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Calves...The Elusive Bodypart
by Tim Wescott
To learn more about Tim Wescott and Weights on the Web, please click the banner above.
For most bodybuilders, calves have to be number one on the list of stubborn, hard to grow body parts! In fact, for some people, they can be totally elusive, and they never budge an inch, in spite of a concerted effort to increase calf musculature on the part of the trainee. In this article, I will offer some tips that I think will really make a difference in your approach to calf training, and hopefully garner you a little more muscle below the knees!
First of all, if you watch the average person train their calves, they usually do a whole slew of things that are causing the roadblocks to growth... without them even realizing it.
Ever see the guy who loads up an enormous amount of weight on the standing or seated calf machine, only to do a few half-hearted obligatory sets, tacked onto his quad routine?
I think they do this just to be able to say that he trained calves, and still be able to complain that they refuse to budge an inch in the growth department. I think some of these guys need a reality check, and simply like to complain, or they just aren't willing to put forth the effort needed to cause the calves to respond!
You have to approach calf development with the same drive and intensity that you put into training chest or biceps. A few lousy sets at the end of leg day just aren’t going to cut it for most guys, unless they are blessed with a predisposition to build good calves genetically...and most of us aren't!
These same guy's with the whole weight stack loaded to capacity, use the worst form ever, just to be able to say they used "X" amount of weight on calves, and they still don't grow!
Any silly little "bobbing" reps, going 1/4 of the way up, and 1/4 of the way down, is useless, and only builds the ego, as opposed to building the calves. Leave your ego at the door, and reduce the weight, while making a conscience effort to go all the way up, and then all the way down on every repetition. Performing half -reps at the end of a set when full reps can no longer be achieved, is a great way to extend the set, and bring the calves into "The Pain Zone", but this should only happen when full reps are no longer possible...not on every rep, of every set!
You have to make a conscience effort to get a good stretch and a good contraction when training calves...this is true of all body parts, but is imperative when training calves.
Stretching out the calves, while standing on the edge of a high block, between sets of calf exercises, is also a great training principle to put into effect when building better calves is your goal.
The calves are a dense muscle group, and they get a lot of stimulation during our normal daily activities...walking, running, jogging, and climbing stairs, are just a few of the ways they get used daily, this makes them tough and you really have to train hard to make them respond.
This daily work outside the gym has made the calves one of the most adaptable muscle groups there is, in my opinion!
Because they can take a lot of work due to constant daily use, they should be trained heavy and hard, but with an emphasis on good form...just as all exercise should be.
Here are a couple of good workout routines for building bigger calves:
Routine A
- Standing Calf Raise- 5 sets-20, 15,12,10,8 reps (add weight each set)
- Seated Calf Raises- 3 sets 12-15 reps (constant weight on all sets)
Routine B
- Leg Press Calf Raise-3 sets 10-15 reps
- Standing Calf Raise- 3 sets 10-12 reps
- Seated Calf Raise- 3 sets 12 reps
Do each exercise in a row without rest between sets...after completion of the third set, take a short break and repeat until you have completed 3 cycles.
Routine C
- One-Legged Calf Raise-3 sets 12 reps
- Standing Calf Raise in Smith Machine- 3 sets 30 reps
You should experiment with training the calves once or twice weekly and possibly adding a few more sets if you feel the need.
Calves can be very stubborn but even without the greatest of genetics in our favor...they can be improved greatly if you are just persistent and consistent.
STAY PUMPED!
Weights On The Web
My Forum
E-Mail me if you want free training advice at:
twescott2003@yahoo.com or twescott@tds.net
* Article by Tim Wescott.
* Back to This Issue's Frontpage
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