How to get Calves to grow

[snake]

As far as my forearms go, my forearms are naturally little as well although they have grown a little bit from the years of a lot of upper body work.

Maybe I do have a little understanding of genetics huh? Or just a lucky guess. lol

I wish I could say all the lower body work I’ve done has helped my calves but that is sadly not the case, they may have improved a very small amount from what they were originally but it certainly hasn’t been much. The only muscle I have that really grows well compared to the rest of my body is my chest, for some reason I have superior growth in that area compared to the rest of my body even though I don’t do anything extra for it.

Keep pounding them and try what I said. If it doesn't work, move on. Something is better than nothing. Remember, everyone has that one body part that just won't respond.

 

[Hurt]

If you were not born with good calves, you'll never have good calves. Sad to say this but you can flap your arms all you want and you will never take flight.

I have some personal experience with shitty calves so maybe I'm just a bitter ol' man. Still, I'd have a better chance adding an inch to my pp then to my calves. At one time all my calves were required to do was to stop me from falling over during a heavy squat session. I use to do the 3 obligatory sets of standing calves at the end of a leg day once a week. Trust me here, that will do absolutely nothing for you.

About 4 years ago I started to take my lower leg work serious. Went from that feeble one day shit to 3 days a week. I tried different things to see what would work and what didn't. I made calves a priority because they were my weak link. Watch 90% of the guys who walk into a gym on Monday and the first thing they do? Yeah... on the bench. I'm doing standing calves for the first exercise on Monday. And my thanks for all I have done over the last 4 years is.... 3/4" and some better muscle tone. Now that's a big FU right there. Still in all, it's 3/4" more then I had 4 years ago.

Here's what kinda worked for me and trust me, I tried about everything. Standing calves at least 3x/wk. work up a heavy weight and I mean heavy. Do 5 sets of 10 reps and hold the top for a one count; pretty much just stop the weight at the top. Take a 30 second rest and hit it again. Do this first thing through the gym door when you have all you got to give. At the end of my workout, I bang out some seated to end on a good note.


One question for ya: I bet your forearms are not big either, right?

I respectfully disagree regarding being doomed by genetics. I was born with shit calves, and now I have great calves, because I beat the shit out of them for years.

i understand that high gastroc insertions are genetically determined but otherwise calves are muscles and they will grow.

I still think most people just don’t train them hard enough. Even in people who train them hard, they are always “add ons” to the primary workout of the day - nobody has a “calves day” but plenty have “arm day” and calves are more resilient than arms to stress, so how can we expect them to grow like our arms?

 

[Gadawg]

I have trouble growing all leg muscles. They seem to just get stronger without growing. Having said that, I do, and have always done, a lot of cardio. Stair climbers, running, tons of hiking, etc and I feel like muscles that are trained for endurance just tend not to grow mass well. It's counterproductive for both extremes. So Ill keep working legs and watching then not grow but I love being in top cardio shape so I guess it is a sacrifice.

Im not stepping on any stages so phuck it.

 

[jennerrator]

I have trouble growing all leg muscles. They seem to just get stronger without growing. Having said that, I do, and have always done, a lot of cardio. Stair climbers, running, tons of hiking, etc and I feel like muscles that are trained for endurance just tend not to grow mass well. It's counterproductive for both extremes. So Ill keep working legs and watching then not grow but I love being in top cardio shape so I guess it is a sacrifice.

Im not stepping on any stages so phuck it.

fuuuuuck.....maybe that's why I could never get huge legs.....but I do have "nice" muscular legs....I'm just an athletic person...never been an actual body builder although....I am blessed with nice calf's

 

[Grizzly911]

Try this workout 3 times a week for 12 weeks then rest for about a week. Start fresh with this workout, prioritize the calves before you train anything else. Full contraction and full stretching on each rep. Arnold S. used to train his calves 5 times a week for 45 mins each calves session and his grew to their maximum potential and he had bad calves genetics with posing in his early pictures with his calves in the water. But he gave it all he got then miracles happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcjAzSf9QEw

 

[Bicepticon]

Try this workout 3 times a week for 12 weeks then rest for about a week. Start fresh with this workout, prioritize the calves before you train anything else. Full contraction and full stretching on each rep. Arnold S. used to train his calves 5 times a week for 45 mins each calves session and his grew to their maximum potential and he had bad calves genetics with posing in his early pictures with his calves in the water. But he gave it all he got then miracles happened.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcjAzSf9QEw

They will grow from this!!

 

[snake]

I respectfully disagree regarding being doomed by genetics. I was born with shit calves, and now I have great calves, because I beat the shit out of them for years.

You have earned that right to in my book to disagree. Bricks and I go round and round over this too and I still put up with him. lol

I saw your calf workout and I think I could add in more seated and that may help. Still I'm never going to go from shitty to great like you have. I do seem to respond to the lower reps with short rest time better then the high reps.

 

[PillarofBalance]

I respectfully disagree regarding being doomed by genetics. I was born with shit calves, and now I have great calves, because I beat the shit out of them for years.

i understand that high gastroc insertions are genetically determined but otherwise calves are muscles and they will grow.

I still think most people just don’t train them hard enough. Even in people who train them hard, they are always “add ons” to the primary workout of the day - nobody has a “calves day” but plenty have “arm day” and calves are more resilient than arms to stress, so how can we expect them to grow like our arms?

The respect goes without saying.

But 2 things...

1. you don't get to claim genetically inferior anything lol

2. Dennis Wolf.

 

[jennerrator]

The respect goes without saying.

But 2 things...

1. you don't get to claim genetically inferior anything lol

2. Dennis Wolf.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

 

[Gadawg]

They make a surgery for it.....

 

[PillarofBalance]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

View attachment 6547

In all seriousness his calves I think are what held him back from winning the O. And honestly would have been a great ambassador for the sport. Unlike Heath.

 

[Hurt]

The respect goes without saying.

But 2 things...

1. you don't get to claim genetically inferior anything lol

2. Dennis Wolf.

1. I swear I had shit calves! Lol

2. Wolf DOES have pretty high insertions and I remember reading somewhere that he said he basically ‘gave up’ on trying to train them because they weren’t responding...I don’t know what to make of that - was he used to everything else responding too well and he never pushed it with calves? I’d like to think he did since it’s his livelihood, so I guess I concede that argument LOL...

 

[Viduus]

Now everyone has me over thinking this.... I realized last night that the inner “lobe” of one of my calves is less developed.

This is the leg I have nerve issues in that prevent me from pushing down with my big toe and intend to walk on the outside edge of my foot. Now I’m wondering how much pushing from the inside or outside edge of your foot effects the left and right lobes of your calf firing.

Now that Hurt promised we have control over our fate

 

[bvs]

High volume and train them 3x a week

 

[Gadawg]

Im one of the guys who has chit calves and kind of gave up on them but I know a couple guys who just do bodyweight sets of calf raises on a step like ten times throughout the day. Thats how they claim to have grown.

 

[Gibsonator]

Im one of the guys who has chit calves and kind of gave up on them but I know a couple guys who just do bodyweight sets of calf raises on a step like ten times throughout the day. Thats how they claim to have grown.

if it were only that easy lol

 

[Gadawg]

if it were only that easy lol

I dont worry about it too much. Aint standing in front of any judges.

 

[snake]

I dont worry about it too much. Aint standing in front of any judges.

Yeah fuuk it. No woman ever came up to a guy and grabbed his calves.

 

[PillarofBalance]

Yeah fuuk it. No woman ever came up to a guy and grabbed his calves.

How would you know?

 

[Viduus]

Yeah fuuk it. No woman ever came up to a guy and grabbed his calves.

Some mistake them for drumsticks...