Getting Calfs HUGE

[ThaiBoxa]

My back is currently fuked up, and the only things I can do for my legs is leg extensions, leg curls, donkey calf raises, and seated calf raises. I know this ain't gonna build up my legs much at all, but I can still hit my calfs as hard as it gets. For the calf raises, I do 5 sets of 10 for each exercise at a weight I can barely handle 10 times. Is there a better way to to do this to get the calfs as big as they can get?? Lower reps perhaps?? I plan on giving syntholica a try, but not until my next cycle.

"Satisfaction is the death of desire"

[P-DOG]

ive got one for ya try this out. this is a modified poliquin routine. i removed the standing raises because you cant do them.

perform a set of 10 seated raises with a 302 tempo.

when that set is finished immediately jump on a donkey machine or just get in the donkey position on a block with no weight and do donkey raises until your calves burn so bad you want to call the fire department. it is usually around 20-30 reps. these are performed quickly like a 201 tempo.

believe me your calves will fucking burn like a mutha. repeat the superset 3-4 times. let me know how it goes.

[nitroed]

DAMN! I'm sorry to hear that man, especially since you just got started on that cycle you were talking about. Well as far as calves I think you are going to get something different from everyone. I say that because everyone I know who has outstanding calves have different approaches to it. The only constant I have found is too make sure no matter how much weight you use concentrate on getting a good range of motion and good contraction!!!
Some people say that they need to train calves often because they feel they recover very quickly.
As well on the other side their are people that only train calves once a week and have great results.
For me running on my toes help out a lot, but I think I am in a minority, I train calves with weight twice a week.
Also a while back on another board rj talked about doing standing calves ( or donkey, I guess) before you do seated. Don't remember specifically why, but maybe he'll chyme in with a rep[ly later. It has to do with working a specific muscle in your calves first before the other though, that is all I remember.

Oh, yeah how's that satest doing?

[Spook]

Calves carry all of your weight for hours on end and get the most contractions out of any activity that you do. Calves respond very very well to high reps and working them at different stances. Calves are stubborn for some and for others calves grow into hosteins. I would consider low reps for calves as less than 12 and I think that most anyone else would consider the same, but low reps have advantages at times too. You always have to know when to throw your muscles a curve to spark them into new growth. Your body adapts like anything else no matter what you do or take. Sanity and creativity prevails in the human form and taking it to new heights. Try......

Standing calves for 3 sets at 20+ reps of controlled movement
Donkey Calves for 3 sets at 20+ reps of controlled movement
Seated Calves for 3 sets of 20+ reps supersetted with tibialis anterior exercises

or you could throw in an additional exercise of Calf presses but only do to sets of each exercise except for the Standing Calves at the beginning. You can use each individual set if you do only 3 sets of each exercise to experiment with different stances such as one set with toes pointed in, one set with toes pointed straight, and one set with toes pointed outward like you would normally walk for us weirdos of the western society.

As will all exercises, you can do low reps and high sets, low sets and high reps, moderate sets and reps, pyramidding the weights and reps in conjunction, etc.... and these techniques will spark growth in any exercise that you do if you change things up once every 4-6 weeks. Never let the body adapt for too long, but the one thing with the calves is that they can tolerate a very high volume of work compared to any other part of your body and sometimes that higher volume of work is what that is needed to push the calves to the extreme in order to make them grow.

*** 1972-2003...A beloved brother stands watch over us all. He will not be forgotten and we will stand with him again as guardians over others. We will spend eternity feasting on happiness and love that is perfect. All will be happy in the new age where God will be our center and is our strength. *** Spook

[Spook]

Never ever use that ballistic motion crap that never makes the calf grow (even if the calf gets harder), you will be looking at the eventual tear of the Achilles Tendon using ballistic movements as with any muscle of the body....controlled movements and knowing the limits of you body in any position.

Be smart and be safe.

*** 1972-2003...A beloved brother stands watch over us all. He will not be forgotten and we will stand with him again as guardians over others. We will spend eternity feasting on happiness and love that is perfect. All will be happy in the new age where God will be our center and is our strength. *** Spook

[wheels]

Standing and donkey calves, where you're legs are straight, tend to work mostly the gastrocnemius muscle of the calf, which in most people is high in fast twitch fibers which respond best to heavy, explosive reps in the low range. In contrast when the kness are bent, you're working the predominatly slow twitch soleus muscle, which responds best to high rep, less explosive form sets.

In a nut shell, that means you should start with standing or donkeys and go heavy enough that you fail at around 20-30 seconds each set, then move on to seated calves where your goal is to fail after about 60 seconds per set. You do the low rep excersises first because high reps produce more lactic acid which impairs you ability to do heavy weights afterwards, whereas the other way around does'nt impair high rep sets nearly as much. As mentioned, It's VERY important to change reps, excersises, sets, workout routines every few weeks. But I think coming back often to the above principals will produce the best overall results.

But hell, I could be wrong; my calves have'nt grown much in years! <img src="http://www.steelheader.net/photopost/data/510/893Loser.gif?8256" alt="Loser" width="43" height="33"><!--graemlin::loser:-->

[syphonfilter]

Here's one for ya. You can use standing, seated, or donkey calf raises for this calf shocker. Warm your calves up well and then pick a moderately heavy weight and aim to get 75 reps. if you can get 30 reps in your first set, so be it, take a brief pause, and then keep going until you reach a total of 75 reps. The next time you do it, up the weight, or try for a higher total. It's a great shock routine, but unfortunately, at least for me, my calves adapted farily quickly.

When I die I want to go like my grandfather, peacefully, in my sleep, not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.

[hermiti]

I hold the stretch at the bottom for 15 seconds, explode up and hold for 5 seconds.

First set 8-12 reps (or your prefered range to failure), rest 15 seconds go to failure again, rest 15 second go to failure once more.

Just try it.

---
8D~

[CytoMel]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ThaiBoxa:
My back is currently fuked up, and the only things I can do for my legs is leg extensions, leg curls, donkey calf raises, and seated calf raises. I know this ain't gonna build up my legs much at all, but I can still hit my calfs as hard as it gets. For the calf raises, I do 5 sets of 10 for each exercise at a weight I can barely handle 10 times. Is there a better way to to do this to get the calfs as big as they can get?? Lower reps perhaps?? I plan on giving syntholica a try, but not until my next cycle.

You can work your calves while doing your leg extensions and leg curls (not my invention.) Just point your toes upward towards your shins hard while doing leg ex. and leg curls and it will kill those kalfs!!

"Satisfaction is the death of desire"[/quote]

"Train beyond the pain and death is your only release!"
-Steve Michalik

[CytoMel]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ThaiBoxa:
My back is currently fuked up, and the only things I can do for my legs is leg extensions, leg curls, donkey calf raises, and seated calf raises. I know this ain't gonna build up my legs much at all, but I can still hit my calfs as hard as it gets. For the calf raises, I do 5 sets of 10 for each exercise at a weight I can barely handle 10 times. Is there a better way to to do this to get the calfs as big as they can get?? Lower reps perhaps?? I plan on giving syntholica a try, but not until my next cycle.

You can work your calves while doing your leg extensions and leg curls (not my invention.) Just point your toes upward towards your shins hard while doing leg ex. and leg curls and it will kill those kalfs!!

"Satisfaction is the death of desire"[/quote]

"Train beyond the pain and death is your only release!"
-Steve Michalik