Do you have stubborn calves? Do you get pissed off at guys with genetically monster calves who have never had to “earn them”? Hey man, I can totally relate. But we can’t just bitch and whine about our genetics and blame them for our shortcomings. We need to take action… and I’m here to offer you a solution to shock your stubborn calves into growth.
The first step is brutal honesty. How much focused effort are you seriously dedicating to training your calves?
When I answered this question it was obvious that I had been using crappy genetics as an excuse for too long. Frankly, I avoided calve exercises during most of my early years in training. I didn’t enjoy training them at all. It burned like hell whenever I would do a set. Bottom line, it was hard freak’n work!
Then, when I began to take my leg training seriously I would perform a couple sets of standing calve raises and seated calve raises once, maybe twice per week… but still my calves refused to grow.
As I became more and more honest with myself, I had to admit that I was not dedicating the same level of focus and intensity toward my calve workouts compared to other body parts that I enjoyed training. I was pretty much going through the motions and hoping that it would be good enough.
When I made the decision to compete in natural bodybuilding I knew that I had my work cut out for me in order to bring my calves up to par with the rest of my physique.
After seeking advice from my Hoboken Homie and fellow Physique Artist Tom Venuto I realized a) I was neglecting my calves, b) there wasn’t enough variety in my calve workouts, c) I wasn’t achieving a maximum pump, d) my mind-muscle connection sucked, and e) I wasn’t willing to push beyond the burn.
I began to take action by increasing the frequency of my calve workouts, adding more volume per workout, adding dropsets, supersets, slow negatives, 8×8, and giant sets to my calve workouts, reduced the weight to a point where I was focusing on using only my calves to lift the weight without supporting muscle groups, and came up with ways to snap my mind into pushing through the burn.
Muscle gaining renegade coach Jason Ferruggia echoed similar recommendations… and having been blessed with string bean calves like me and making the most of his genetics, I take his advice to heart. One piece of advice that Jason offered was to incorporate a two week deloading phase every two to three months. More frequently if you are an athlete who runs and jumps a lot.
I picked up a great tip for adding variety into my calve workouts, thanks to muscle building coach Lee Hayward, where you hold the contraction and stretch for 10 seconds. See it in action here…
…and here’s a unique calve exercise demonstrated by Nick Nilsson…
The best piece of advice came from IFBB Pro Ben Pakulski who really helped me enhance my mind-muscle connection during calve training. He was talking about how you see some guys pushing a lot of weight with calve raises, yet they have scrawny calves. Basically these people are flexing their feet and knees, but not flexing at the ankle joint enough.
Ben is a master at providing you with visuals and cues to help you enhance your mind-muscle connection, while training with intention. Ben encourages you to push through the contraction… and to not be so quick to release the contraction. He says that one of the keys to bigger calves is to spend some more time in that contraction… and emphasizes the full range of motion. Ben has the best calves in the business and his advice has been priceless to me.
Thanks to the advice of my trusted colleagues I’ve gained over an inch on my calves recently.
…This is a huge deal to me considering I was the guy that got teased about having stick legs. My coworkers would hold up a car antenna and compare it to my calves.
As of now, my left calves is just shy of 14 1/2 inches and my right calve is 14 1/2 inches. Although this is a great improvement for me, I still need to get them to grow bigger.
Again, being honest with myself, I have not been training them frequently enough. So my goal now is 3-4 times per week of serious high volume training in the gym… and on off days I will do high rep body weight calve raises on the steps. This will help increase the blood flow.
Another key for me has been stretching my calves in addition to foam rolling and self massage with a lacrosse ball. I need to make this a daily priority.
Let’s challenge ourselves to add an inch to our calves in the next 4-8 weeks following this high frequency, high volume protocol… then as Jason Ferruggia suggests, take two weeks to deload.
I hope this helps and I look forward to hearing about your progress and celebrating our bigger calves together.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK, is a Certified Fitness Consultant with a passion for transforming fitness enthusiasts goal driven, dedicated, and voracious physique artists who take pride in their body, fitness, health, and lifestyle. Embraced by physique artists around the world, his Metabolic Masterpiece Body Sculpting Programs will guide you through the process of sculpting your body into a work of art, by applying what Scott has coined, The A.T.T.R.A.C.T. Formula.
With his synergistic, boredom busting body sculpting workouts you will melt stubborn fat and gain muscle while skyrocketing your metabolism!
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with ideal proportions and spectacular symmetry is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences. It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.