"Sean Sullivan lends us his awesome calves"

Maximum Results for Calf Training

Calves seem to be a lagging body part for more than a fair share of weight trainers. Genetics can hand out a great set of calves, but for most, building an impressive set of calves can be both laborious and frustrating.

Calves are a unique muscle group. They are made up primarily of two muscles, and the two differ very much from one another.

The gastrocnemius (larger, top portion of the calf) contains mostly fast twitch fibers and responds best to lower reps. The soleus (smaller portion of the calf and located under the gastrocnemius) contains mainly slow twitch muscle fibers and responds better to higher reps. So the calf itself is partly comprised of muscle tissue that makes high rep training seem ideal, while the other muscle involved seems more suited to low rep training.

The calf is a muscle group the responds best to full stretches and contractions. Great benefit is lost if short ranges of movement are used. Reps should be performed slowly. Also, movements should be held for 1-2 seconds at the start and end positions. Rep speed is crucial in calf movements.

As for exercises themselves, straight-legged calf raises emphasize the
gastrocnemius while bent-legged movements emphasize the soleus.

Certain exercises, rep schemes, and corresponding loads can be used to
maximize results for building calf size, depending upon which portion of the calves is being targeted.

"Just as Doug Miller demonstrates here"

Gastrocnemius training should involve straight-legged movements with heavier weight and lower reps, such as in the 6-10 range. The gastrocnemius will only be activated fully if the knees are locked. Up to 50% of the stress can be removed if there is any bend in the joint, so a lighter weight may need to be used to get a full stimulatory effect. Soleus training, on the other hand, should involve bent-legged movements with a lower weight to enable higher reps, perhaps 10-25 per set.

Also, since the gastrocnemius is a significantly larger muscle than the soleus, the gastrocnemius may be trained with more sets than the soleus. For example, 10 sets could be an appropriate number for the gastrocnemius, and 6 sets for the soleus.

Workouts can be alternated using a straight-legged low rep scheme one time, and a bent-legged high rep scheme the next.

Sample Workout:
Day 1: (all straight-legged)
Standing Calf Raises, 3 sets - 6-10 reps
Donkey Calf Raises, 3 sets - 6-10 reps
Machine Single Leg Calf Raises, 3 sets - 6-10 reps

Day 4: (all bent-legged)
Seated Calf Raises, 3 sets - 10-25 reps
Seated Single Leg Calf Raises, 3 sets - 10-25 reps

Employing these techniques can maximize calf development for any weight trainer.

by: Matt Shepley

Matt Shepley is a natural bodybuilder, photographer, and
bodybuilding/fitness contest promoter. He has contributed articles and
photos to numerous health & fitness magazines. He can be contacted via
email at matt@theOCBwebsite.com.

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