Jamo's tips on Calf Training

Posted July 6th, 2007 by Jamo Nezzar

Hardcore

Calf training is not a specialty for most people. It’s typical to assume that calves either develop easily or not at all. That thinking is dead wrong. However, it’s important to become familiar with a couple tips that can immediately make a huge difference in your mind-calf connection for intense contractions and massive pumps.

First, it’s valuable to warm up the calves by simply doing 2 sets of 30-45 seconds of calf raises (about 1-2 reps per second) with no weight simply standing flat on the ground (not on a block) and balancing yourself by holding on to something. This warm up will prime the calves for a tremendous growth experience regardless of which exercises you choose.

When performing standing or donkey calf raises, it’s common to keep the knees straight and locked out. This is a useful approach. But if you find yourself not really “locking in” to the movement or feeling the benefit in your calves, you simply bend the knees. But the bend is so slight, it’s not really even noticeable in appearance...but it makes a huge difference in feel.

Just a minimal bend will transfer so much focus and the strain will be in the calf muscles to stimulate growth. Slow and steady rep speed is also critical. It’s possible to do some reps of each set with knees straight, then switch to knees bent. Once you experiment with the technique you’ll find what works best.

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Awesome

On October 12th, 2007 ww2easyco says:

This will help me out so much. Is it true that this particular muscle heals rather quickly so you can work it more than other muscles?

Calf raise question...

On August 8th, 2007 Gamorra says:

I am doing these with bands at held at shoulder height and calf raises with alternating feet positions. I try for 40-60 in total. I just started. How many times a week should I do them?
Z

Thanks!

On July 16th, 2007 vsangelgirl says:

Excellent advise, Jamo! Will's chart was equally helpful.

This is why ...

On July 7th, 2007 Jamo Nezzar says:

,we here guys we show you some of the best kept secret out there ,,and also we learn from you , if you have any input its always welcome,,,LIKE WILL the man !!!!!

yesh

On July 12th, 2007 will_i_am says:

its my time again ;)

oh i love the body. musculoskeletal system

Your calve has two muscles.
Gastrocnemius and Soleus.
Here's why that's importantly imperative that you learn both.
The gastroc- flexes the ankle and attaches on the knee.
>> Standing calve raises, seated (this just means you're sitting down, and does NOT mean you're legs are at 90 degrees) calve raises on the leg press machine, standing smith machine calf raises all work the gastrocnemius the most, and secondary the soleus

The Soleus-flexes the ankle
What's the deal with the soleus?
The soleus does NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT cross the knee joint!!
Why is this important?
When you actually do seated calf raises WITH your legs at 90 degrees, or your knees bent, you exclude the gastrocnemius form overpowering the soleus and doing all the work, as with anything standing where you knees are fully extended and locked out
>> Seated Machine Calf Raises with knees 90 degrees
ALSO IMPORTANT: With moderate force, The soleus is primarly activiated in the CONCENTRIC phase of your Range of movement. Which is where you're still "flexing and contracting your muscle" (or squeezing it) BUT, you're actually "lowering" the weight or decreasing the angle. So an example is, after you flex your calve during a calf raise, once you're up in the air and then you start LOWERING your calves, that's the concentric part, b/c you're still contracting but the muscle fibers are shortening, which is the entire reason you read about doing NEGATIVES to gain extreme strength. this is proven becasue in the concentric phase, you're about 20% stronger. (or something like that % )

Any questions? just ask me please! :)

soleus is shown in red on the left leg of this picture, as well as the soleus is shown in red on the right leg in this picture

~WiLL~
"Chest up, shoulders back. Head in line with your body."

nice info Jamo

On July 6th, 2007 anonymous1 says:

Bending the knees a bit makes sense. I bet it totally disengages the quads from the exercise. Many people use not only their calves when doing calve raises, but literally everything else, hence explaining why we sometimes see people with "chicken" calves doing the entire stack for 20 reps. I'm sure I could learn from you buddy. I like doing high reps to failure. Sets eventually become low reps for me though, as my calves fatigue.