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Tiger Fitness CMO Marc Lobliner talks about what is takes to build bigger calves.
Since traditional methods have calf training divided into two main schools of thought (training the gastrocnemius and soleus differently) you will most-likely include standing and seated calf exercises in your routine. When the knee is straight you hit the gastrocnemius and a bent knee focuses on the soleus.
For soleus training, the seated calf raise is the go-to. But at times it provides too much isolation with little wiggle room to involve other parts of the calf and use a maximum amount of weight.
Since most, if not all calf exercises are somewhat isolation-oriented what you may need is more of a compound move so you can pile on the weight. Try bent-knee leg sled presses.
The How: Load a leg sled/press machine with a moderate load. Lift the weight as if you were about to perform calf presses with your heels off the plate and the safety bars still in place. With a shoulder-width stance and your feet and your toes pointing straight bend your knees to about a 45-degree angle and keep them locked in that position.
Let the weight stretch your calves in the bottom position and then press back up keeping that angle in your knees. Once your calves are fatigued continue to perform reps by letting your knees/thighs help with the weight.
From the angled position slightly help your calves by pressing with your upper legs as well. This should be a half calf raise half leg press type movement. This will also allow you to use more weight than normal and blast your calves past failure.
Have you ever seen the legs of sprinters? At times they rival those of some bodybuilders. Sprints are of the anaerobic family, meaning they do not require oxygen and utilize mainly fast-twitch muscle fibers - the exact ones you're trying to stimulate to grow. Since sprinting requires rapid deceleration (eccentric contraction), amortization (harnessing power) and rapid acceleration (concentric contraction) it creates an ideal environment for calf development.
it's a unique form of muscle contraction that is difficult to near impossible to achieve in the gym. Plus you will get residual muscular development in your quads, hams and glutes as well as build cardiovascular resilience.
The How: The mechanics of sprinting are rather different than that of regular running/jogging. Sprinting will have you striking the ground with your toes first (that is where the eccentric contraction of the calf comes in). Depending on speed and form you may or may not touch your heels to the ground during the sprint. With traditional jogging, you are striking the ground heel to toe with each step.
Try sprint intervals focusing on toe strikes as opposed to heel strikes. Go for a series of intervals with a moderate to high work/rest ratio. For example, you might sprint for 10 to 20 seconds at maximum velocity and rest for 2 to 3 minutes between each sprint.
When space and equipment availability is limited or nonexistent floor calf raises can come in handy. Not all calf training will require you to achieve the maximum amount of range of motion possible. You hear it all the time - stretch the calf all the way to the bottom position and then come up as high as possible on the balls of your feet for a full contraction.
Remember sprints from above? Does sprinting follow that principle? Of course, you will want to pair partial range of motion training with full range of motion training to achieve full calf development.
The How: Grasp a pair of dumbbells (one in each hand) and let them hang by your sides. With straight legs and your knees nearly locked lift up on the balls of your feet from the floor. Once you are in the top position actively contract your calves hard for a count or two. Lower your heels back down to the floor touching only for a brief second before lifting again.
To run the rack, simply choose a heavy pair of dumbbells and perform your reps until you reach failure. Immediately drop to the next lighter pair of dumbbells and perform another set. Keep dropping down to each pair of lighter dumbbells until you are using only your bodyweight.