Some people are born into money. Some people are born with amazing intellect. Others are born with a gifted voice, or the ability to just pick up an instrument and play. And then there are those that are born with massive calves. Don’t you just hate those people? Ok, maybe hate is too strong a word, but I know I certainly envy those bodybuilders that rarely ever do so much as a calf raise, yet display thickly developed muscle from knee to ankle. And there are plenty of those types out there—the real kicker being that some of them might not be bodybuilders at all.
As for me, I was born with toothpicks for calves, and although I’ve added a good six inches to them, they remain a weakness. That said, adding a half-a-foot to any muscle is nothing to sneeze at. Heck, if my calves were at least decent when I began lifting, they would be rather formidable at this point. So, if I could add six inches to my crappy calves, imagine what you could accomplish as long as you avoid the following mistakes.
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Ian Spanier
Failure to Prioritize
When the savvy lifter finds that he/she has a weak muscle group, they’ll make sure to train that area first on its scheduled day—when physical and mental energy is at its highest point. I rarely, if ever, see this done with calves. If you want your calves to grow, then give them some special attention.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Failure to Stretch
One of the best ways to trigger muscle hypertrophy is by stretching them hard under the tension of resistance, and this is especially true when it comes to the calves. If you’re not exaggerating—and briefly holding—the stretch on all sets of calf raises, you’re cheating yourself out of potential growth.
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Westend61 / Getty
Failure to Vary Reps
Because we walk and climb with our calves on a daily basis, they naturally develop great strength and endless endurance. Unfortunately, that makes them quite resistant to growth. In order to exhaust all of their muscle fibers, we must crush them with heavy sets for as little as four reps and lighter weights that will allow for 50 or more. Sticking to just one rep range is a big mistake.
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gilaxia / Getty
Failure to Do the Work
Time and again I watch guys in the gym hit their chests, delts, and arms with as many as 15-20 sets per workout, while their calves get maybe 4-6 lazy sets at the end of the session. Treat your calves as you do other muscle groups if you expect them to progress at a similar rate.
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M+F Magazine
Failure to Intensify
As I mentioned, the calves are very resistant to adding muscle, even for those who pay enough attention to them. So, if you are using the proper range of motion, training them first in your workout, and attacking with adequate sets, but still not getting results, them it’s time to intensify. The calves need to be punished, so unleash on them with supersets, dropsets, rest-pause, negatives, giant sets, and whatever other torture you can think of. If you really want calves, you must show them no mercy!
