Metal85
MuscleChemistry Registered Member
The most stubborn and hard to develop body part for most bodybuilders is definitely a pair of diamond shaped calves. Want bigger calves? You got it! Use the suggestions and workout below to build freaky calves!
<!-- Social Header Widget --><!-- The goal in this article is to prime the body for an intensive two week program of twice-a-day training and hardcore eating that could result in a shocking amount of new muscle. But don't jump into this program...
-->By: Tim Wescott Jan 14, 2008
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The most stubborn and hard to develop body part for most bodybuilders is definitely a pair of diamond shaped calves. Even at the professional level, a great pair of calves is seldom seen on stage.
I think there are a few reasons why this is the case, especially in today's bodybuilders as opposed to bodybuilders from the past.
Firstly, the top reason that calves elude so many people is simply stated; a lack of effort and an equal lack of understanding just what the calves need to stimulate growth in the area. The majority of trainees tack on a few sloppy half hearted and half @ssed sets at the end of their quad session and then whine about how their calves won't respond and that it's just not in the cards for them to ever have a pair of impressive lower legs.
The key is to use a full range of motion, varied rep ranges, stretching between sets, short rest periods, and lots of intensity techniques. You see a ton of guys in the gym using a veritable ton of weight on calf movements, but they are usually doing a half @ssed bobbing kind of motion where the body does most of the moving with no ankle flexion. Go all the way up and all the way down on every rep, and when you can do no more full reps, do half reps until you can't stand the pain, then do a few more.
Supersets, Drop Sets, and Giant Sets are killer and will help make 'em grow fast. Be intense and work hard, with a full range of motion, and lots of stretching, and they will grow. Another thing is to treat them like any other body part, if you do 12 sets for chest, and tack on only a measly 4 sets for calves, you aren't working hard enough or smart enough for that matter.
An old friend of mine Barry Krimski, who won several world arm wrestling championships in the mid-late 70's, once told me I would never be able to build up my calves. Now, I feel my calves are in proportion, and are one of my best body parts. Here are a few of the things I would recommend to get your own "Cows" and a few sample routines I use.
Calf Building Recommendations
<!-- Social Header Widget --><!-- The goal in this article is to prime the body for an intensive two week program of twice-a-day training and hardcore eating that could result in a shocking amount of new muscle. But don't jump into this program...
-->By: Tim Wescott Jan 14, 2008
<SCRIPT type=text/javascript><!--/*--><![CDATA[/*><!--*/var addthis_share ={url : "http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wescott8.htm"}/*-->]]>*/</SCRIPT>
The most stubborn and hard to develop body part for most bodybuilders is definitely a pair of diamond shaped calves. Even at the professional level, a great pair of calves is seldom seen on stage.
I think there are a few reasons why this is the case, especially in today's bodybuilders as opposed to bodybuilders from the past.
Firstly, the top reason that calves elude so many people is simply stated; a lack of effort and an equal lack of understanding just what the calves need to stimulate growth in the area. The majority of trainees tack on a few sloppy half hearted and half @ssed sets at the end of their quad session and then whine about how their calves won't respond and that it's just not in the cards for them to ever have a pair of impressive lower legs.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=3 width=420 bgColor=#444444><TBODY><TR><TD>RELATED ARTICLE</TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#000000><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=3 bgColor=#000000><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=center align=middle>
</TD><TD>Calf Building 101!
Everyone is guaranteed an A as long as you can sit through the course and pay attention... This introduction will give details about anatomy of the calves, different parts, exercises, and workouts. Get the details right here!
[ Click here to learn more. ]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD><TD>Calf Building 101! Everyone is guaranteed an A as long as you can sit through the course and pay attention... This introduction will give details about anatomy of the calves, different parts, exercises, and workouts. Get the details right here!
[ Click here to learn more. ]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The key is to use a full range of motion, varied rep ranges, stretching between sets, short rest periods, and lots of intensity techniques. You see a ton of guys in the gym using a veritable ton of weight on calf movements, but they are usually doing a half @ssed bobbing kind of motion where the body does most of the moving with no ankle flexion. Go all the way up and all the way down on every rep, and when you can do no more full reps, do half reps until you can't stand the pain, then do a few more.
Supersets, Drop Sets, and Giant Sets are killer and will help make 'em grow fast. Be intense and work hard, with a full range of motion, and lots of stretching, and they will grow. Another thing is to treat them like any other body part, if you do 12 sets for chest, and tack on only a measly 4 sets for calves, you aren't working hard enough or smart enough for that matter.
I'd do 10-15 sets once a week, and 5-8 sets lighter on another day of the week, depending on your training experience. I have heard many people say that they can't build their calves because they are a hard dense muscle and no matter what they do the calves do not respond. I think that most people approach calf development in the wrong way. After training for many years, and observing a ton of trainees, in a ton of different gyms, I have come to the conclusion that you have to really shock the calves in almost every training session.
I see people doing calves while using the whole weight stack on Standing Calf Raises and just barely moving the weight, with a hopping/bobbing motion of the body. Granted you should train as heavy as possible most times, to stimulate growth, but you must always use a full range of motion, especially on calves, as they are one of the tougher body parts to build for most people, even with correct training. 
An old friend of mine Barry Krimski, who won several world arm wrestling championships in the mid-late 70's, once told me I would never be able to build up my calves. Now, I feel my calves are in proportion, and are one of my best body parts. Here are a few of the things I would recommend to get your own "Cows" and a few sample routines I use.
- Always get a full range of motion during the exercise.
- Keep the calves guessing by doing different workouts at every training session. The calves adapt to training easier than most muscles.
- Use different intensity techniques, such as Supersets, Drop Sets, Tri-sets.
- Always stretch the calves between sets.
