Training the Calves

[Jon]

Boy, when you register for the United States American United Calf Raise Federated League Championships,

and you get up on that platform,

and it's just you,

and the calf raise,

and 10,000 screaming fans,

then boy, you'll know what it means to be alive.





I need a smoke.

[chevyex]

Originally Posted by lylemcd

You mean the paragraph about the short lever arm?

I read that paragraph, and maybe we're talking about the same thing, but it seems to me the advantage of a 2nd class lever is having the weight between the fulcrum and point of effort, so relatively speaking, a longer lever arm.

[lylemcd]

I can' be bothered to remember that level of physics and no-one reading it would understand it anyhow. Compared to say the biceps, I think it's esaier to just note the closeness of the tendon to the axis of rotation on the calf.

[waltmiller]

Originally Posted by Jon

...when you register for the United States American United Calf Raise Federated League Championships,
..

LOL, the USAUCRFLC

wife is wondering why I'm laughing so hard...

[lylemcd]

Originally Posted by waltmiller

A little off topic, but I wonder when calves are ever limiting in sports such that they require separate strength training...?

Rarely. But check the topic category of the article: MASS gains. And I mentioned bodybuilders a few times.

[AlphaBettor]

Nice writeup, I think I'm going to do this for my second cycle through the generic bulk (although it's already very similar).

[toiletmoose]

"if the knee is bent, the gastroc can’t contribute as significantly to force ooutput"

Other than that, very useful. Will definitely give the routine a try.

[faz]

i have found over the yrs that doing each leg sepperatly on a standing calf machine is better,maybe its because its harder to bounce the weight up you have to go through the full range of motion.

[Sugar]

I have noticed pain in my achiles tendom doing heavy sets of calf raises (sets of 3 reps). I don't know if it was due to the heavy weigth, or due to an excessive lowering phase (as low as I could).

Do you recomend training one-joint exercises like that with less than 5 reps?, is it dangerous?.

[lylemcd]

Originally Posted by faz

i have found over the yrs that doing each leg sepperatly on a standing calf machine is better,maybe its because its harder to bounce the weight up you have to go through the full range of motion.

The problem I found with single leg work is that most can go so heavy that stabilization across the hip ends up making it worthless. Few can use even half with one leg that they'd use with two legs. Which is why I didn't talk about it. And while you can do it with a DB in the opposite hand, grip gives out long before teh calves are taxed.