| Calves: Worthy of a Mr. Olympia
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by Rich Gaspari
- The
goal in calf training is to keep the muscles so confused that they
can't adapt to any one program. I rarely do the same workout two days
in a row.
- Increase calf training
intensity with advanced training techniques - descending sets and
forced reps. For example, I do donkey calf raises with extra weight
tied around my waist and a training partner on my back. I do 10-12 reps
in this manner. Then, the training partner hop off before my grinding
out another 10-12 reps.
This is immediately followed by an additional 10-12 rep set - minus the training partner.
- If
there is one exercise I use consistently, it's the seated calf raise -
that's about the only exercise specifically designed for hitting the
soleus muscle.
- Calf machines were primarily
designed to hit the larger gastrocnemius muscle. However, calf machines
can be used to hit the soleus if you keep your legs bent while doing
the exercise.
- Rep range: I nearly always keep
my reps in the 12-to-15 range, only occasionally going down to 6 or 8
or as high as 20 to 30. Any more and I overtrain.
RICH'S CALF ROUTINE
| Donkey calf raises |
5 descending sets of 12-15 reps |
| Standing calf raises |
4 sets of 12-15 reps |
| Seated calf raises |
4 sets of 12-15 reps |
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