Want big calf muscles

wolomike80
wolomike80 Posts: 10 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
What are your current calf muscle measurement? What are your calf size goals? What exercises have you done to make your calves grow.

My calves are currently 15.5 inches.
My calf goals 20+ inches.

I started training my calves 4-5 days a week with medium weights and heavy weights.

Here is my example workout.
10 minutes warm-up on stairmaster or stepper.
STANDING CALF RAISES: 4-5 sets, 20-30 reps, medium weight (medium speed, controlled full range of motion). 3-5 Dropsets,10-20 reps heavy weights (Slow control speed, fun range of motion). 2-3 Dropsets, to compete muscle failure, medium weight (Slow or medium speed, full range of motion).
SEATED CALF RAISES: same as standing calf raises.
DONKEY CALF RAISES: same as standing calf raises.

I challenge everyone to do this workout for 4-12 months or longer. Post your results every month.

Replies

  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    I'm @ 16.5-17inches training 3 X/2 week period...largest have probably been around 17.5-18inches (slightly heavier BW about 10lbs heavier though). Seated and standing calve raises, both high rep schemes (30-40 reps/set) and low rep schemes (8-12 reps/set roughly 3-4X the weight of high volume sets). Doing rotary calve presses too, just high volume this past year or so now

    I'm all for calve training in general, but extra growth does not seem likely/worth the extra effort (diminishing returns likely, size at the expense of adding more overall bodyweight than I would like/feel comfortable with)

    Other calve training oddities I've tried/implemented & still use: wide stance (more lateral involvement of calve muscles - observational) vs narrow stance & added resistance on eccentrics (pushing down on the negatives when doing seated calve raises using hands pressing down for resistance...burns like hell when done approaching final 10 reps of a full high volume set). One legged - very good way to work out any imbalances (likely have to LESS than even half the weight used when performing with both legs)

    Good luck
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
    edited June 2019
    Calf circumference is currently 15.5" Workout: Incline-training some strength training.

    ETA: Stair work.
  • wolomike80
    wolomike80 Posts: 10 Member
    75xCrazyCanuckx75 wrote: »
    Calves are genetic.

    To a point i disagree. Yes big calves cane be genetic. However if a person has small calves they can train there calves 4-6 days a week very heavy and very hard with low reps and high reps with proper nutrition. Their calf muscles will be forced to grow.

    NOTE: a person with high calf muscle attachment (the lower part of the calf muscle attaches to the ligaments high in the lower leg) will tend to have smaller calves but great for jumping high (basketball players).
    A person with low calf muscles (the lower part of the calf muscle attaches to the ligaments closer to your ankles) tend to have bigger calves (sprinters, soccer players)

    You cant change your genetics but if a persons body is not genetically perfect for the activity. You could make your muscles adapt and force muscle growth with consistency, hard, heavy training.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    With big calves like that I'd be concerned that dogs would mistake mine for a fire hydrant.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,430 MFP Moderator
    Jeff Nippard has some good information on calves. Overall, work them out 2-3x a week, keep reps a bit higher 12+, and give it time.

    The picture @Keto_Vampire posted is a 10 year transformation IIRC.

    https://youtu.be/-qsRtp_PbVM
  • wolomike80
    wolomike80 Posts: 10 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Jeff Nippard has some good information on calves. Overall, work them out 2-3x a week, keep reps a bit higher 12+, and give it time.

    The picture @Keto_Vampire posted is a 10 year transformation IIRC.

    https://youtu.be/-qsRtp_PbVM

    The calf video is very informal.
  • marcusjgrose
    marcusjgrose Posts: 16 Member
    edited June 2019
    Do you have 20+" arms ? Arm and calf size should be the same for correct proportions I was always led to believe.
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
    marcusjgrose wrote: »
    Do you have 20+" arms ? Arm and calf size should be the same for correct proportions I was always led to believe.

    This is a first, but it does not surprise me. I can see this benefiting men whose statures are big and tall like Lundgren - the triplet - neck, biceps, calves. I'd rather not with my 13.2" arm circumference to my 15.5" inch calf circumference. My legs are longer than my upper torso so I don't mind the muscle gains. The only proportions I work on, is to qualify my waistline and my upper thigh circumference as twins and of course having to closely monitor my breast and hips/buttocks.

    My sister @777Gemma888 on the other hand, has better numbers than me. Her calf circumference is presently 16" and her bicep circumference on both arms is 16". She's not only taller, but she out-lifts and can work a heavy bag effortlessly. Then again she was a serious swimmer, even triathlons. I should've spent less time playing competition badminton. She's just mentioned that these proportion rules are from the Arnold's Encyclopedia.
  • Kalex1975
    Kalex1975 Posts: 427 Member
    Mine are about 16 1/2 inches. I haven't really concentrated on them other than doing some seated calf raises. I think they got that big from all the extra weight I use to carry around (I was 240+ pounds heavier) and maybe its partly genetics? I actually wish they were a bit smaller... with all the skinny/slim sizes these days my pants always get caught on them when dressing/undressing.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    edited June 2019
    I don't think @ any point in my life have my biceps been anywhere close to calf circumference...
    dvvo8kcmwxm9.png
    Calves roughly 16.5-17 inches vs. Biceps usually around a pitiful 14.5-15 inches (see profile pic...I don't take any direct bicep pics because mine are pretty underwhelming)...not even going to mention forearms (anti-Popeye-esque in proportions)
  • wolomike80
    wolomike80 Posts: 10 Member
    marcusjgrose wrote: »
    Do you have 20+" arms ? Arm and calf size should be the same for correct proportions I was always led to believe.

    My goal is 20+ inch calves, biceps
  • wolomike80
    wolomike80 Posts: 10 Member
    erickirb wrote: »

    I challenge everyone to do this workout for 4-12 months or longer. Post your results every month.

    To get big calfs in that time frame you will need roids. change those from months to years and you got a shot

    Roids, good idea. Do lots of research first.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,022 Member
    Keto_Vampire wrote: »
    Jeff Alberts painstakingly long transformation (despite **** genetics to start with); patience + hard work:
    3euvk9589ays.png
    And some gear............

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • wolomike80
    wolomike80 Posts: 10 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    You want to get big calves, walk around with 80lbs of extra weight on you all day. While calves can be improved with weight lifting, because of the density of the muscle, you don't see as much hypertrophy as you would say with biceps, back, quads, etc.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Good idea!
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    Train for a marathon!!!
    Seriously I've always been blessed with good muscle growth for a female (damned hormone imbalance does one thing good) but over the first 4 months of the year my calves grew a ridiculous amount as my running mileage ramped up (especially as where I live is hilly)
  • k8eekins
    k8eekins Posts: 2,264 Member
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    Train for a marathon!!!
    Seriously I've always been blessed with good muscle growth for a female (damned hormone imbalance does one thing good) but over the first 4 months of the year my calves grew a ridiculous amount as my running mileage ramped up (especially as where I live is hilly)

    Assuming you're referring to estrogen imbalance (+/-), I'll insert 2 articles I'd read on the subject:
    Additionally, for active women, keeping estrogen at the right levels — not too high and not too low — can make the difference between looking fit and looking flabby.

    “Estrogen balance is essential for achieving and maintaining fat loss,” says Natasha Turner, ND, author of The Supercharged Hormone Diet. “An imbalance will definitely impact your ability to build and retain lean and metabolically active muscle tissue, as well as your ability to burn fat,” she says.

    Article 2
    unlike bone and muscle where estrogen improves function, in tendons and ligaments estrogen decreases stiffness, and this directly affects performance and injury rates. High estrogen levels can decrease power and performance and make women more prone for catastrophic ligament injury ... how estrogen affects muscle, tendon, and ligament and how hormonal manipulation can be used to optimize performance and promote female participation in an active lifestyle at any age.

    In humans, much of the estrogen work has been performed in association with aging. Aging is a natural process that affects all aspects of life regardless of species. The goal of healthy aging is to slow the deterioration in physical and mental function as much as possible. Muscle protein turnover changes with age and this is further affected by sex. In postmenopausal women, higher rates of muscle protein synthesis and breakdown have been observed when compared to age matched men and premenopausal women (Smith et al., 2014). Even though higher rates of protein turnover might be expected to improve muscle quality, these women still experience a rapid decrease in muscle mass and strength, and as a result are more vulnerable to age-related frailty (Hansen and Kjaer, 2014). Muscle mass is largely dependent on the balance between the synthesis and degradation of muscle protein. The rapid decline in muscle mass after menopause therefore means either the increase in protein synthesis rate is counteracted by a greater increase in protein breakdown or that the proteins being synthesized are not the myofibrillar proteins but rather those needed for injury repair.
  • wolomike80
    wolomike80 Posts: 10 Member
    Today i added more dropsets into my calf workout. Definitely feel a better pump and burn. :D<3 Try training calves 3-4 days a week.

    (Difficulty, tuff) When doing my dropsets i started with a very heavy weight reaching muscle failure between 8-12 reps, drop the weight and did another 8-12 reps, drop the weight 12-16 reps, drop the weight 15-20 reps.

    (Difficulty, hard) Some drop sets i did 8-12 reps, 8-12 reps, 8-12 reps, 20+ reps.

    (Difficulty, medium) Other dropsets i did 20+ reps, 15+ reps, 10+ reps, 5+ reps.

    (Difficulty, medium) Sometimes i stuck with a fixed rep range (for example 15 reps) i choose a weights that ill reach complete muscle failure about 15 reps (12-18 reps range). I drop the weight to a weight that ill reach between the targeted rep range. Sometimes by the time i get to the 4th drop the weight i selected was very light but due to muscle fatigue it felt very heavy.

    To burn out calves you can do the following at the end of the calf workout for 10-40 minutes.
    *Jump Rope
    *Stepper
    *Stairmaster
    * Uphill Sprinting
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    I purposely skip calf training so I can wear tighter knee sleeves.

    All the calf development I have is from skateboarding.

    Skate or die (small).
  • shor0814
    shor0814 Posts: 559 Member
    giantrobot_powerlifting wrote: »
    I purposely skip calf training so I can wear tighter knee sleeves.

    All the calf development I have is from skateboarding.

    Skate or die (small).
    I agree.
    I already have a full workout just getting one sleeve on, why would I want to fight even more.

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