For many bodybuilders, developing big, muscular calves is a
challenge. They find that calf training is arduous, frustrating and
unproductive. Of course, there are some genetically gifted individuals
that have naturally big calves and don't need to train them hard.
However, if you're reading this article, that's probably not you. If
you're typical, then you're probably wondering why your traditional calf
training has failed and why you haven't been able to build huge,
diamond-shaped calves like the pro bodybuilders. Well, I'll give you
four reasons.
Of course, I don't know how you train. Therefore,
some of the reasons I'll be giving may not apply to you. However, you'll
probably see a little (or a lot) of truth in each of the following
reasons.
1. Using The Wrong Repetition Range - If you're
training your calves in the traditional 8-12 repetition range, then
you're only stimulating your Fast Twitch muscle fibers and ignoring the
Slow Twitch muscle fibers. The calf muscle group is composed of two
major muscles - the Soleus and the Gastrocnemius.
The Soleus, which is
about 60% of your total calf mass, is composed of 80-90% Slow Twitch
fiber.
Slow Twitch muscle fibers respond better to higher
repetitions in the 20-100 range. The Gastrocnemius is composed of
approximately 50% Fast Twitch and 50% Slow Twitch muscle fibers.
Therefore, the Gastrocnemius can be trained best by incorporating half
the training in the 8-20 repetition range and the other half in the
20-100 repetition range.
Therefore, to thoroughly stimulate your calf muscles to grow, use both repetition ranges as mentioned above.
2. Range of Motion Is Too Short
- Often, I see bodybuilders using a very short range of motion while
training their calves. Usually, this range is 1-2 inches, when it could
easily be double that range. All calf raises should start from an
extreme deep stretch at the bottom and finish with a peak contraction
position at the top of the movement.
The full range of motion
gives you more "time under tension". The longer a muscle is under
tension, the higher the stimulation. This additional stimulation will
induce more muscle fiber growth.
3. Lack of Variation In Routine
- The calves are a dense, tough muscle group that's designed to
withstand activities such as standing, jumping, walking, jogging,
running, or sprinting. The calf muscles are designed to handle heavy
endurance activities without fatiguing. The calves also become
accustomed to the same training routine and will cease to grow.
To
stimulate more calf muscle growth, you must "keep the muscles"
guessing. This means using different calf exercises such as Standing
Calf Raises, Seated Calf Raises, Toe Presses on Leg Press Machine,
Donkey Calf Raises every workout. In addition, you must different
exercise techniques besides Straight Sets such as Rest-Pause Sets and
Drop Sets. And, of course, you must vary your repetition ranges as
discussed above in Item 1.
4. Lack of Flexibility - During
our daily activities, our calves rarely experience a full range of
motion. As a result, the muscles, joints, and tendons become less
flexible. To increase your calf flexibility, deep stretching must be
done after each calf raise set. Stretch the calves for 30-60 seconds.
The increased flexibility will improve your range of motion.
Jeffry Robinson is a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer specializing
in muscle building, fat loss and fitness consulting. With over 40 years
of bodybuilding experience and his in-depth knowledge of physiology,
anatomy and muscle building principles, he has developed new and
revolutionary information products for bodybuilders.
Article Source:
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Tight calves are something that is a common problem for many
runners. You'll be running along and then your calf muscles tighten up
and cause some pain while you are running. The pain may subside a little
bit as you continue to run - but may come back when you are finished
with your run. The good news is that tight calf-muscles can be
prevented.