Are calves all genetics

[Rah22491]

Having trouble getting my calves to grow ive tried everything high weight low weight high reps hittin em every day you name it ive done it and they wont grow. Any body got any tips on getting big calves, or are you just born wit em?

 

[Iron Warrior]

I am blessed with big calves but I believe that you can get good calves with more training adjustments and proper nutrition.

 

[flobot]

I don't think your calf size relies on genetics.

Muscle Length is a big factor however.

 

[bigpapa]

no. my dad has chicken legs and my legs are like tree trunks. im calves are about twice the size of his also..abs on the other hand...are 80% genetic 20% diet and training...if that was ever going to come up lol

 

[JpB]

As for myself I have always had large calves and smallish forearms. I believe that calves and forearm size is largely determined by genetics and those two areas are very hard to get to grow as much or quickly as other body parts.

 

[flobot]

My abs look like silvio samuel's grrr there's a gap in the middle in certain poses lol.

no. my dad has chicken legs and my legs are like tree trunks. im calves are about twice the size of his also..abs on the other hand...are 80% genetic 20% diet and training...if that was ever going to come up lol

 

[John Smeton]

all your body parts are genetic. why do you think some guys are born behemoths and some guys are born puny weaklings....sure you can get them bigger though very hard work. your weak body parts will always be your weak and your strong will always be your strong.

take your bicep peak for example after two-three years of trainign take a good look. It will always be that shape no amount of concentration curls will add a peak@ the only way is site injections , synthol, something like that.

 

[Beelzebub]

genetics, and looking at your immediate family isn't always the answer.

 

[crader]

Mine grow if I eat high protein and get out there and train hard.

 

[celc5]

My calves grow no matter how sloppily I train them. It doesn't matter if I'm cutting or bulking, they grow if I work em even half asssed.

 

[Flyers2385]

My genetics come in vials :dance:

*I had a really cool picture to post, but the admins on the board think rules are better.

 

[brk_nemesis]

no. my dad has chicken legs and my legs are like tree trunks. im calves are about twice the size of his also..abs on the other hand...are 80% genetic 20% diet and training...if that was ever going to come up lol

genetics doesnt necessary mean your intermediate family, they have the option of skipping a generation(s). My dad sounds like elvis, my voice sux, my grandpa and cousin are both 6'9" around 315lbs, yea thats right,...... and im only 6'3. Everything is genetic technically, so i think the better question would be: without good gentics for calves, can you still build them? the question would be: yes. With a good diet and lots of friggin work. I got skinny man calves and forearms, and it wasnt until the past yr ive finally found what works for them and now there are growing rapidly.

 

[MPFit]

I feel it has alot to do with what you used to do as a child.. I grew up playing soccer and my quads and calfs are shredded without EVER having worked them out.. My upper body is probably not even 50% of my body weight at this point.. kinda rediculous but none the less, i am working on it and seeing great results.

 

[ShadowFury]

I feel it has alot to do with what you used to do as a child.. I grew up playing soccer and my quads and calfs are shredded without EVER having worked them out.. My upper body is probably not even 50% of my body weight at this point.. kinda rediculous but none the less, i am working on it and seeing great results.

I second that one.

I used to play soccer as well, and it's the same for me.

 

[brk_nemesis]

I feel it has alot to do with what you used to do as a child.. I grew up playing soccer and my quads and calfs are shredded without EVER having worked them out.. My upper body is probably not even 50% of my body weight at this point.. kinda rediculous but none the less, i am working on it and seeing great results.

wish i had that,.... played basketball for 8 years as a kid, starting at 6,.... played center/forward and always the one to the other sideof the court be4 anyone,..... too bad it didnt help my calf development, lol.

 

[Flyers2385]

I feel it has alot to do with what you used to do as a child.. I grew up playing soccer and my quads and calfs are shredded without EVER having worked them out.. My upper body is probably not even 50% of my body weight at this point.. kinda rediculous but none the less, i am working on it and seeing great results.

If I have a kid, I will make sure he walks on his hands at least 50% of the time to develop the upper body so he is not disproportionate.

 

[dommer]

i want calves like a fat lady:sad:

 

[drivehard]

My calves are super strong, always have been since I was a kid. I have a vert of well over 24". That being said, when I was in high school, and up to the last year, I had big calves...and really thick ankles. This last year, I have continued to train calves, but started doing more distance running. Since then, my calves and especially my ankles have shrunk in size. They are still just as strong, but for sure are much thinner, and less "bulky". Not sure why...

 

[ABNRanger]

My dad was big, but had small calves and big thighs. I am the same way. I train my calves hard, they continue to get strong, but now growing. I am seriously considering getting calf implants.............>>>let the flaming begin.

 

[Edward Nigma]

I was obscenely overweight as a child, to the point of having a "beer belly," (42in. waistline at 8) so it was like wearing a weighted vest all-the-time. I also did an absolute ton of martial arts though (old-school stuff to boot). With all the deep squats-which were held for over 20 minutes before movement was allowed- and my being slightly bigger (taller+wider) than just about everybody else in class, Sensei made it a point for me to do a "SIDE-KICKS!" for an hour a day, every day, against a 100lb punching bag that was swung at me, then for an hour of sparring where the foot reigned supreme. Thusly, I have really developed calves and thighs.

As for one of the "squats" in question, put your heels together with both feet pointed 45 degrees outward; take a 1-2 foot step (of equal length) with both legs, squat down until you are able to place your hands on your knees while keeping your back straight and your knees pushed out. Proceed to hold this stance for the next 20 minutes and have random people push straight down on your shoulders to make it harder. After a quick stretch, repeat this for the next hour and only stop to do exhaustive bursts of cardio.

Your spine (and butt) should be directly above the corner made if a straight line were to be draw through the middle of both feet. Imagine the lines made when two walls meet a floor.

My advice to you is this:

1. Don't fear the treadmill. Set it at MAX incline and walk for about an hour-and-a-half on it at around 2.5-3.2mph for the entire time you are on said treadmill. However, a slight jog at a lesser incline to get the blood flowing beforehand is never a bad thing.

2. Possibly take up some form of martial art (taekwondo included).

3. Wear a weighted vest under your clothes all day long.

4. If it is safe, walk on the balls of your feet when going up stairs. You can also just push up on the balls of your feet when waiting in any standing/seated situation.

5. After following step 1., do various things in your gym-leg press included, once legs have recovered... enough; lather, rinse, and repeat. If your calves start cramping, or feel as though they might, get off the treadmill immediately and go sit on one of the bikes that requires the leg press posture. Make sure you stretch deep after doing this.

hope you found at least part of this helpful, best of luck.

 

[Cub]

Can you say "Synthol?"

 

[BodyWizard]

I've said my piece in another calf thread, but I'll say it again here: you can't make your calves grow if you train them like just another muscle group. Calves raise your entire body weight with every step - calf raises aren't going to grow them no matter how much weight you pile on.

What's the key to breaking out of a plateau? Mixing it up. If you want your calves to grow, you need to use them in ways that normal activity doean't.

I recommend working (without extra weight) on tip-toe.

No kidding: on tip-toe. Keep them stretched out. One-legged bodyweight squats - on tip-toe (for practical purposes, this means "start on full toe extension & keep your heel off the ground at the bottom of your squat").

Do a dozen or so of those several times a day (for a total of 60 or so) every day. Additionally, stand on tip-toe. Yes, I mean stand there. For as long as you can. As full extension as possible. Balance issues will mess with you, but KEEP YOUR HEELS OFF THE GROUND as much as possible. After 10 minutes or so of this, stretch your calves gently, carefully and thoroughly. Do this several times a day, but SPACED OUT, NOT LIKE NORMAL SETS W/ NORMAL RESTS.

Like any other muscle group, you can't just give them "more of the usual" & expect them to grow: you have to mix it up to make them adapt - and THAT is what makes them grow.

Since I have a house-full, I'll see if I can't get someone to take pics of my calves so I can post them. I'm not at all shredded at the moment, but still, 18.5" - relaxed. Working on getting the rest of my body into proportion....

 

[MoTiV]

i want calves like a fat lady:sad:

what about the cankles that come with them?

 

[lennoxchi]

I believe that calves and forearm size is largely determined by genetics and those two areas are very hard to get to grow as much or quickly as other body parts.

i have to disagree with most genetic comments. one thing is true, yes certain parts of one's body have a more difficult time growing than the rest. mine are my forearms are well, but i do what anyone of us should do, train the hell out of them. switching up routines, doing drop sets (even for forearms) and taking a week off of training that bodypart are a few ways to make noticeable growth. when i hear someone say genetics are the reason for this or that it sounds like a cop out. if you dedicate more time into training the parts that are lagging then no amount of genetics will matter. by the way, not saying your giving excuses, genetics sometimes become a way to excuse hard work and invite laziness in some.

 

[BoyFromAus]

i'm thinking calves heavily rely on genetics but i would like to hear what doctors and experts in human genealogy say.

Just an observation, I am aboriginal (indigenous Australian) with skinny calves and I've noticed a lot of Aborigines that trace back to my tribe have skinny calf muscles too. To the point where jokes are made "how to knock out an aborigine, hit his legs". The Tongans and the New Zealand maoris on the other hand seem genetically gifted (if not modified) in that area. If you took 100 of them let's say, i'll bet my money that over 90 have python calves.

But still i'd like an expert's opinion on this because it bugs me too.

 

[pistonpump]

well naturally your genetics play a big part as well as your bodyweight since the calves support the weight if you are obese or heavy obviously you will most likely have big calves. This doesnt mean that proper training and conditioning of the muscle will not help them grow. Try selling your car and walking or running everywhere you need to go instead. Youll get some big calves then, think of it as forced training

 

[Brolic]

genetics, and looking at your immediate family isn't always the answer.

whOOO SHOULD u look at?

 

[Sergiu]

whOOO SHOULD u look at?

Your diet, your workout, your sleeping time... I can go on.

 

[dan12]

yes and so are all other body parts.

 

[HEARTLESS]

Yes.. but they do say you can get the most out of your calves by doing trisupersets and doing a full stretch one each rep.. none of that bouncing bullcrap.. all the way down and all the way up pumping those babies full of blood!!

 

[BoyFromAus]

Yes.. but they do say you can get the most out of your calves by doing trisupersets and doing a full stretch one each rep.. none of that bouncing bullcrap.. all the way down and all the way up pumping those babies full of blood!!

oh i never heard of that before. Have you tried it and gained much calve size? And also who came up with that?

 

[Superdoad]

IMO the best way is to get lots of lactic acid in those things(we walk on them all day), Feel the burn and keep going also people that have a shorter (higher up on the leg type gastrocs) have a harder time getting them to grow bigger but still get the strength gains from working them.

 

[fightbackhxc]

thats similar to asking if arms are genetic. calves are extremely hard for some to gain because we use them so much everyday. getting big calves is not genetic however how they grow is i believe genetic. some grow further back, mine tend to grow off to the side. :? its wierd haha.

 

[vote arnold]

calves are all about consistency(spelling?), also genetics dont hurt. I firmly stand by that you need to dedicate at least 3 days a week to calves. no less than 8 sets and 2 exercises on them days.