How to Build Large Calves
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How to Really Build Large Calves And Pack On Muscle
This question has been one of mine since childhood, because back then I had very thin calves. After some experimenting, I came to the conclusion that high-volume exercises are more effective on calves. These are possibly the most difficult muscles to build. Only doing a small number of sets with them did not work for me. Because I did not want to train my calves right and chose to work of athleticism, bigger-compound lifts and athleticism my calves stayed small for years.
They finally started getting larger only when I did high volume on them. I normally train them like this for about 30 days then I am totally bored with and quit doing it for about a year. It is hard to take the high-volume training for an extended period of time, because you can start to have achilles and ankle problems. If you are an athlete, who does a lot of jumping or running, stay away from working on your calves using high-volume workouts.
However, if you obsess about having large calves, and you only desire to have them larger they you will have to step up the frequency and the volume. One time I gained a whole two inches in my calves in the short time of a month! Do not misunderstand me, my calves are not that huge, however, you can build your calves when you commit to it.
The calves were even Arnold’s least developed body part; he had to commit himself totally to building them up. One funny thing he did was to cut off his pant legs at about the knee, this made him very self conscious about his calves not being developed enough.
One choice is to perform a set of exercises for the calves in between your other exercises. You need to do it heavy, do a thorough, deep stretch holding it for at least a second and go up to the ten seconds when you get to the bottom and when flexing the calves hard get up on the big toe. When you are performing standing calves, the knees need to be bent slightly on the downward motion and then should be locked on the upward motion.
Another choice for your workouts is to start with your calves at least on the day you are working on your lower part of the body. One day a week should include the heavy-standing-calves raises at the rate of 5 to 10 sets of 5 to 8 reps each and the other days should be for the seated-calf raises at the rate of 4 to 5 sets of 15 to 30 reps each.
Also you need to train your tibialis-anterior muscles. They are located in the front of you leg over the shin. Some individuals form imbalances because they do not have the right amount of ankle flexion and have more ankle extension than needed. When this problem arises the calves will not develop properly. To train this set of muscles by letting your feet hang off the bench at the end of it and while holding a DARD device or dumbbell with them flex the feet to you for about 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps and do this at least two times a week.
When you are through with the seated, donkey, standing, and tib raises then do some farmer’s walk for about 5 to 10 minutes making sure to be on your toes for the whole time. This will give your calves a workout and a half. To top off your workouts jump rope for about 10 to 20 minutes.
The strategies about should help you build your calves quite fast in a matter of months. Just work into the added volume gradually and give your ankles sufficient time to rest if they start hurting.
If you only do about 3 to 4 sets for your calves about two times a week, you need to slowly add one or two sets each workout until you have worked up to about 10 or more. These need to be 10 heavy, hard sets along with the farmer’s walks and the jump roping you do, if you do this regularly this is usually enough for you to add as much as an inch or more in only one month.
