input on calfs

[mcgaret]

Dam they are stubborn. What do you guys do and how's it work?
High reps or heavy low reps. I usually try heavy w/high reps but
them calfs are slow to grow. Any input or advice??

 

[saudades]

High weight and reps until failure. It takes some time to build up the weight, but it can be done. One common mistake I see people doing is not putting enough weight on because they think it is heavy already. Most people can add quite a lot more weight and still crank out the same amount of reps even though they don't know it. Hammer them with high weight and as many reps as you can do until you can't walk straight and keep doing that each time you work them out.

 

[teedubgee]

No fuckin joke, I think I've find THE way to work my calves. I'm not saying it's gonna work for everyone else, but I've never made improvements like this before. I read somewhere that your calf tendons can hold a shit load of weight. Apparently, you should hold a deep stretch until the tendons fail and the load is transfered more to your actual muscle, then rise up and contract. This is what they recommend in DC too. Here's how I work my calves DC style:
I do a normal warm-up, then some weight acclimation sets. When I'm ready for my work set, I stare at the clock. I hold the contraction 5 seconds, then stretch at the bottom until the 20 second mark. You NEED to go by the clock, otherwise you'll prolly end up cutting reps short like a bitch. I try to get between 12 and 15 reps. By the time I reach the end up my set, my legs are literally shaking uncontrollably (it's been 4-5 minutes, what do you think?). When you step off the machine or stand up, you'll feel a totally different pain than a normal calf blasting routine. I urge everyone to give this a try a few times. Always beat your weight or reps, and you'll definitely be hurtin :thumbsup:

 

[Presser]

heavy weight with a long hold period on the stretch is how i do it and ofcourse to failure like i do everything else

 

[Get_Swole]

def. stretch the hell out of them too. heavy as you can go till you cant walk. I really need to start working mine harder.

 

[Spiderman]

I'm with ya G...I don't work them out that much at all, I run a lot so they get some good work from that, but I'm going to give teed's method a try this week and see if it makes a huge difference.

 

[irishpride]

you guys are stupid, i wear jeans most of the time so i dont even bother to work out legs, i mean you can barely see them right, here is my training split
monday=chest
tues=arms (in the squat rack)
wed=abs light chest
thursday arms (cables)
friday=abs nothing but flyes and damn with my blowout haircut and armani exchange shirts i am the shiznit

 

[Get_Swole]

lmmfao hahahhaah

 

[John44]

No fuckin joke, I think I've find THE way to work my calves. I'm not saying it's gonna work for everyone else, but I've never made improvements like this before. I read somewhere that your calf tendons can hold a shit load of weight. Apparently, you should hold a deep stretch until the tendons fail and the load is transfered more to your actual muscle, then rise up and contract. This is what they recommend in DC too. Here's how I work my calves DC style:
I do a normal warm-up, then some weight acclimation sets. When I'm ready for my work set, I stare at the clock. I hold the contraction 5 seconds, then stretch at the bottom until the 20 second mark. You NEED to go by the clock, otherwise you'll prolly end up cutting reps short like a bitch. I try to get between 12 and 15 reps. By the time I reach the end up my set, my legs are literally shaking uncontrollably (it's been 4-5 minutes, what do you think?). When you step off the machine or stand up, you'll feel a totally different pain than a normal calf blasting routine. I urge everyone to give this a try a few times. Always beat your weight or reps, and you'll definitely be hurtin :thumbsup:

I couldn't agree more.... In the past I had used strength shoes, plyos, all kinds of routines etc. But when I finally tried that method it was the best size and separation I had had ever. Now that I am back in the gym I consider it the ONLY way to train calves.