Calves

[Lol]

After spending ages prior to HST doing high-rep sets for calves I am finally seeing results using low rep sets but I need to be able to keep incrementing the load.

The thing is, the donkey calf machine that I have been using only has a weight stack selectable up to 200(lbs I suppose?). As I am already adding a 35lb plate to both the front and back of the stack (45lb plates don't fit) during the 5s, I was wondering what the best way to keep on incrementing might be? Any ingenious methods out there (barring those that will take too long to implement)?

I really need to blast my lower legs during 5s so should I switch to one-legged calf raises holding a heavy db? Maybe the leg press m/c? Any suggestions please? TIA.

(Oh, I tried using one leg at a time on the donkey calf m/c but it just didn't feel right. Was hoping to do that for negs.)

 

[Sun-Tzu]

I've been doing and even remember reading something bryan wrote about still doing high reps for calves. I always do 15 reps to make them burn like hell and just keep upping the weight regardless if I'm in the 5's or 10's.

 

[Lol]

I'd like to keep on upping the weight too regardless of how many reps I am doing right now. In fact I reckon I can get close to 15 with the donkey machine fully loaded and all stacked out!

So I want to know what alternatives work best for others. I am leaning towards trying the leg press machine as I will have no trouble adding more weight to that. Never tried it for calves though. I have horrible visions of the foot plate slipping off my toes and the whole thing crashing down on me

 

[Rotlex]

I ran into the same thing on my gym's standing calf machine. I've since moved to seated calf raises, plate loaded so I can go up to 500+ on it if needed. I also find that using a barbell in a smith machine, while standing on something works as well. As far as the leg press, I know a few people that use them for calf work, but I could just never quite get it to work right for me. (Never "felt" right).

So far, if you have one available, the seated raises, or standing with a barbell\smith seem to have worked the best for me.

 

[Dave_H]

A method which has worked for me in the past is to use a dipping belt. It would sit inbetween the pad and your bum,or if it feels uncomfortable then wear it just above where the pad sits. The plates can then hang down either between your legs or infront.

 

[Lol]

Dave, that's a good idea!

If I were to shift my donkeys to right after dips I wouldn't have to faffle with the dipping belt again at the end of my routine.

I will give it a shot.

Cheers,

Lol

 

[tjframe]

I ran into the same problem a while ago with both the standing leg press and the plate loaded donkey calf machine - Even when loaded maximally with 5 45s on each side its not enough for my calves.

For me the simple (and humbling) solution was just switch to doing the excercise one calf at a time, while using the non-lifting leg to guide and assist the worked leg if needed. The worked leg can shift to the middle a bit for balance and comfort, but otherwise it works like a charm.

But the weird thing is that I couldnt just divide the weight in half when working one leg at a time.  There is something mechanically synergistic about both calves being able to contract at once that lets you lift much more than in the single leg version.  

So after reducing the weight to an embarsssingly small amount I am able to crush each calf for the first 2 sets, then switch to the normal double legs version for the final sets becuase the muscle is already tired.

 

[Lol]

Thanks tjframe,

I think trying standing one-legged calf raises holding a dumbell has got to be a pretty good solution but you are right about there being "something mechanically synergistic about both calves being able to contract at once."

I weigh around 200lbs so with a 100lb db that's around 300lb per leg. Much higher loading than the standing or donkey calf machines I have access to. Hope my balance is good enough!

The seated calf raise is something I do too but the m/c I am using is flawed in its design making it very difficult to return the weight support handle at the end of a set (it's one of those sideways pivoting ones rather than the push away/pull forward type). Because of this it is no use for burns unless you have a training partner who can lift the weight at the end of a set. Most people seem to use such piddly weights that it isn't a problem for them but with HST and lower reps things are different.

 

[imported_drboogies]

I've been using the smith machine for calves. I use one of the exercise benches, move the incline all the way to verticle to get it out of the way, put a plate under the end of the bench for higher clearance, adjust the pins for safety and load the weight on. Do you follow?

 

[bluejacket]

like others have mentioned i never felt comfortable doing single leg calves w/wgt.  so that leaves me with stand calf, seated, or hack machine calf. we dont have a donkey calf mach. and dont care for the smith or leg press. for hack you just need to have a wood step to get you the 4-5" off the ground and one that has a base to keep it 3-4" "up" the foot rest. many gyms have them , if not you can build it out of excess 2x4 and leave it at the gym. with hack you can really pile the wgt on but not feel like your getting under 2x max squat for a set of 15+ at the end of a workout, every workout.
all that being said my calves dont respond unless i try to destroy them. they just support so much wgt all day doing a variety of movements even in the most sedentary of lives that a couple sets of 5-10-15 every other day just doesnt do it.

personally i do 2X15s with appropriate wgt varying exer. for 2wks then move into 3wks of supersetting seat, stand and hack 2-3X10-30. i like to do seat heavy for @10 then hack mod wgt for @20-30 rest 30sec and hit stand for about 10-15 with a good pause at the bottom of each. final weeks are 2x10-15 vary exer. so i can focus my energies on other body parts. following cycles i switch up exer. i do heavy or the order, anything to keep the muscles guessing. i find if i bomb my calves longer than 3-4 weeks i suffer from too much mental and physical fatigue.

hope this helps

 

[shwaym]

in Made In Germany Markus Ruhl pins weights to the weight stack as well as slides dbs on top of the stack in between the metal bars, could see if that works.

general note: seated calf raises work the soleus much more than the gastrocnemius.

 

[imported_domineaux]

When you're doing seated calf raises your only lifting your legs and the load.

When you're doing standing calf raises you're lifting your whole body and the load.

Try doing large number of reps in high number of reps per set.  

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">An Example;

Do 30 reps x 180lbs on standing calf, then wait 10-20 seconds and do sets of 15 to 30 reps (how much you can stand).  Carry this all the way to 100+ reps per workout session. By the time I finish I've just about reached failure.

</div>

I realize this is a departure from HST.  This worked and is still working for me.  

When I first started this routine I recall having toasted calves for sometimes a week afterward.  

 

[Lol]

Thanks to all for the helpful advice. I think I have a game plan now. So when I reach 5s on this cycle and have taken the donkey machine as far as I can, I'll try some of the other suggestions and see what works for me.

domineaux:

In the past my problem has been that I have done high rep sets ad nauseum and have had sore calves for days BUT growth never really came along. Now, in trying HST, I decided to do low reps with heavy loads for calves too. For the first time in as long as I can remember I am seeing growth! My calves are responding really well so I want to continue to use the low rep, heavy weights as part of my cycle if at all possible.

I don't bother with 15s at all for calves now and go straight in to 10s as per Vicious' advice (although I tend to manage at least 15 reps at the start of the mini 10RM cycle). This way I get on to 5s and negs that much sooner. I always do a burn set and some loaded stretches too once in the 5s and beyond.

The other thing that has no doubt made a difference is that I now train my calves again even though they are sore from the preevious w/o. In the past I always waited until the soreness had subsided which was the 'right thing' to do at the time.

 

[tocamjapan]

I remember reading a trick from Dan Duchaine years ago that proved pretty helpful. He noticed that when he stopped doing calves at the gym, he didn't lose any size. However when he started riding his bike to the gym his calves grew. He thought it had something to do with the unstable environment of peddling a bicycle. (Most cyclists I see have great calves)

The tip he gave was creating this same kind of unstable environment when using weights. He recommended doing one legged calf raises and shifting position of the dumbell throughout the set (i.e moving the dumbbell around the body while doing the reps - hold onto something with your free hand to maintain a bit of stability) When you try this you can feel your calf trying to maintain balance - and I find that it works quite well.

 

[Lol]

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">However when he started riding his bike to the gym his calves grew. He thought it had something to do with the unstable environment of peddling a bicycle. (Most cyclists I see have great calves)</div>

Tocamjapan: Interesting but I have a slight problem with this observation.

 I have been doing a lot of cycling for a long time. It never did anything for my calves. Well, nothing very noticeable anyway. If you look at the guys doing the Tour de France you will see guys with all different calf sizes. Some have great development, some have very slight development, yet all are doing just about the most gruelling cycling you can put yourself through. Conversely, some powerlifters have great calf development and yet they do little, if any, direct calf work.

So, if you have the right type of fibre composition to respond to high rep sets then cycling may do it for you. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to do it for me. But progressive loading leading to low rep/high load sets does seem to be working.

I remember reading about Chris Dickerson years ago. He had great calf development and extolled various exercises used in his calf workouts. Then the writer of the article met his sister. She had great calf development too and never did any direct calf work. Whilst I can't vouch for the authenticity of this story, it is definitely true that some are blessed in that department and some are not. I seem to have inherited short/high gastrocnemius muscles but Mr. Colman has the same 'problem' and he seems to have managed OK!