proritizing my weak point

[youngN]

At this point im moving more from a powerlifting routine to a bodybuilding routine, still of coruse incorperating power movements but just trying out a higher rep scheme (8-12 instead of 2-6) My weak points are my calves? I hear this is the toughest muscle to grow, ive tried alot any of yall have experience on helpin this stubborn body part grow, frequency of calve workouts, reps and sets. Ive got strength in my calves but they wont freakin grow

[youngN]

Re: proritizing my weak point

anyone

[a-bomb83]

Re: proritizing my weak point

calves are most people's stubborn area. ever heard of negatives, and static holds? incorporate those, and they will help for sure. my favorite (and pretty much only) exercise i do for calves is a standing calf raise in the power rack. i'll use either plates or something 4-5" off the ground so i can extend my calves very far. put the bar on your back as if you're going to squat. it takes some balance, so use a light weight to start with. i usually lean the bar up against the actual rack, and use it as a guide. if you did this exercise 100% free standing, well, you'd probably fall over and look like a jackass. so when you get your feet positioned on whatever is off the ground, get the bar on your back ready for ascention, kinda lean foreward slightly to allow the bar to rub up agianst the rack so you don't feel like you're going to fall backward.

anyway, i'll usually warm up with 135lbs and rep out about 20, just to get them warmed up...then instead of racking the weight, i'll let my calves stretch by making my heel try and touch the ground while feet are still on top of platform. stretch for about 20-30 seconds. then i'll usually go up to about 225lbs, do about 8-10 good reps, then throw in a 20-30 static. that being, find the middle ground for contraction, the halfway point if you will. then hold there for 20-30 seconds, then after you're done, rack the weight and fall on the ground,lol. then i'll move on up to about 275 or 315 (depending on how saucy i'm feeling,lol) then i'll shoot for something in the 4-6 range, with a good 30-40 second static.

but you're probably saying to yourself "thats only 1 warm up and 2 working sets" well...try it out with weight that is heavy to you and see how you feel the next day. give it a shot.

[crombie09]

Re: proritizing my weak point

Found this last night when doing research for myself...

It's been my experience that calves respond best when worked quickly. I don't necessarily mean that the reps should be performed quickly, but the total reps should be condensed into as short a time as possible.

Try this:

* Pick one calf exercise (I prefer the standing calf raise). Your goal will be to reach 75 reps.

* Use a weight that you would normally choose for a twenty-rep set. Complete the 20 reps and continue until you can't do another rep.

* Rest just long enough for the burning to subside and continue with as many reps as possible, even if it's only 5 reps.

* Continue in this fashion until you reach the target goal of 75.

I won't lie to you - this is going to hurt. But the total time it takes to complete this procedure should be no more than 2 minutes. Do not do another set!

You may be tempted, considering it won't feel as if you put in enough time, but believe me, you're going to have two mighty sore calves tomorrow morning. If you don't, you either didn't go heavy enough or more likely, you took too much time between sets.

[crombie09]

Re: proritizing my weak point

and this

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sadek1.htm

[crombie09]

Re: proritizing my weak point

This article is about the impact calves can have on a persons physique and how you can go about bringing them up to speed. Get the full details right here!

Calves - Turning Them Into Cows!

By: Big Time Jimmy Sadek

How important are calves? When you are out at a club or bar no one will ask how much you calf raise will they? Usually when you talk about anything bodybuilding related to anyone calves don't even get a mention. But why? In my opinion calves are the one muscle that can complete a physique, but can also go unnoticed at the same time!

Because I have been training for so long now and have seen so many great physiques and outstanding body parts I have now started to be more critical about an individual's body and yes this includes my own.

But this article is about the impact calves can have on a persons physique and how you can go about bringing your calves up from a body part where you don't mind covering up to making them look like cows on the farm where you just want to wear shorts everywhere to show people yeah you got calves!


My Own Calves

I am known to have great calves and no matter what people say about me or my calves they will almost automatically start with the word genetics and then finish with that same word almost as they are using it as an excuses as to why I have big calves and they do not.

Every time I hear this I just smile and say they weren't always like this. In fact I never used to have big calves when I started training. When I won the Australian Teenage Nationals I didn't have huge calves, they were shaped but they were high, and small and from the outside almost non existent!

Big Time Jimmy Sadek Big Time Jimmy Sadek
Click Image To Enlarge.
I Didn't Use To Have Big Calves.

After that show in 2002 it was fast approaching summer and I was at the gym one day and saw an awesome set of calves on an older guy; he was about 40. I was standing there as Mr. Australia and I was more impressed with these guys calves than I was at my title.

It was then and there I decided I want to have some cows hanging out of my shorts (so I just trained them). I trained them all the time, everyday, even when they were sore. This didn't last too long because they got too sore so I sat down and worked out a blue print to get my calves massive and it worked.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Anatomy Of The Calves.

It is now 3 years later and I have only just started training calves again. Over the last year I trained calves once a month because I have been dieting and they took a smashing from cardio but I have decided they are at the stage where I need them to be freaky again.

My overall body has gotten bigger and I believe I have awesome symmetry but on top of symmetry I believe you must have some real noticeable body parts that will stand out, and there is no better body part to emphasize; you can make people's physiques look very incomplete if they don't have calves and you have outstandingly developed ones.

I don't believe it is hard to make your calves grow, I just think people worry about it too much and then train calves with the mindset that they will never make their calves grow. You go in thinking like that and I wouldn't even bother reading on.

You can make your calves grow but you must be prepared to go beyond your normal pain barriers, calves can tolerate a lot more than many other muscles due to the fact that they are under tension the whole day. They can withstand a beating so just going to the gym sitting on the seated calf raise and pumping out 3 sets of 15 isn't going to cut it.


Click Image To Enlarge.
The Calves Can Withstand A Lot More.

Below I have outlined 4 basic rules to making your stubborn calves grow, accompanied by examples and variations I will provide you enough ammunition to go to war on your calves, to make them grow so big you will be complaining about calf rash, where you can't walk without the 2 touching each other. READ ON!


4 Steps To Follow


1. Stretch In-Between Sets.

After every set you do for your calves make sure you stretch each leg for a minimum of 15 secs. I believe for calves' stretching in-between sets is more effective than flexing them as they tend to become very very sore! You may flex in-between sets also as I tend to do both but I would recommend if you were doing one or the other to do stretches.

RELATED ARTICLE
The Truth About Stretching!
If you believe stretching is not important then you may want to read this. While the evidence does need to be stronger it seems clear that stretching before any activity is beneficial.
[ Click here to learn more. ]

This helps the lactic acid build up escape therefore making your next set a little easier and also at the same time allows you to stretch out the calf so you have some hope in lengthening them also.


2. Train Calves Everyday.

Yes you heard me right; if they aren't sore train them. I don't mean give them a 20 set hiding every time you train them but you must go by how they feel. If they are not seen and you are in a rush, minimum 2 sets on calves before you go. This must be done because you must understand; all day we stand up, then sit down, we walk around, jump up and down, stand up on our tippy toes to look for something.

Everyday your calves get a workout; you must now realize that to give calves an actual workout in the gym you must go above and beyond the normal workload they would withstand on a normal day... day in day out.

RELATED POLL
How Often Do You Train Your Calves?

1-3 Times A Week.
4-6 Times A Week.
Every Day.
I Don't Train My Calves.


3. Walk Around On Your Tippy Toes .

Don't laugh, I have just started to walk around on my tippy toes when I am training calves. This means from the time I start my first warm up set for calves I walk around the gym on my tippy toes, in-between sets, loading weights and changing machines. It is all done on tippy toes.

Try it. It's just another way to keep your calves overloaded and keep the stress on the muscle group that has a large pain thresh hold. After trying this specific step I want you to email me and tell me how truly sore your calves are.


4. Never Give Calves An Identical Workout Back To Back.

You must keep your calves guessing. Train them instinctively, if you walked past a mirror earlier in the day and you were disgusted with how they looked, when you are at the gym take your calves to school and smash them, give them 3 exercises with 5 sets each and throw everything you have got at them.

Then the next time they aren't sore and you see them in another mirror and they had a nice pump to them and some shape, reward them with some high rep, contraction and pump focused supersets or drop sets.

You must listen to your body and train calves accordingly

DIFFERENT CALF ROUTINES
Killer Calf Training!
For many of us, getting the calves to respond is difficult. As I said in my 'killer biceps' article, you need to understand the muscles you're working in order to get maximum results.
[ Click here to learn more. ]
Ultimate Calf Training!
You have been pounding away at the iron game for years, set after set and repetition after repetition. You have literally put blood, sweat, and tears into your calf training routine.
[ Click here to learn more. ]
Varying Workouts: Calves!
You have been pounding away at the iron game for years, set after set and repetition after repetition. You have literally put blood, sweat, and tears into your calf training routine.
[ Click here to learn more. ]


Conclusion

So the 4 things that you must remember, now that you have decided to make your calves grow, are:

1. Start to stretch them between sets, train them everyday, this can be done before your workout or after it doesn't matter.

2. If your training partner likes his small girly calves then get to the gym about 15 minutes earlier and train calves before he gets there, soon enough he will be arriving 15 minutes early with you because your calves will be so big making his look like little birdie legs, and...

3. Remember to walk around like a ballerina for your whole calf workout, don't worry about what others are thinking of you, because when your calves are growing they will start to walk like you and by then its your turn to laugh at them.

4. The last thing to remember is to train them differently all the time, below is a list of ways you can really train your calves hard and intensely.

[NATE]

Re: proritizing my weak point

heres what i do. I don't know if it will help you or not but i'll throw out here for general purpose.


M-sledwork 5x 20/15/12/10/8

W- seated calf raise (one leg at a time/ super slow) 4x8-10

F- standing smith raises super set with toe curls. 5x20/15/12/10/8-----75lbs x10-15 for toe curls


Toe curls- I dont know what this exercise is really called but thats what i call it. Its where you sit with your legs extended out and with the tops of your feet you grab a DB. Then point your toes down and curl them back up. Your Tibialis Anterior and soleus will be begging for mercy!

[youngN]

Re: proritizing my weak point

thanks alot guys!!!

[T-Man007]

Re: proritizing my weak point

Well, here's a couple shots of my calves (after a few months of NOT working them). Sometimes I only hit calves once a month. But, it wasn't always like that. I used to be 5'10" and 140 lbs when ninth grade began. So, you can imagine how skinny I was.

This is what I did for my calves to evolve from little leg syndrom:

Standing Calf Machine:
2-3 warm up sets
3 drop sets starting at a weight I could only do for about 6 reps, then do 3-4 drops from there. I would have a buddy move the pin so I could minimize rest.
Seated calf raise:
3 sets with a drop set on the last set

It's funny because my two best body parts are calves and delts and I used drop sets for those two muscle more than anything else in the early years of my training. That's why I'm such a big fan of drop sets.

[a-bomb83]

Re: proritizing my weak point

damn, some fat ol calves there dude!

[T-Man007]

Re: proritizing my weak point

damn, some fat ol calves there dude!

Why do you have to use the word 'fat'? Now I'm going to be self-conscience!

[a-bomb83]

Re: proritizing my weak point

lmao, after i posted it i was like "hmm...wonder how he's gonna take to fat?" you know what i meant,lol.

[Merc]

Re: proritizing my weak point

Why do you have to use the word 'fat'? Now I'm going to be self-conscience!

He could have said "damn those are some ghostly white fat ass calves" LOL JK bro your calves look good I mean huge!

[crombie09]

Re: proritizing my weak point

Found this last night when doing research for myself...

It's been my experience that calves respond best when worked quickly. I don't necessarily mean that the reps should be performed quickly, but the total reps should be condensed into as short a time as possible.

Try this:

* Pick one calf exercise (I prefer the standing calf raise). Your goal will be to reach 75 reps.

* Use a weight that you would normally choose for a twenty-rep set. Complete the 20 reps and continue until you can't do another rep.

* Rest just long enough for the burning to subside and continue with as many reps as possible, even if it's only 5 reps.

* Continue in this fashion until you reach the target goal of 75.

I won't lie to you - this is going to hurt. But the total time it takes to complete this procedure should be no more than 2 minutes. Do not do another set!

You may be tempted, considering it won't feel as if you put in enough time, but believe me, you're going to have two mighty sore calves tomorrow morning. If you don't, you either didn't go heavy enough or more likely, you took too much time between sets.

I did this today at the gym and I feel like just doing the one 75 rep set was better than doing 10 sets of my normal routine. I 1st did 25 reps (I'll up the weight next time) and then streched each calve for 10 seconds then hopped back on and could only do 15, stretched 10 seconds on each calve and got 15 again. I did 10 reps, then stretched and then finished up and stretched. My calves felt weird, usually they hurt and I get all light headed and stop. This time I did the whole set as described above and after the usual burning I got a deeper, better burn. It felt great!!!

[NATE]

Re: proritizing my weak point

I did this today at the gym and I feel like just doing the one 75 rep set was better than doing 10 sets of my normal routine. I 1st did 25 reps (I'll up the weight next time) and then streched each calve for 10 seconds then hopped back on and could only do 15, stretched 10 seconds on each calve and got 15 again. I did 10 reps, then stretched and then finished up and stretched. My calves felt weird, usually they hurt and I get all light headed and stop. This time I did the whole set as described above and after the usual burning I got a deeper, better burn. It felt great!!!

that sounds really good! I think i'll hit it up as well and see what happens. My lil deer calves are strong as hell but damn are they ever built for speed and hops... it's frustrating as hell!