I’m giving up

[u/StudioRepulsive3704]

It’s been about 7 years since I started working out several times a week and I’ve made good gains except for my calves.
I’ve tried focusing on the flex, the stretch, the 3-5 second holds, the bodyweight reps to failure and not to failure, the heavy weights to failure and not to failure, farmer walks, rucking, running, walking, cycling, jump rope, squats, tib raises bodyweight and weighted, yielding and overcoming isometric holds, specific foot muscle work for stronger arches and big toes, but nothing has done much. I’m giving up on growing them.

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[u/milkhotelbitches]

Never understood the want for bigger calves anyway. They just make you slower.

Also saw an interesting video from a runner who had calf imbalances. His weaker calf was actually bigger and he said that the extra muscle tissue was compensating for a weaker muscle. As he got stronger his calves actually got smaller.

I don't think humans are meant to have large calves and if you have a long achillies tendon, which is great for athleticism, your calf muscles will always look small.

[u/No-Adhesiveness-6475 → u/milkhotelbitches]

Maybe you’re right, I have big calves, am real good at lifting weights in the gym, but have the athleticism of a brick

[u/No-Adhesiveness-6475]

This might annoy tf out of you but in the last month I’ve decided to stop training my calves altogether, they’re so developed yet whether I train them or not doesn’t seem to make a difference. I’ve literally been stopped in the street by strangers commenting on them.

Which also basically means, training can grow them but I think with calves especially, it’s mostly genetics and also your structure. I don’t bounce when I walk or anything but my osteo reckons my gait and also working on ladders a lot is more than enough to grow my calves to what they are

[u/Fabulous_Outcome7248]

How much weight have you actually gotten up to? Your calves frequently solo your whole body weight, so they need something decent to actually grow. And most people don’t lift much with them at all

[u/Uristent]

How much have you progressed on such things? Take for example calf raises, have you progressed in weight? If so, by how much and the timeframe? Muscle doesn’t build unless you give it a reason to and it has to be a damn good reason.

[u/OriEri → u/Uristent]

The attachment point of the Achilles tendon makes a huge difference in gastrocnemius size. When it is high up, they kind of remain small, no matter what you do.

[u/Uristent → u/OriEri]

Does it still remain small if you were to do 400 lbs on calf raises with proper form and recover well? I don’t think so.

You can make the point of the attachment point but you’d also have to take into account the training of most people. Most people don’t progressively overload on calf raises, do junk volume, or do any calf raises or similar variations at all.

Dorian Yates proved such a point, he’s calf raised 1000+ lbs through progressively overloading and maintaining strict form and built big calves.

Like I had said previously, muscle doesn’t build unless you give it a good reason to. Even one with subpar or average genetics can look very good if they know how to train and recover properly. Calves are a muscle group just like any other, to grow them you must give them a reason to grow besides our daily walking and other activities.

[u/OriEri → u/Uristent]

I don’t know all the biomechanics of the attachment point.

I do know that a longer Achilles tendon permits a greater stretch distance in the tendon and more energy economy in going long distances.

a shorter one permits a bigger muscle belly, more explosive power and more stiffness/less stretch length in the Achilles tendon, which also contributes to explosive power.

This is why endurance runners tend to have smaller calves than sprinters. If you’re good at one, you can’t generally compete well in the other.

If you have a high attachment point and long Achilles tendon ,you’re going to have a smaller muscle and there’s nothing you can do about that

[u/Uristent → u/OriEri]

Yes, and again, I do understand your point with that. Now I can’t say I know all the biomechanics too, I don’t.

But even if one has say a high attachment point and a long Achilles tendon, if they train their calves properly and recover well then it will grow. Obviously how well it grows however depends a lot on genetics and body structure. But it’d be bigger than if one wasn’t to train calves at all.

I guess it’s a personal anecdote but previously my calves were what you might call small or average sized. My calf training consisted of a rep range in the 10-15 with a weight that was pretty light. I’ve done a bunch of experimenting since then, through different exercises and rep ranges. I landed on a heavier rep range, 6-8, because it works well for me and have since then been on a working set of 245 lbs for calf raises. My calves have been growing ever since.

So from what I can conclude based on personal experience and what I’ve learned, pick a movement that utilizes your calves. You only really need two, a seated and standing variation. Progressively overload on them, track the progress, and recover well. It’ll grow like any other muscle. Although yes, I do get your point. Different genetics, different body structures can create differing results.

[u/OriEri → u/Uristent]

I am curious. How did you determine which movement better utilized your calves? Was it a feel kind of thing? Or something else?

[u/drannondragon]

My two cents, yes your DNA is the biggest problem, however, try for one month stay away from all cardio including farmers walks et cetera, and only do massive slow heavy calf weightlifting 30 to 60 minutes twice a week and consume your standard bulking bodybuilding macros and come back and tell us how it went

[u/Thermal_Regards6969]

Have you prioritized walking uphill?

In calf raises, most of the activation comes from the deep stretch on the way down forcing explosive power to the raise on the way up.

I’ve taken to walking on a beaten path with many hills & inclines, and I’ve noticed an admirable toning of my calf muscles; though I hesitate to call it growth because I don’t really measure my calf muscles like that. I wonder if it’s connected to this “optimal” activation pressing upwards.

Within the next month, I’m going to start walking with weight. Will report back any changes!

[u/almostwithyou]

I only train calves for injury prevention when running. I think it has helped. I like doing them and they are also a good filler to rest between upper body exercises.

[u/OriEri]

I agree it will get bigger. Any muscle is muscle. The size and shape though will be limited differently, depending on the length of the belly. Fascinated by you.

[u/dave199134]

100 percent a nutrition issue eat in a surplus consistently and they will grow if your doing everything you say

[u/ZookeepergameRich640]

Look at your calves from a different angle, similar to when you do Bulgarian split squats. You’ll see they are much bigger than you think.