that's alright, i'm not looking for impressive, just normal sized since mine are so small they're grotesque
gonna try the walking on toes thing out starting now.
From what I’ve read… Standing targets gastrocnemius more (higher strength/power type muscle, responsible for jump/sprint/etc, the outer layer). Seated targets soleus more (higher endurance type muscle, responsible for standing and walking all day, deeper).
From that… standing straight raises do heavy for high reps, maybe speed reps. Seated raises either very high or very slow reps.
I’ve found just a shit load of walking, running, jump rope, etc gets better gains all around than doing more raises though. So maybe high rep for both standing and seated is best.
i discovered toe walking thanks to my 2 year old nephew. One day I noticed his calves were really firm and quite large for a toddlers. I wondered why for a while and then it hit me. It was because of toe walking. I toe walk around the house all the time now. I do calf excercises as well but the toe walking is what made my calf muscles explode in size.
This is just cope. Easier to avoid responsibility believe genetics fucked you than that you just don't have the willpower to lose the weight after getting fat for big calves, huh.
>sit around for years >finally decide to break out of NEETdom >get boring job that requires me to stand in place for 8 hours a day, 6 days a week >calves start getting thick and tight
its really that simple
My calves suck and I have delivered mail on foot for 7 years. I can calf raise over 4 plate 4x15 slowly on a smith machine. The seated calf raise gives me a weird pain behind my knee and using a leg press feels like snap city. Idk what to do, I am 6'2" and trans btw.
Stop using the machines and start doing slow reps with bodyweight. Hold onto something so you don't fall forward or backwards. Posterior Pelvic tilt while doing them.
This. People don't understand that hypertrophying calves is hard as fuck because they never get a rest day. Unlike other muscles calves have to carry your weight all fucking day. That’s why you need a ridiculous amount of reps and effort in order to get results.
Why do so many programs, including ones from people like Jeff Nippard and John Meadows have you do 4-6 sets for 8-12 reps with a heavy load? RPE9 type load?
Pretty sure if you load them up heavy you can still stimulate them enough.
What people do wrong is they do the middle of the road training, 3 sets, 8-12 reps with light to medium weight "just to do them". Yeah, you won't ever grow them.
not true, the rep range memeing is complete bullshit. it's all about finding the right load and time under tension. you won't ever grow anything with heavy load either if that means you are completely decimating the ROM and TUT.
you can make literally any rep range and weight work as long as you are not cheating on yourself. be honest with your work ethic. if you can do x weight with more reps, do more reps. if you are doing "too many" reps, increase the weight.
it's more about just that 8-12 rep range is kind of a natural default for people that don't train with intent. you almost subconsiouscly pick a weight that you can comfortably perform 8-12 reps and call it a day. so they are cheating on themselves because doing >12 reps is not fun and neither is picking weight so heavy that you cannot perform more than 4-5 reps. but u can absolutely build huge calves doing 8-12 reps if you pick the right weight.
Training with intent, having proper ROM and good TUT are something we don't need to mention and it's implied to every single exercise. Without does even doing 2x1000 wont do shit.
i dont think thats the problem, you do sleep, i think the issue is that the ankle is a short lever, meaning that the strength needed to do the work is lower than other joints, imagine how easy curls would be if your forearms were like 6 inches long. same problem i think, probably need to do calf raises with 600lbs or some shit to get the same kind of stimulus as other muscles.
yeah calf raises having naturally low range of motion and thus low time under tension which means you have to compensate somehow. I do 20-30 rep initial set followed by 4x AMRAP sets every 30s. every lowering part is slow and controlled for more stretch. shit's fucking brutal and painful but I think it is working. I do this twice a week.
t. 38 cm calves, never measureed the starting point but they do look fuller after few months of training like this.
My calves are the only thing in my body that stayed fat as shit when I stopped being overweight. Don't know if it's a blessing or a curse, tbh. On one hand, it's good from a fitness, strength and injury prevention standpoint, on the other hand, it looks ridiculous.
Tells you all you need to know. You have to do 200 reps for years just to gain an inch in calf circumference meanwhile some fat asian nerd who never did anything phisycal mogs your calves to hell and back
>is one of the sorest muscles after a workout >can barely walk the next day >still doesn't grow at all
The good news is that means you're tall. Only manlets have those big football calves.
used to do incline treadmill but just do calf raises now
the man with the biggest calves ive ever seen didnt even work out
he was a 50yr old who mowed lawns for a living
literally looked like roided bodybuilder ballsack calves
Mine are 15.5" right now while barely training them and honestly they look "too big" even though they're an inch under the Grecian ideal ratio, where your calves == your arms.
i have 17" calves which i think isn't bad and at times like if i do that guy foot on other knee leg cross look pretty good but always still look small to me when standing. i think it doesn't help i'm fairly tall (6'3") and have i think large ankles (almost 10"). i'm not fat and never directly train them but do hit them through cardio
Do heavy slow reps (and I mean heavy, more than you can squat), and high volume (100+) sets with light weight and as much range of motion as possible. Yes genetics are involved but you can absolutely grow them.
Pretty sure most people train calves completely wrong.
You need to hit them at least 3x a week, and with high rep ranges (16-20).
They're different from most other musclues
Calves have a higher proportion of type 1 fibers. These are endurance fibers. This is the case in most humans. They are best trained with high reps and high volume and frequency. They are designed to help you stand, walk, and run for miles every day up and down mountains. I do full body 4 days/week and every time I do calf raises for 4-5x20-25. I also hike once a week.
Additionally: they still have some type 2 fibers however. I forget the proportion. So you can and should also do some heavier sets in addition to higher rep sets sometimes.
Additionally: they still have some type 2 fibers however. I forget the proportion. So you can and should also do some heavier sets in addition to higher rep sets sometimes.
it's like 9:1 in favor of type 1. every other muscle is more 50/50 depending on genetics but calfes are almost pure slow/endurance type.
easily one of my best genetic wins. They big, well shaped, and toned, without being disproportionately large which can look gross. From behind, my legs look powerful like a sprinter and I get many mires wearing my little shorts on leg day. Makes up for my bad biceps and triceps insertions
I used to be really fat (290 lbs) and when I lost it all the only thing left was gigantic calves
Still isn't worth it to dedicate a good decade to being a fat slob for a muscle which is only visible in the summer for most guys
My calves grew more in a few months of doing jump rope and kickboxing than from years of lifting. I think they benefit a lot from massive volume, people who’ve done things like dancing and football always seem to have good calves.
Good bait thread. To the retards ITT: >if you have small calves you’re either a nagger mutt or lazy >hike / incline treadmill before opening your mouth again
No I’m not going to read your cope. Get off your ass or shut the fuck up.
>be skinny twink, 140lb cross country runner >never do a single calf raise >have 14.5 inch calves >get older, bulk up to 190lbs >16 inch calves
Guess I won the genetic lottery
I went from being in that boat while training calves every leg day for years. There's two problems unless you're cursed with the African insertions.
Problem 1: You can't bend your ankle correctly. Actually focus on dorsiflexion and rebuilding ankle functionality, including strengthening the tibialis (not just kneesovertoes meme, actually works). Foam roll THE FUCK out of your whole calf, dig in with your fist, get into the insertion at the knee with your thumb. I mean the whole thing. It's a high stress system and builds up awful adhesion in the tissues and fascia. Bearfoot walking can help, and limit heeled shoe usage.
Problem 2: Train them first you lazy retards. "I'll do abs at the end" syndrome. If you want a muscle to grow - prioritize when you're fresh.
If not, go slower, or less far. There is gonna be a point where your shit is gonna straight up hurt. Stop then, recover for 2-3 weeks, and then you’ll be gucci for the rest of your running life unless you start going some serious distance (line a marathon). At least that was how it went for me
I grew mine from 12inches to 15inches with little work tbh.
please tell me what you did anon, i've been training calves for almost a year and have seen close to zero growth
Whatare you doing
I literally do seated and standing calf raises 4x12 each and when I walk around the house I walk on my toes (when I remember)
Replied to myself, what a dickhead. Meant this for you
Mine aren't by any means impressive or big, I Still have some work to do on them but I'm pretty proud of 3 inches with minimal effort
>Picrel
that's alright, i'm not looking for impressive, just normal sized since mine are so small they're grotesque
gonna try the walking on toes thing out starting now.
What's the difference between seated and standing calf raises? Obviously one is seated, but what's the benefit?
From what I’ve read… Standing targets gastrocnemius more (higher strength/power type muscle, responsible for jump/sprint/etc, the outer layer). Seated targets soleus more (higher endurance type muscle, responsible for standing and walking all day, deeper).
From that… standing straight raises do heavy for high reps, maybe speed reps. Seated raises either very high or very slow reps.
I’ve found just a shit load of walking, running, jump rope, etc gets better gains all around than doing more raises though. So maybe high rep for both standing and seated is best.
Thanks, anon. Informative.
i discovered toe walking thanks to my 2 year old nephew. One day I noticed his calves were really firm and quite large for a toddlers. I wondered why for a while and then it hit me. It was because of toe walking. I toe walk around the house all the time now. I do calf excercises as well but the toe walking is what made my calf muscles explode in size.
mine are 16 inches with 0 isolation
Formerly obese people almost always have great calves so it's not just genetic.
Just get obese for 10 years bro.
Very true, obese most my life im at 5'3 16 inch calves, also do calves raises
Please fart on my face
>be obese from 10 to 19,
>still 18 inch calfs after reaching sub 20% body fat.
Cope. Just obese guys with good genetics for calves have big calves
This is just cope. Easier to avoid responsibility believe genetics fucked you than that you just don't have the willpower to lose the weight after getting fat for big calves, huh.
Yeah, the coping calvelets bear a striking resemblance to HAES fatties
>genetic
Shut the fuck up. This is like a woman cope.
>Just get obese for 10 years bro.
Or, use your brain. What are calves responding to? Heavy weight and use. Pack a backpack, walk. Farmer's carries.
>be my dad
>diabeetus biscuit thiever
>belly about to spawn summit
>waring shorts in the sun
>mirin those calfs
You have to do at least 1000
>OP is designed to have sex with women
>decides to be a massive homosexual anyways
manlets once again btfo
Go play an actual sport. Or hike you homosexual
just jog outside you lazy bum
>sit around for years
>finally decide to break out of NEETdom
>get boring job that requires me to stand in place for 8 hours a day, 6 days a week
>calves start getting thick and tight
its really that simple
My calves suck and I have delivered mail on foot for 7 years. I can calf raise over 4 plate 4x15 slowly on a smith machine. The seated calf raise gives me a weird pain behind my knee and using a leg press feels like snap city. Idk what to do, I am 6'2" and trans btw.
Stop using the machines and start doing slow reps with bodyweight. Hold onto something so you don't fall forward or backwards. Posterior Pelvic tilt while doing them.
People just train them wrong, you need HUGE volume. I did 200 reps per set and they blew up so much I got stretch marks on my calves.
This. People don't understand that hypertrophying calves is hard as fuck because they never get a rest day. Unlike other muscles calves have to carry your weight all fucking day. That’s why you need a ridiculous amount of reps and effort in order to get results.
Why do so many programs, including ones from people like Jeff Nippard and John Meadows have you do 4-6 sets for 8-12 reps with a heavy load? RPE9 type load?
Pretty sure if you load them up heavy you can still stimulate them enough.
What people do wrong is they do the middle of the road training, 3 sets, 8-12 reps with light to medium weight "just to do them". Yeah, you won't ever grow them.
not true, the rep range memeing is complete bullshit. it's all about finding the right load and time under tension. you won't ever grow anything with heavy load either if that means you are completely decimating the ROM and TUT.
you can make literally any rep range and weight work as long as you are not cheating on yourself. be honest with your work ethic. if you can do x weight with more reps, do more reps. if you are doing "too many" reps, increase the weight.
it's more about just that 8-12 rep range is kind of a natural default for people that don't train with intent. you almost subconsiouscly pick a weight that you can comfortably perform 8-12 reps and call it a day. so they are cheating on themselves because doing >12 reps is not fun and neither is picking weight so heavy that you cannot perform more than 4-5 reps. but u can absolutely build huge calves doing 8-12 reps if you pick the right weight.
Training with intent, having proper ROM and good TUT are something we don't need to mention and it's implied to every single exercise. Without does even doing 2x1000 wont do shit.
i dont think thats the problem, you do sleep, i think the issue is that the ankle is a short lever, meaning that the strength needed to do the work is lower than other joints, imagine how easy curls would be if your forearms were like 6 inches long. same problem i think, probably need to do calf raises with 600lbs or some shit to get the same kind of stimulus as other muscles.
yeah calf raises having naturally low range of motion and thus low time under tension which means you have to compensate somehow. I do 20-30 rep initial set followed by 4x AMRAP sets every 30s. every lowering part is slow and controlled for more stretch. shit's fucking brutal and painful but I think it is working. I do this twice a week.
t. 38 cm calves, never measureed the starting point but they do look fuller after few months of training like this.
My calves are the only thing in my body that stayed fat as shit when I stopped being overweight. Don't know if it's a blessing or a curse, tbh. On one hand, it's good from a fitness, strength and injury prevention standpoint, on the other hand, it looks ridiculous.
Yeap, I'm all calves and tights. I hit legs only once a week so my upper body can catch up.
More cycling, less shitposting.
I have 19 inch calves at 5'11". My secret? Start out life as a fatbody.
will jumping rope grow them?
Yes. Jumping rope, cycling, and trek hiking are the holy trinity of calf workouts
I don't think they're worth the effort tbh
>a muscle cannot grow
absolute brainlet
just do 200 daily, 2x100
>200 daily, 2x100
Reminds me of the advise the bodybuilder in my gym gave me - 15-20 reps, 10-20sec rest between until you hit 100 total reps.
Tells you all you need to know. You have to do 200 reps for years just to gain an inch in calf circumference meanwhile some fat asian nerd who never did anything phisycal mogs your calves to hell and back
Yeah doing 100 rep sets makes sense when you already use them when walking around all day.
They carry you around all fucking day anon. Your little double body weight for 15x5 workout won't do shit.
Verification not required.
>is one of the sorest muscles after a workout
>can barely walk the next day
>still doesn't grow at all
The good news is that means you're tall. Only manlets have those big football calves.
r8 my calves
used to do incline treadmill but just do calf raises now
the man with the biggest calves ive ever seen didnt even work out
he was a 50yr old who mowed lawns for a living
literally looked like roided bodybuilder ballsack calves
i have 18 inch calves because i walk around on my toes
same.
chronic toe walkers (autists) unite.
Mine are 15.5" right now while barely training them and honestly they look "too big" even though they're an inch under the Grecian ideal ratio, where your calves == your arms.
i don't know if going from fat to fit helps with calf growth. i don't have much definition in mine but i wouldn't say they're flabby
i have 17" calves which i think isn't bad and at times like if i do that guy foot on other knee leg cross look pretty good but always still look small to me when standing. i think it doesn't help i'm fairly tall (6'3") and have i think large ankles (almost 10"). i'm not fat and never directly train them but do hit them through cardio
He's older and walks fine now and given his personality and the way he acts i seriously doubt he has the tism.
imagine doing calf raises and not just moving more
Do kendo calflet.
My left calf is like an inch and half bigger than my right. How do I fix?
I have the same fucking issue it's weird
same, it's annoying
Strap on a 60lb backpack and hike 5mi of hilly terrain once a week.
Do heavy slow reps (and I mean heavy, more than you can squat), and high volume (100+) sets with light weight and as much range of motion as possible. Yes genetics are involved but you can absolutely grow them.
by 100+ you mean reps and not sets, right?
Yeah I do sets of 40-50 reps with bodyweight on stairs. With weights I try 10-20 depending on weight.
Looks kinda bad.. needs nore quad and glutes
Pretty sure most people train calves completely wrong.
You need to hit them at least 3x a week, and with high rep ranges (16-20).
They're different from most other musclues
Laughing at all the calflets ITT. Thanks for cheering me up bros. Better luck next life
Have I deadlift 315 yet? No. (305pr)
Are my calves bigger than Larry Wheels? Absolutely
and I sleep like a baby equipped with this knowledge
I'm trans btw
Thats gross that you are trans you should see a doctor to fix your mental illness but no doctor can fix your undeveloped calves
*overdeveloped
post your small calves so I can laugh
lol I'm not gonna post my legs for some tranny to jerk off to
seek help, ywnbaw
oh its just usually when people brag about being big they arent afraid to show off (not that I believe you HAVE anything to show off)
lol, lmao even.
SNEED.
lol, lmao even.
nagger
Nah you are just a genetic failure.
>>*refuses to grow*
>>*is pure 100% genetic*
when you realize all muscles are genetic
nobody has bigger calves than a fit kid who plays rugby anon.
they grow.
As others have said, start toe walking around the house. I've done it since I was a kid (idk autism or something) and have always had big calves.
Also incline treadmill and hiking.
Calves have a higher proportion of type 1 fibers. These are endurance fibers. This is the case in most humans. They are best trained with high reps and high volume and frequency. They are designed to help you stand, walk, and run for miles every day up and down mountains. I do full body 4 days/week and every time I do calf raises for 4-5x20-25. I also hike once a week.
Additionally: they still have some type 2 fibers however. I forget the proportion. So you can and should also do some heavier sets in addition to higher rep sets sometimes.
it's like 9:1 in favor of type 1. every other muscle is more 50/50 depending on genetics but calfes are almost pure slow/endurance type.
easily one of my best genetic wins. They big, well shaped, and toned, without being disproportionately large which can look gross. From behind, my legs look powerful like a sprinter and I get many mires wearing my little shorts on leg day. Makes up for my bad biceps and triceps insertions
I used to be really fat (290 lbs) and when I lost it all the only thing left was gigantic calves
Still isn't worth it to dedicate a good decade to being a fat slob for a muscle which is only visible in the summer for most guys
My calves grew more in a few months of doing jump rope and kickboxing than from years of lifting. I think they benefit a lot from massive volume, people who’ve done things like dancing and football always seem to have good calves.
Good bait thread. To the retards ITT:
>if you have small calves you’re either a nagger mutt or lazy
>hike / incline treadmill before opening your mouth again
No I’m not going to read your cope. Get off your ass or shut the fuck up.
it seems calf size is indicative of overall strength potential. every strongman/weightlifter has beefy calves
>be skinny twink, 140lb cross country runner
>never do a single calf raise
>have 14.5 inch calves
>get older, bulk up to 190lbs
>16 inch calves
Guess I won the genetic lottery
I went from being in that boat while training calves every leg day for years. There's two problems unless you're cursed with the African insertions.
Problem 1: You can't bend your ankle correctly. Actually focus on dorsiflexion and rebuilding ankle functionality, including strengthening the tibialis (not just kneesovertoes meme, actually works). Foam roll THE FUCK out of your whole calf, dig in with your fist, get into the insertion at the knee with your thumb. I mean the whole thing. It's a high stress system and builds up awful adhesion in the tissues and fascia. Bearfoot walking can help, and limit heeled shoe usage.
Problem 2: Train them first you lazy retards. "I'll do abs at the end" syndrome. If you want a muscle to grow - prioritize when you're fresh.
How to actually grow thick, juicy, meaty calves:
>get fat
>walk a lot
>go on rough terrain hikes
>lose weight
simple as
have u seen an aboriginal
irl? never been to the southern hemisphere.
on the internet? yeah, but they're mostly nose so i couldn't see much else.
Went for a run for the first time yesterday, now I'm struggling to walk
Good. Do it again tomorrow
Fuck I hope I can do the same distance while they're exploding
If not, go slower, or less far. There is gonna be a point where your shit is gonna straight up hurt. Stop then, recover for 2-3 weeks, and then you’ll be gucci for the rest of your running life unless you start going some serious distance (line a marathon). At least that was how it went for me
Will do, thanks for the advice
Be heavy and jump rope-
>have flat feet
>naturally thick calves and an abnormally thick tibialis anterior because of it
downside: I get shin splints after a km of running
have to stick to biking and swimming
>play soccer once a week
>run 10k once a week
>train legs like crazy
>calves still look like that of some malnourished 12 year old girl
end me
if you want your Soleus to grow you need to do mad mad volume since it almost all slow twitch content.
> Skip everyday 10-15 all on toes
> jog on toes never heel strike
> boxing