Calves!!!!

Gator

Ok, so I am a long time lifter and I am one of those people who have the privelage of having a long achilles tendon and high calves, I have tinchy ankles so the long achilles tendon doesnt help matters.:rolleyes:

Now, I cannot make my calves grow, no matter what, there is not an ounce of fat on me legs and I hit them hard, small sets, big sets, variations, standing, seating, heavy, light and real heavy!!.

same for my shins, never really developed, my legs are very strong and my thighs and glutes are big but the goddamn calves!!!

Anybody got any ideas or maybe programmes that have worked for them?

Degsy

Gator wrote: »

Ok, so I am a long time lifter and I am one of those people who have the privelage of having a long achilles tendon and high calves, I have tinchy ankles so the long achilles tendon doesnt help matters.:rolleyes:

Now, I cannot make my calves grow, no matter what, there is not an ounce of fat on me legs and I hit them hard, small sets, big sets, variations, standing, seating, heavy, light and real heavy!!.

same for my shins, never really developed, my legs are very strong and my thighs and glutes are big but the goddamn calves!!!

Anybody got any ideas or maybe programmes that have worked for them?

Use the balls of your feet when doing calf raises,run up and down stairs on the balls of your feet too.calves also respond to high reps much more readily than low reps.

TheThing!

Hve you tried any HGH or anabolic steroids?

tribulus

TheThing! wrote: »

Hve you tried any HGH or anabolic steroids?

Or synthol sure!

I don't know tbh OP, I don't really bother with them.

If in doubt just try to increase your numbers on them each week while keeping the same form. If they keep getting stronger, they're bound to get bigger eventually.

A couple of people have mentioned before about the ankle or achilles being an MTU (muscle tendon unit - think it was easygainer) and that holding the bottom position for several seconds allows any stored energy to dissipate...something like that anyway, give that a try as well.

Hanley

tribulus wrote: »

If in doubt just try to increase your numbers on them each week while keeping the same form. If they keep getting stronger, they're bound to get bigger eventually.
.

Pretty much my solution to everything too.

Colm_OReilly

Does anyone watch Entourage? This thread reminds me of Drama and his desire to get calf implants.

iascanmore

I have unbeliveable calves, I've yet to see anyone in a gym with anything like them! The rest of me is nothing special. I'm 5' 5" and carrying about 10lbs too much fat. Been lifting for about 18 months - nowt special either, 3 workouts a week at home - go to gym for cardio.

Big 3 are, squat ~90kg, deadlift ~100kg (scared to go higher tbh - back issues in the past). Bench ~60kg. I love squatting and variations thereof. I do a lot of lunges/split squats type of stuff. It must be genetic as I don't specially hit calves that often. They were always fairly chunky but since starting this craic they are savage!

I'd do a fair amount of walking, 7 odd miles a day and a bit of rough walking at weekends - for fishing and shooting purposes.

amazingemmet

Best bet i found was to train them every time you train nothing major just 3-4 sets

ie monday: standing calf raises 3-4sets x 10-12reps hold bottom postion 2secs each rep, squeeze on the top of each rep, this goes for all calf training

wednesday, seat calf raises 3-4x 20-25 reps

friday: donkey calf raises @ bw 2-3x failure

after doing this my calfs are now the same size as my arms where as they used to be a decent bit smaller

BossArky

amazingemmet wrote: »

standing calf raises

Is the initial position for a standing calf raises done on the flat or with toes raised?

I always do them on the flat, as find it awkward to find something to balance on.

kevpants

BossArky wrote: »

Is the initial position for a standing calf raises done on the flat or with toes raised?

I always do them on the flat, as find it awkward to find something to balance on.

I find standing in the smiths machine with the balls of my feet on one of those step things they use in aerobics classes good.

OP I have the same problem, it's just genetics. I work the crap out of my calves too and nuthin, nada, zilch. Have powerful thighs but the calves and knees have zero fat on them and are just... well girly. Face it you have chicken legs.

On the plus side Arnold Schwarzennegger had the same problem.

Hanley

kevpants wrote: »

OP I have the same problem, it's just genetics. .

It seems like 95% of the people in the world have problems with their calves genetics...

The Shane

It has come to this?

Really?

Shane, The

angelicsaz

look up lower leg excercises for gymnastics and ballet... u would be surprised.... i'll swap ya my calves... they nasty for a girl!!!

pwd

tribulus wrote: »

Or synthol sure!

I don't know tbh OP, I don't really bother with them.

If in doubt just try to increase your numbers on them each week while keeping the same form. If they keep getting stronger, they're bound to get bigger eventually.

A couple of people have mentioned before about the ankle or achilles being an MTU (muscle tendon unit - think it was easygainer) and that holding the bottom position for several seconds allows any stored energy to dissipate...something like that anyway, give that a try as well.

Yeah it was easygainer I thought of that when I saw this post
I do that and it seems to work well. My calves used to be very skinny and they're much bigger now. Work them slowly and stop at the bottom.

amazingemmet

angelicsaz wrote: »

look up lower leg excercises for gymnastics and ballet... u would be surprised.... i'll swap ya my calves... they nasty for a girl!!!

Gymnast don't have good calves, some people do but its generally genetics which give them the good calves. Ballet on the other hand does give good calves but that involves being on point for ages a week, ie lots of time under tension

angelicsaz

i wouldnt just put it down to being on point all the time. in order to be any way efficent on point, you have to have strenght in your toes( excercise specific) and some decent lower leg strenght to begin with.