Yeah, I know this is a bodybuilding magazine not an agriculture publication (like BQ: Bovine Quarterly). So, why am I discussing livestock? Well, my goal here is that when you have completed the program I am about to lay out, no one will be able to confuse your lower leg development to that of milk-fed veal. In other words your calves will be so large they will have to be referred to as “cows”.
First of all, I need to dispel some common misconceptions about calves. There are quite a few people who subscribe to the notion that their calves will not grow. I disagree. They just have not stumbled upon the method that will cause their calves to adapt. This is usually caused by either over-training or under-training them. There is a fine line between the two.
The other common fallacy is that calves should be trained more frequently than other muscle groups. You can add abdominals and forearms to that equation as well. Why? They are still muscles and, like all muscles, they grow when they recover. They do not grow in the gym. They grow when they repair themselves and adapt.
Others believe that their calves will not grow due to genetic factors. They were born with small calves and they will die with small calves. Although not completely true, there are certain genetic limitations that some people have to live with. High insertions and short muscle bellies do make it more difficult to produce impressive calves but we all must play with the cards we are dealt.
So where do we begin? I would say that, first and foremost, the method with which you perform your repetitions is most important. I wish I had a dime for every time I have seen someone doing a calf exercise as if they were trying to beat the land speed record. You know what I am talking about, the guy who is only doing half reps and is completing about 2 reps per second. You can usually hear the plates clanging together and the guy is screaming as if he was auditioning for a professional wrestling contract. Slow down King Kong! The only things getting worked here are your Achilles tendons and momentum. Your repetitions should be slow and controlled. Range of motion is important. You need to get real low (deep) and then get real high (up as far on your tippy toes as possible). You will have to decrease the weight dramatically to perform your reps this way, but, as I have always said, “More is not better, better is better.” This one tip alone will solve most of your calf issues.
Next is variety. You have to provide a stimulus for your calves to respond to. If you have been doing the same calf routine for 2 years, you are not getting the big picture. The definition of crazy is: continuing to do the same things, but, expecting different results. The calf fairy is not going to put a new pair of huge calves under your pillow tonight (sorry to burst your bubble).
Variety comes in two forms. One is the exercises that you do. I am constantly changing the exercises that I perform to work my calves from a different angle. I miss the old Donkey calf raise machine that was in my first gym. I haven’t seen too many of these new wave gyms that have one. If you find one, consider yourself lucky and then call me. Calf raises on a leg press machine are a reasonable substitution. Mix it up. Create a new stimulus for your calves to adapt to.
Vary the repetition range as well. You need to experiment with different rep ranges to find what works for you. I would propose that all rep ranges will work for a period of time. Then, of course, you must change. There seems to be a theory going around that calves only respond to high rep training. I’m not quite sure where that comes from but, I would be the exception to that rule. I feel like my calves respond well to 8-10 reps with a significant amount of weight (slow and controlled, of course). I have found that some of my clients respond well to the 20-25 rep range. Once again, you must mix it up.
Calves should be trained once per week. I suggest any body part to be trained only once per week, so, why would I deviate with calves? Provide the stimulus then let it recover, period! You will get more work on your calves during your cardio sessions. There is no need to get another weight training session on top of that.
Don’t neglect the forgotten muscles of the lower leg. Most people are only concerned with the gastrocnemius and the soleus. These are the two largest muscles on the back side of your lower leg. There are three other muscles that can add to your leg development. The tibialis anterior is the long thin muscle on the front part of your lower leg or shin. The peroneus longus and the peroneus brevis are on the outside of your lower leg. They are also long and thin. Improving them will greatly add to your appearance particularly in all of the side poses.
The best way to work the tibialis anterior is to do what I like to call reverse calf raises. Instead of having your toes on the plate and your heels hanging off, you do the reverse (heels on, toes hanging off). Lift your toes to the sky and back down. Changing the angle of your toes may allow you to hit the peroneus brothers on the side of your leg. It is difficult to hit them directly as their primary function is to prevent the ankle from rolling. Athletes that do a lot of lateral movement usually can develop them quite well. Doing your calf exercises one leg at a time may also help in that regard as there is more control needed to stabilize the joint.
I had mentioned cardio earlier. There are two forms of cardio in particular that will increase the amount of work required by the calves. Walking or running on an incline can really crank up the intensity on your calves. Try it. Trust me, there will be no denying it’s effectiveness. The other is jumping rope. This is another forgotten favorite of mine. The only people you see jumping rope these days are 12 year old girls and boxers. Break the mold. Pull out that old jump rope and watch your calves burn right off your body.
Your calves can and will grow if you are dedicated to improving them. Most people look at calves as an add-on, not a significant body part. If your lower leg development is not up to par then you need to change that mental strategy immediately. Move calves to a day of their own when you have plenty of energy. Most people throw them in, at the end of their leg workout, when they are depleted and tired (“junk” as we say in Boston). What kind of focus and intensity could you possibly have then? Work them when you are fresh and can concentrate.
Put these simple strategies together and before too long people will be “mooing” at you in the gym and on stage.
|
| Published on: 2007-02-12 Published by: Bill Murphy |
