Good leg workout today, still having trouble with calves. Suggestion?

[perseverance]

Just finished my leg workout and i'm spent. Ended up getting up to 1200 pounds on leg press for 10 reps (new personal best) after doing 4 sets of squats with 405 for 8 on the last set. Having trouble getting calves to grow like every other person not genetically gifted with huge calves. Right now i'm doing 4 sets of 15-20 on MWF on either a standing calf machine or leg press. Tried heavy weights and didn't see much so now i'm giving higher reps a shot. Just wanted to see what some of you guys have tried and had work for you.

 

[apbt14]

I find doing lower weights, high reps and really concentrating on contracting the muscle. I will hold even rep for a second or two.
Also I found the donkey press machine works better for me then the standing calf machine, but I still use both along with seated machine.

 

[perseverance]

yeah, i really wish we had a seated calf machine here but unfortunately we don't. I'm gonna give the lower weights route a try for the next 5 or 6 weeks and see how that goes.

 

[Bridger]

I have small calves and it sucks. BUT I have seen some improvement in the last few months with this high rep routine.

Choose a weight you can do or fail at for 20 reps. Keep going until you hit 75. Stop just long enough for the burn to stop, stretch etc. Then keep going til 75. Complete 75 reps in under 4 minutes.

Thats the jist of it. I didn't come up with it. Nelson Montana is the guy i got it from over at EF. It works well. and only takes 4 minutes.

 

[Bridger]

I forgot to mention to use that rep scheme on whatever type of calf raise you prefer to do. I like standing calf raises.

 

[perseverance]

yeah, thanks bro. i just tried it today. i don't think i used enough weight so i just did 100 in 4 minutes. i'm gonna up the weight next time. got a really good pump but it didn't last as long as normal. Before i would do a set with weight on whatever machine for 15-20 then get off and do standing calf raises with no weight for 10 with toes pointed in and 10 with toes pointed out.

 

[Reinheart]

That's some good numbers there perseverance.

I have naturally big, diamond shaped calves with a lot of thikness and definition and to be honest, sometimes i think my quads lack great deal to my calves. Anyway, my point is that i only need to calves once or twice month. I am a lucky bastard huh?

If i were you, i would hit them eod, each time with a different exercise and around 6 sets. Try everything you can, both heavy and light weight, drop sets, supersets, anything.

Ever thought about using synthol?

 

[bigbench]

Bridger brought up an old but good routine. I remember reading it in MM2000 a long time ago and saw HUGE improvements to my calves. The science behind it is that your calf muscles are the most endurances muscles in your body so high reps will do little to stimulate the growth. Just like if you are wanting to increase chest size, you wouldnt do 20-30 reps all the time. But eventhough they are well enduranced, they also fatigue easily which is why you want to hit them hard in a short period of time. Next time you do it, try doing your normal calf routine at the BEGINING of your leg workout. You will feel them straining the whole time as you are trying to stablize yourself. At the end, go with that routine but chose a weight that you can only do 15 reps with, but force out those last 5 to get to 20. As for the rest, dont rest more than 5 full seconds. At first most need 10 seconds, but then you can work down to 5. Once you can do that with 5 secs rest and get 100 reps, then you can add another set and do it to 75 again. Try one set hardcore twice a week to start and see what happens after a few weeks.

 

[perseverance]

That's some good numbers there perseverance.

I have naturally big, diamond shaped calves with a lot of thikness and definition and to be honest, sometimes i think my quads lack great deal to my calves. Anyway, my point is that i only need to calves once or twice month. I am a lucky bastard huh?

If i were you, i would hit them eod, each time with a different exercise and around 6 sets. Try everything you can, both heavy and light weight, drop sets, supersets, anything.

Ever thought about using synthol?

thanks man. tore my hamstring two winters ago and just now getting back where i can move some bigger weight. and yes, you are a lucky bastard thought about synthol but it'll be a while before giving it a shot. probably try igf first but that is still several years away.

 

[perseverance]

Bridger brought up an old but good routine. I remember reading it in MM2000 a long time ago and saw HUGE improvements to my calves. The science behind it is that your calf muscles are the most endurances muscles in your body so high reps will do little to stimulate the growth. Just like if you are wanting to increase chest size, you wouldnt do 20-30 reps all the time. But eventhough they are well enduranced, they also fatigue easily which is why you want to hit them hard in a short period of time. Next time you do it, try doing your normal calf routine at the BEGINING of your leg workout. You will feel them straining the whole time as you are trying to stablize yourself. At the end, go with that routine but chose a weight that you can only do 15 reps with, but force out those last 5 to get to 20. As for the rest, dont rest more than 5 full seconds. At first most need 10 seconds, but then you can work down to 5. Once you can do that with 5 secs rest and get 100 reps, then you can add another set and do it to 75 again. Try one set hardcore twice a week to start and see what happens after a few weeks.

thanks man, i'm gonna give this routine a try. probably do it 3 days a week unless it starts to feel like too much. i don't always work calves on leg day, it just kinda happened to fall on that day but i am going to start training them at the beginning of the workout

 

[Reinheart]

thanks man. tore my hamstring two winters ago and just now getting back where i can move some bigger weight. and yes, you are a lucky bastard thought about synthol but it'll be a while before giving it a shot. probably try igf first but that is still several years away.

Good to know than brother! I wish you all the best in the stubborn calf growing thingy! =)

 

[Thickneck]

Bigbench said some good things . I'm one of the lucky few that doesn't have to much trouble bring up that bodypart . They fan out like a king cobra . My brother had big calf's and never lifted a weight a day in his life . I would say that leg press calf raises did alot and seated calf's did too.Get a good stretch on each rep and make them burn . I think 6 -10 sets once or twice a week should do the trick .