilles trouble in my life until I did a stupid body buildiing calf routine about 10 years ago -

wasn’t sprinting at the time but I still regret doing it - had nice big calves for a while tho - great lol

Originally posted by dcw23

[quote]Originally posted by gloopzilla
Why do u want bg calves ?

To run more slowly? :smiley: [/quote]

Are large calves a hinderance to sprinters?

If ur born with em - who can say - but certainly no point in wasting effort trying to attain them like I did .
I did some calf raises on occasions last year after experiencing some calf atrophy when I returned to track but things seemed to settle down naturally after I got used to the new stresses / workouts .

I heard or read (possibly Charlie) that in sprinting having smaller calves may be a benefit. It’s like a metronome, larger from the axis point vs the distal end, therefore making it easier for the lower weight end to circle more easily and quickly.

jump rope… it kicked the shit out of my claves today! we’ll see how it feels tomarrow! :shoot: my calves…