# Calves, these bastarda won't grow



## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

Hi anyone, my calves don't grow, not an inch, I gained 15 kg in 8-9 months, butbut not a single gram on calves.

What should I do? I tried everything,now I'm training them every other (training) day (I train 5 times a week).

Have anyone ever solved this problem?


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## Vincey (Jun 12, 2015)

I've heard a suggestion of to get very fat for a few years then shred. :lol:


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## Info Junkie (Nov 22, 2013)

My calves are terrible but I have been training them every second workout now and they have improve massively


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

Info Junkie said:


> My calves are terrible but I have been training them every second workout now and they have improve massively


like me then right?maybe I'm on the right way so



Vincey said:


> I've heard a suggestion of to get very fat for a few years then shred. :lol:


i would rather inject synthol in them lol


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## Info Junkie (Nov 22, 2013)

Yes mine are bad one lads in gym even said to me they look like they have improved, keep hitting them


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## Vincey (Jun 12, 2015)

AgoSte said:


> like me then right?maybe I'm on the right way so
> 
> i would rather inject synthol in them lol


I think the best way would be to blast them with heavy exercises that only hit them then. Other than that not much else I can suggest.


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## TheScam (Apr 30, 2013)

Mine are the same. I gained an inch on them when bulking but lost half of that a couple of weeks later. That was working them almost every day pretty much. Directly one day, indirectly with squats etc the next


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## lew007 (Nov 7, 2003)

I use medium weight but very slow reps about 1/2 speed with 2second squeeze at the top and aim for 12-15reps. I do 4 sets and last is a drop set and I only train them once a week, sometimes miss leg day due to knee issues. My calves are possibly my strongest muscle imo but I I have an active job where I'm bending and squatting and often moving on tiptoes etc or stretching them out, they often get pumped just while I'm working

When I train them, of all bodyparts I feel most connection to my calf's if that makes sense, I just focus on control up/top/down each rep and that's working for me. Every month or so I vary heels in/out etc


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## Big George (May 4, 2015)

Make sure you do seated calf raises as well as standing as the soleus only gets hit when legs are bent..


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## Heavyassweights (Jan 18, 2014)

Info Junkie said:


> Yes mine are bad one lads in gym even said to me they look like they have improved, keep hitting them


did he say that whilst they were resting on his shoulders?


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## Dark sim (May 18, 2013)

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-the-calves.html/

^^^We all love some science. Some are just blessed, is most definitely a genetic thing. Even some pros have $hit calves.


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## Info Junkie (Nov 22, 2013)

Heavyassweights said:


> did he say that whilst they were resting on his shoulders?


no mate he was massaging them haha


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## Frandeman (Mar 24, 2014)

Dennis Wolf got s**t calves
And he's been training for years lol


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## kadafi39 (Apr 9, 2013)

The only thing that helped my calves grow was Muay Thai, for some reason when kicking that often it seems to stimulate the calves.


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## DC1 (May 5, 2014)

Training them EOD / 4 times per week are helping mine somewhat.


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## Rytiny4 (Apr 14, 2014)

The thing I've found that's worked to make mine grow is to train them every day. On non gym days I'll just do calve raises on the stairs at home, plenty of reps until their burning to much to do anymore. Then at the gym I'll do pretty much the same on a step but weighted so lower reps. Use the legs press for calve raises too.

Be sure to use full range of motion. Stretch them at the bottom and squeeze them as much as you can at the top


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## zyphy (Jun 23, 2014)

only train mine twice a week and they grow well. though mine insert pretty low


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## Surj (Jul 28, 2015)

Heavyassweights said:


> did he say that whilst they were resting on his shoulders?


lol


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## Prince Adam (Mar 17, 2012)

Of all body parts these must be the most predetermined/genetic of all


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the answers, there are some good advices, I'll take note!!

At least I doesn't feel alone lol


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## Kristina (Apr 12, 2014)

Calves respond and need both heavy / low rep work as well as high rep work. Also... frequency is where people tend to fail. I challenge you to train them at EVERY single session - just at the end of every session for 5 minutes every day... for a month.. and come back and tell me they haven't grown.

Every session you interchange the rep range and weight. One day you do 6 sets of 6 reps. As HEAVY as possible "toe presses" and FULL RANGE - get the squeeze at the top and nice stretch at the bottom. Next session 4 sets of 20 reps + drop sets to failure (ideally a different position to the heavy work, for instance donkey calf raises would be ideal because you get an extra stretch from the position this puts your hamstrings in)...

Do that for a month and if they don't grow, I'll eat my hat.


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## Benchbum (Apr 20, 2011)

I can tell you what i do for calfs and hams.

Squats and deadlifts.


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

I'll try and sede how it goes, hope for the best 

@Kristina


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## Rykard (Dec 18, 2007)

there was an article on t-nation a month or so ago , may be worth a read


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## Big ape (May 5, 2011)

my calves were awful last year. started hitting them 3x a week main movements. Standing calves raise/seated calves machine/leg press machine push with the toes.

I would do a heavy day 6-8 reps any lower just felt pointless as wasn't fully extending and contracting the muscle.

High rep days 12-15 rep

then i would do like a burn out/drop set session. pyramid up to a weight till i was getting about 10 reps . then drop set about 5 times untill my calves felt like someone set them on fire all out to failure.

also focus on stretching the calve out at the negative portion, also i see people not fully contracting the muscle just doing these half reps.

u want to squeeze it and hold for 2 seconds really feel that muscle contracted.

another thing push with the ball of your big toe, don't push outwards on your foot and use the little toes.


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## Chelsea (Sep 19, 2009)

> http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-the-calves.html/
> 
> ^^^We all love some science. Some are just blessed, is most definitely a genetic thing. Even some pros have $hit calves.


Extremely good read, nice one mate.


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## Rykard (Dec 18, 2007)

T Nation article


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

Thanks everyone for the articles and the advices, I really appreciate, there are some things I didn't know and I see I have totally not tried everything.

Let's hope that finally they will grow, either way I will probably amputate them and walk around with wooden legs or inject 115cc of synthol right in them.


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## LiftyJock (Jul 30, 2015)

Hey man,

I've for some reason always had big calves... but the only time they grew even more was when I did skipping for cardio..

Not exactly a program to improve but it might be worth throwing in skipping cardio instead of Xtrainer or whatever


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

A different take on it here, but:

Consider that fat people always end up with huge calf muscles where they're always carrying extra weight around whilst walking. Also consider that fat people are likely sedentary and likely walk an average of 1-3000 steps per day, which is on average a mile give or take. So I guess you could load up your rucksack with weights and go for a mile walk every day and see what happens


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## ancient_loyal (Apr 22, 2015)

I'mNotAPervert! said:


> A different take on it here, but:
> 
> Consider that fat people always end up with huge calf muscles where they're always carrying extra weight around whilst walking. Also consider that fat people are likely sedentary and likely walk an average of 1-3000 steps per day, which is on average a mile give or take. So I guess you could load up your rucksack with weights and go for a mile walk every day and see what happens


This is what's happened to me, after carrying around 20-21 stone and still managing to play football and walk decent amounts working at Asda I grew fairly large calves. My calves have remained fairly big even though I'm now only 13 and a half stone.

So either fill up a rucksack and go running up hill or just gain a shed load of weight. The latter may not be the best advice but it would be fun


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

(I just had to make this post because my comment section has gone crazy quoting everything on this page)


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

Kristina said:


> Calves respond and need both heavy / low rep work as well as high rep work. Also... frequency is where people tend to fail. I challenge you to train them at EVERY single session - just at the end of every session for 5 minutes every day... for a month.. and come back and tell me they haven't grown.
> 
> Every session you interchange the rep range and weight. One day you do 6 sets of 6 reps. As HEAVY as possible "toe presses" and FULL RANGE - get the squeeze at the top and nice stretch at the bottom. Next session 4 sets of 20 reps + drop sets to failure (ideally a different position to the heavy work, for instance donkey calf raises would be ideal because you get an extra stretch from the position this puts your hamstrings in)...
> 
> Do that for a month and if they don't grow, I'll eat my hat


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

Kristina said:


> Calves respond and need both heavy / low rep work as well as high rep work. Also... frequency is where people tend to fail. I challenge you to train them at EVERY single session - just at the end of every session for 5 minutes every day... for a month.. and come back and tell me they haven't grown.
> 
> Every session you interchange the rep range and weight. One day you do 6 sets of 6 reps. As HEAVY as possible "toe presses" and FULL RANGE - get the squeeze at the top and nice stretch at the bottom. Next session 4 sets of 20 reps + drop sets to failure (ideally a different position to the heavy work, for instance donkey calf raises would be ideal because you get an extra stretch from the position this puts your hamstrings in)...
> 
> Do that for a month and if they don't grow, I'll eat my h


Comment section totally gone crazy... I must give up commenting on this thread... Thanks to anyone!!!!!


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## BoomTime (Feb 19, 2009)

lew007 said:


> I use medium weight but very slow reps about 1/2 speed with 2second squeeze at the top and aim for 12-15reps. I do 4 sets and last is a drop set and I only train them once a week, sometimes miss leg day due to knee issues. My calves are possibly my strongest muscle imo but I I have an active job where I'm bending and squatting and often moving on tiptoes etc or stretching them out, they often get pumped just while I'm working
> 
> When I train them, of all bodyparts I feel most connection to my calf's if that makes sense, I just focus on control up/top/down each rep and that's working for me. Every month or so I vary heels in/out etc


This.And I train them every day,


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## Jordan08 (Feb 17, 2014)

> there was an article on t-nation a month or so ago , may be worth a read


By John meadows if i am not wrong


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## Rykard (Dec 18, 2007)

Jatin Bhatia said:


> By John meadows if i am not wrong


T Nation article

I was thinking chad waterbury

T nation


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## Verno (Apr 18, 2008)

I'mNotAPervert! said:


> A different take on it here, but:
> 
> Consider that fat people always end up with huge calf muscles where they're always carrying extra weight around whilst walking. Also consider that fat people are likely sedentary and likely walk an average of 1-3000 steps per day, which is on average a mile give or take. So I guess you could load up your rucksack with weights and go for a mile walk every day and see what happens


that's exactly what I do mate  and have for years lol!



Dark sim said:


> http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-the-calves.html/
> 
> ^^^We all love some science. Some are just blessed, is most definitely a genetic thing. Even some pros have $hit calves.


cracking read that mate. Read it a while ago.


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## Jordan08 (Feb 17, 2014)

> T Nation article
> 
> I was thinking chad waterbury
> 
> T nation


https://www.t-nation.com/training/train-your-calves-every-day


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## Rykard (Dec 18, 2007)

Jatin Bhatia said:


> https://www.t-nation.com/training/train-your-calves-every-day


hadn't seen that one


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## memee (Jul 24, 2015)

If you've always been lean and have small calves, its usually because you have developed some highly fast twitching muscles fibres in them. Hence the slow growth. Its what I read somewhere once anyway...


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## Cookie (Sep 14, 2009)

High reps high volume and daily. Think about how many steps we take a day and how thick the fibres are. Those sods need a lot to break them down. Personally prefer to do a lot of eccentrics to work calves.


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

I'm training them every worokout atm (5 a week).

Ican't say how it's going, but i feel this is the way to go


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## Cookie (Sep 14, 2009)

AgoSte said:


> I'm training them every worokout atm (5 a week).
> 
> Ican't say how it's going, but i feel this is the way to go


Are you stretching them?


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

Cookie said:


> Are you stretching them?


Do you meen between sets? In that case yes...


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## aLadNamedAsh (May 23, 2015)

One thing I've been doing lately whilst training calfs is that during rest periods I would walk around the gym on my tip toes. I remeber reading something about ballets and them having developed calves and since nothing seems to work I went with it.

Also stretching on the bottom portion of each repetition


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## AgoSte (Apr 14, 2015)

aLadNamedAsh said:


> One thing I've been doing lately whilst training calfs is that during rest periods I would walk around the gym on my tip toes. I remeber reading something about ballets and them having developed calves and since nothing seems to work I went with it.
> 
> Also stretching on the bottom portion of each repetition


well... Is it wworking?


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## Heavyassweights (Jan 18, 2014)

Kristina said:


> Calves respond and need both heavy / low rep work as well as high rep work. Also... frequency is where people tend to fail. I challenge you to train them at EVERY single session - just at the end of every session for 5 minutes every day... for a month.. and come back and tell me they haven't grown.
> 
> Every session you interchange the rep range and weight. One day you do 6 sets of 6 reps. As HEAVY as possible "toe presses" and FULL RANGE - get the squeeze at the top and nice stretch at the bottom. Next session 4 sets of 20 reps + drop sets to failure (ideally a different position to the heavy work, for instance donkey calf raises would be ideal because you get an extra stretch from the position this puts your hamstrings in)...
> 
> Do that for a month and if they don't grow, I'll eat your ass


 I wonder if they didn't grow and you fulfilled your promise

@AgoSte can you confirm if kristina did indeed eat your ass?


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

I happened to just see this, recommending static holds for calves:


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## adderadam (Jun 14, 2017)

im not a pro bodybuilder im more of a beginner lifter, but my calves have grown huge over the last few years and that's simply from gaining weight. But the thing is, my calves are really pretty lean. Ive also noticed a really obese guy who lives near to me, his calves are absolutely massive and look like pure muscle. He was wearing shorts one day when going to the shop. Anyway you probably dont want to get obese and you say you gained all this weight but your calves havent even grown. Well I've never seen a really fat person with very skinny calves. One suggestion to simulate being obese how about wearing a very heavy weighted vest as youre going around, to the shops and stuff. Seriously I live up a hill too and my calves have just grown really big over the past 2 years, I guess from gaining weight and walking, especially walking home up that hill.


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

Since this old thread has been bumped, I'll copy-paste a post of mine from another thread a while ago on how I've added a few inches to my calves over the past half a year:

I don't even train calves at the gym anymore. They've been a stubborn area since I started training, BUT I've grown them over an inch in the last couple of months since I started training them at home 3 days a week. Here's what I do 3x a week on my stairs at home holding a dumbbell - you might not even need the dumbbell since calves can be trained with high reps, I tend to aim for around 10-15 reps on the standing calf raises and 15-20 on the kneeling ones, and I use a bit more weight when I can achieve more. No rest between sets/exercises so it's basically all supersetted, go to failure and even do some partial reps after failure on every exercise:

Single-leg standing calf raise

Squatting calf raises (both legs) - the leg you just trained will fail first while the other will get mild fatigue

Single-leg calf standing calf raise on the other leg

Squatting calf raises (both legs) - this time the other leg (the one you just trained) will fail first and the other will get a bit more work.

Standing calf raise (both legs) - finish up both calves with a burn.

Alternate which leg you start with on each workout or you might experienced imbalanced calves! The whole workout literally takes a few minutes.

Here's how you do squatting calf raises btw - if you've got the balance then you can do them without holding onto anything like I do, you can also hold onto a bannister or something to stabilise yourself like in the video but try not to actually lean on it or you'll take some weight off your calves.






The good thing about this approach as well is, given that you're basically training the muscle in a fatigued state when you hit failure on standing raises and go into these bent-legged ones, is that they hit the soleus, which is typically slow-twitch dominant so they'll benefit from being trained metabolically like this. A lot of people neglect bent-legged calf training such as seated calf raises or these, which is why a lot of people have shitty calves (I too was always guilty of this until I had a proper look into calf anatomy recently) - the soleus is the long head of the calves and actually runs from the bottom of the knee right down to the ankle, and the gastrocnemius basically sits on top of the soleus.

So by training and causing hypertrophy on your soleus, you're increasing your overall calf size, whereas people think that because the gastros are the muscles at the top that "pop" that they'll get big calves just by training these. Sorta similar to your forearms, you can train forearms every day with reverse curls and wrist curls to make your brachioradialis pop, but if you don't train the rest of the musculature (which in this case is generally trained by handling heavy weights and strengthening your grip) then your forearms will always look s**t. If you train the underlying muscles in the calves, i.e. the soleus, then the gastrocnemius will be pushed out and made to look bigger. The gastrocnemius is actually a pretty thin slab of muscle that sits on top of the soleus and tends to grow in width more than it does thickness. So if you just train your calves with standing variations then you'll probably notice that your calves pop out at the sides quite nicely and look decent from the front and back, but they disappear when you turn to the side.










*In short* - don't neglect to train the soleus with bent-legged calf exercises and high reps and/or metabolic training, to hypertrophy the soleus which is responsible for the majority of your overall calf size. The gastrocnemius is slightly more dominant in fast-twitch fibres than the soleus, so it makes sense to train it first in your calf training and with more moderate reps, and essentially, is more responsible for calf width whereas the soleus is responsible for most of the thickness (though, it may also be a good idea to mix things up between workouts to benefit from different rep ranges and exercise order). I'd recommend training calves with just a couple of exercises (one straight-legged and one bent-legged per session), 2-4 times a week.


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