[ss01]

Tried all kinds of things. For me, I think the best I've found so far is ONE giant set to multiple failure at every weight on a machine, twice a week.

For example, I use a standing calf machine, put 500lbs on it, do 20 reps or so to failure, then, quickly drop the weight to 450 for about 8 to failure, 400 lbs, 350 lbs, 300 lbs, etc. etc. Sometimes I wimp out before failing at 50lbs...

I'm looking to learn other people's favourite method of growing calves. Who knows, we might even have some kind of consensus?

[Beelzebub]

i've tried every damn program under the sun and i think they grew 0.00001mm last year. drop sets, high reps, low reps, heavy, light, DC 15 second pause, 5 second negatives, TUT, once a week, twice a week, and currently three times a week, etc. i even injected IGF directly into them for a stint to see if there was any localized benefit, nada. when you find the answer, do share.

[diamonddave]

I didn't see synthol in your poll. I think that's the only way mine would grow.

dd

[iwannagetbig]

Originally Posted by diamonddave

I didn't see synthol in your poll. I think that's the only way mine would grow.

dd

Same here. My calves are horrible.

[BigVrunga]

You know, Im not a fan of synthol - but that's one area where it might have some benefit. Stretching the fascia with mild synthol use and then going to town with some serious training and a solid anabolic cycle might get them going strong.

My calves were literally twigs when I started training. They're OK now, but nothing spectacular. The only way I could get them to grow was by POUNDING them 3 days a week, doing sets that totaled 50-100 reps each workout.

BV

[ss01]

Did you ever notice how people who use to be very obese all have huge calves? I guess that spells HIGH VOLUME, HIGH FREQUENCY for us all, come to think of it........... ?

Pulling a sled?

[glenihan]

if any one wants to know the secret to getting your calves grow contact me and for 100 bucks i'll tell you

[Cheezefacta]

I train mine once a week with some seated and standing calf raises. I do a static hold for 5 seconds at the top of the rep and go with a weight that I fail at with about 15-20 reps. I get plenty of compliments on my calves, but its probably going to be different for everyone else.

[jbeam]

I'm gonna try training mine HEAVY w/low volume 3 x a wk. Ive tried about everything else and they REFUSE to grow past 17.5" IT pisses me off cuz my upper arm is bigger then my calves and it just looks funny. I've tried high rep, high volume stuff to no avail. So i'm HOPING this will do it.

[UHCougar05]

I know I'll probably be stoned to death for this. Both my calves hover around the 19" mark. I really don't train my calves all that much. Once in a blue moon I'll do heavy sets of 15s on the seated and standing calf raise machine. It seems to have worked for me. I usually do 2-3 work sets with 1 or 2 warm up sets.

[Guido]

Well some of the greatest calves of all time (Arnold's) were built with crappy genetics as a base. It's kind of like any other body part. Some people genetically just have gigantic, well defined calves and either dont need to train them at all or very little. However, as i'm sure you all know the story, arnold used to cut the bottoms off his sweats when he worked out to remind him of how shitty his calves looked. Many many punds, reps, and DBol cycles later, his calves were some of the best of all time (IMO, THE best). So yes, AAS helps, but if NOTHING has worked for you just do whatever Arnold did, which as I recall was a constant mixture of HEAVY hi volume training. In fact sometimes during chest day, if he did 20 sets fo chest, he's do calves in between, So,1 set chest, 1 sets calves, and alternate that for the whole session. But from everything i've read, arnold was a big advocate of HEAVY weight, and it makes sense. Unlike any other bodypart, your calves are used to the constant pounding of you bodyweight, day in and day out. Therefore, you need to really overload them with heavy weight and hi volume to force them to grow. But anything more than twice a week is overkill if you're training intensely enough.

[BodyWizard]

tiptoe squats

[Onslaught]

Just an FYI:

Human soleus muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise.

Trappe TA, Raue U, Tesch PA.

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

AIM: It is generally believed the calf muscles in humans are relatively unresponsive to resistance training when compared with other muscles of the body. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the muscle protein synthesis response of the soleus muscle following a standard high intensity bout of resistance exercise. METHODS: Eight recreationally active males (27 +/- 4 years) completed three unilateral calf muscle exercises: standing calf press/heel raise, bent-knee calf press/heel raise, and seated calf press/heel raise. Each exercise consisted of four sets of 15 repetitions (approximately 15 repetition maximum, RM, or approximately 70% 1RM). Fractional rate of muscle protein synthesis (FSR) was determined with a primed constant infusion of [2H5]phenylalanine coupled with muscle biopsies immediately and 3 h following the exercise in both the exercise and non-exercise (resting control) leg. RESULTS: FSR was elevated (P < 0.05) in the exercise (0.069 +/- 0.010) vs. the control (0.051 +/- 0.012) leg. Muscle glycogen concentration was lower (P < 0.05) in the exercise compared with the control leg (Decrease from control; immediate post-exercise: 54 +/- 5; 3 h post-exercise: 36 +/- 4 mmol kg(-1) wet wt.). This relatively high amount of glycogen use is comparable with previous studies of resistance exercise of the thigh (i.e. vastus lateralis; approximately 41-49 mmol kg(-1) wet wt.). However, the exercise-induced increase in FSR that has been consistently reported for the vastus lateralis (approximately 0.045-0.060% h(-1)) is on average approximately 200% higher than reported here for the soleus (0.019 +/- 0.003% h(-1)). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest the relatively poor response of soleus muscle protein synthesis to an acute bout of resistance exercise may be the basis for the relative inability of the calf muscles to respond to resistance training programs. Copyright 2004 Scandinavian Physiological Society

PMID: 15450115 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[BigVrunga]

Interesting study! Its obvious that the muscles of the calf are slower to respond to training, but that dosent meant they *wont* respond the the right training. It just takes a more concentrated, consistent effort.

[jonesboy]

I have always had small calves. No matter what i did i couldn't get them to grow. My mom has big calves and my brother does too. I just did a sd cycle training with HST and for the first time i am seeing steady growth. As a matter of fact i had to switch to single leg standing calve raises because my right leg was growing faster than my left. HST is different than anything i have done before but i have to tell you it is really working for me. A 1/2 inch growth on a 2wk sd cycle and i've been done with pct for a week now.

[Guido]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

I have always had small calves. No matter what i did i couldn't get them to grow. My mom has big calves and my brother does too. I just did a sd cycle training with HST and for the first time i am seeing steady growth. As a matter of fact i had to switch to single leg standing calve raises because my right leg was growing faster than my left. HST is different than anything i have done before but i have to tell you it is really working for me. A 1/2 inch growth on a 2wk sd cycle and i've been done with pct for a week now.

Impressive gains in such a short period! Congrats and keep it up!!

[Chunky]

Calves are my best part, in size and strength. I always did the same for any othe