The SECRETS to MONSTER CALVES!

[69nites]

Take up cycling and don't put your heels down when you walk.

 

[ritch]

I am actually curious, whether or not Dennis would have tried site enhancing oils to improve his calves.

I'm sure he is aware that they are a glaring weakness but I wonder what else he has tried to get them to grow..

Look at pics, recent ones of Ronnie and Gunter. Now look at their calves from then and now. 100% sure they were shot up. When done properly, the job is an art btw, it helps make weak points improve.

Now which pro has a weak point they want to improve that does not respond to training? The majority, that should answer how many pro's use the stuff. Yes they're pro's and are gifted but every pro has it's weak point and synthol is just a tool in the massive box of instruments they use.

But of course none can speak of this for obvious reasons...

 

[Synthetek]

There are many IFBB Pros that purchase Syntherol and other products from our line on a regular basis.

 

[Mr P]

Ok you want monster calves. Here are the secrets to getting them.

1: HIGH REPS and TWICE PER WEEK

Calves are the ONLY exercise that I recommend doing more than 12 reps. For any other exercise I would only say 10-12 reps max. Any more and your not using heavy enough weight and it's just useless. But for CALVES, high reps is much better. Moderate weight, but high reps. You want to SQUEEZE every rep out. No funny stuff. Your last rep should have your legs shaking.

Calves are one of the only muscles than can take significant beating. Walking everyday is putting stress on the calves. TWO TIMES a week is a MUST.

2: NO MACHINES

Calves are the WORST exercise to do on machines. Every pro bodybuilder thinks the calf machine is the holy grail for big calves. WRONG. Machines for calves are horrible. There are many variations of calf machines, but all involve sitting down with your knees under pads and your feet on platforms pushing up through toes and lower/raising heel. MANY people use to heavy weight, don't do full extensions, and CHEAT. They cheat by activating their quads. Some machines have handles above the pads to hold with your hands. 9 times out of 10 people will yank on these when the weight gets heavy. USELESS!!!

Calf machines also do not work the whole calf muscle. I REPEAT - THEY DO NOT work the whole calf muscle!

3: BEST EXERCISES

The best exercise for monster calves are as follows...

Standing Calf raises - use stairs or a platform. FULL EXTENSIONS!
Donkey Calf raises - FULL EXTENSIONS! FEEL THE BURN!

4: CALF PAIN

This is very important for the first real calf work out. If you are not hitting calves properly YOU WON'T HAVE PAIN.

There is always a little pain after finishing a set. You want to stretch your legs. Then it goes away.

AFTER your FIRST REAL calf work out, you will get pain TWO-THREE days after. This is called DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

You will have MAJOR pain in one or both calves. You will PROBABLY not be able to walk or you will be limping. NO you did not pull or tear your calf. This is GOOD news!!!

The feeling should be like the very first time you did an intense weight session. Do you remember? The first time hitting squats. The next day you had massive pain in your quads and couldn't sit down! Your first deadlift session, it felt like your back muscles were ripped apart!

Calves are the same the FIRST few times because people DO NOT TRAIN THEM PROPERLY!

The pain should subside in 3-5 days after. After a few training sessions you won't get DOMS anymore.

5: GENETICS

Genetics are what separate the amateurs from the pros. Unfortunately calves are the toughest for results if you have trained properly.

Race wise, Asians have the best calf genetics and Blacks have it the worst.

To get monster calves you must follow all my advice above. If you do NOT see significant change in your calves in 3-4 months, you genetically have poor calves.

Let me tell you I thought I had horrible calves when I started. I thought I had high insertions and small calves. After trying applying different routines I found what worked and my calves BLEW up.

Steroids will NOT give you monster calves if you have poor genetics.

calves arent the only muscle you can go high on reps, but you're right about high reps on calves, I used to do them every other day standing in place using bodyweight 200 reps, in less than 3 months my calves were ripped, now I just do them 3 times a week 200 reps each time using bodyweight to maintain

 

[macgyver]

After being stuck with bird calves my whole life, I decided to take a different approach to them.

Three months ago, I choose what I felt was the best approaches and mixed them.


I started twice per week workouts.

First incorporated the effect of loading the muscle while stretching and the growth stimulus this causes. There was a bird study using their wings in stretched position showing significantly more growth. I choose a DC style session for one workout except I would do more then 2 sets. I worked the 12-15 rep range and then at failure would rest for 20-30 seconds and then get another 5-6. I would do this 4 sets. I really concentrated on the eccentric lowering very slow and a nice deep stretch.



For workout number two, I went with heavy reps. Shooting for legitimate failure in the 7-8 rep range. Kinda had to do with calves. I also concentrated on the eccentric stretching and explosive movement at bottom. I do 5 sets of these.





Results....in the last 3 months, I have added a 1/2" to my calves. They are still a lagging bodypart, but just seeing growth is huge for me. I am going to continue with this plan.

 

[J4CKT]

Look at pics, recent ones of Ronnie and Gunter. Now look at their calves from then and now. 100% sure they were shot up. When done properly, the job is an art btw, it helps make weak points improve.

Now which pro has a weak point they want to improve that does not respond to training? The majority, that should answer how many pro's use the stuff. Yes they're pro's and are gifted but every pro has it's weak point and synthol is just a tool in the massive box of instruments they use.

But of course none can speak of this for obvious reasons...

Oh I agree completely. I wasn't speaking out against SEO but rather genuinely wondering
(albeit) out loud whether Dennis has attempted using SEOs to bring his calves up.

Maybe SEO just hasn't worked for him..

 

[Mini Forklift Ⓥ]

Calves have to have a certain genetic factor to them, I believe more so than some of the other muscle groups.

Mine are pretty good and I rarely (if ever) train them. Possibly developed a bit from running but like my wife they definately haven't arisen as a result of training !!

 

[RedNeck]

my secret to monster calves is, I don't train them at all haven't in years and I have ungodly monster calves with striations and ripped to ****.

 

[beast]

Would love to see the original posters calves..

 

[midevil]

weak calves are the reason I never attempted to get to competition level. The ****ers are STUBBORN and refuse to grow! Worked them allot over the years and they've always been weak. It's genetics no doubt. I agree with the statement "steroids will not make your calves grow).

 

[JR Ewing]

My calf genetics suck - they were non-existent when I started training at 18. They eventually became respectable, but they're still nothing great - despite the fact that my thighs and butt grew like redwoods and balloons from the first time I got under the squat rack.

I worked them 3 times a week for years, then twice a week for many more years. Nowadays I work them with hamstrings. I usually do 10-12 sets total, reps in the 10-15 range. Standing, seated, and donkey raises.

Full ROM with moderate weights - no jerking or bouncing with partial reps with too much weight here. I see some younger guys in the gym with zero calves loading up way too much weight and barely moving it while bouncing and jerking all over the place. Their calves don't seem to respond.

 

[kyle grey]

The OP stated Asians have the best calves but in my experience it's Pacific Islanders in particular Samoans . Also I think the soleus responds best to really low reps in the region of five and using the seated calf machine .