[pantera101]

Theirs not alot out about what to do for calves,and not many work calves at gyms.Therefore,most are lost when it comes to calves.The basics are simple,this is what i do for my calves.

1A-Standing calf raises
1B-toe press on leg press
2A-heal press
2B-db heal raises
3-seated calf raises

Thats it,and only three a wo cause standing and toe presses are basically the same,as are heal presses and db heal raises.So one of those each,then seated calf raises.Most succeed best with higher reps.So i would make them the main rep range 20-100.When the burn starts,your set has begun.Grit you teeth and have eye of the tiger playing in your head.You should also do lower reps too from time to time,to add variety and hit other muscle fibers.You need to do the heal raises!Ignoring this muscle is like ignoring the brachialis.

You also need to make sure to get the deepest stretch possible always.Let your heals or toes come down as far as possible.Then raise up and squeeze.If it doesn't hurt,your lifting too heavy and can't raise enough,or you don't have the mind muscle connection down yet.Practice flexing!Always try to stand on top of your toes.This will make a greater contraction.Use light weight if needed at first,then increase weights.Once you can't achieve that intense contraction at top,it's too heavy.

So this is basically it,toe presses,heal presses,and seated calf raises.Do this 1-5 times a week.I would stick with 2-3 at first.Switch the order you do the exercises in,do slow reps,do fast reps,low and high reps,hold the peak contraction for a count,take a week off,change rest time in between sets,with or without shoes.The variations are endless and need to be applied to all muscles,especially stubborn ones such as calves.I would also hit them first everytime.That way you have all your energy.Calves wont wear you out like deads or sq's will.You will be warmed up and ready to go when done.

Another thing i do sometimes is to grab a bb or some db's and stand on my toes as long as i can.Again trying to stand on toes the whole time.Lighter weight=longer standing.So you can change the weight to add variety.I don't do this always,but it's chalenging and adds some good variety when "pulled out of the back pocket"Also 21's for calves.7toes in,7 toes out,7 toes straight.Then theirs go untill you can't go no more,wait 5-15 seconds,and go again untill failure.Do this as much as you wish,just be carefull if it's your first time.It can cause some serious DOMS.Stick with it and be prepared for some slow painfull progress!This could set you apart from the others one day.Not many have great calves.

[TerribleTowel]

I remembered you mentioning this earlier, so I decided to go find it.

Nice write up and some very nice ideas. I have been trying a bunch of different methods myself lately. Luckily I have decent calves. Ten years of baseball and doing nothing but catching had a pretty good impact on my leg development, not so much my knees though.

Always looking for new ideas though. I'm definitely going to try working them from different angles though, toes in, toes out, etc. Thanks for the nice write up.

[pantera101]

No problem!I was talked into doing this,then no one responded.I'm no expert or nothing,but thats what I do and I keep seeing slow and steady progress.So many just seem lost when it comes to calf training.If they start,they make all kinds of mistakes and then just quit.Calves are stubborn!It takes time with full range of motion while pushing past the pain barrier,then keep your fingers crossed and do it again!