How well does your calves grow while on a cycle?

**MR BICEPS** · 06-10-2003, 01:58 PM

My calves seem to be the only bodypart I cannot get to grow, even when on a cycle they get somewhat stronger but not bigger. My arms are 20 inches and my calves are puny. I've read various articles stating that if one has big biceps they may have a tendency to struggle getting calves and vice versa. Is anyone else having this problem? Is so do you have any suggestions for making mine grow? I've tried everything and have actually watched others grow while on the same routines. I was under the impression that steroids could give anyone calves if they trained them hard but maybe not???

**monstercojones** · 06-10-2003, 02:00 PM

steroids cant give anyone anything unless they're working and dieting properly. some people just genetically cant get huge, Arnold-esque calves. try training them EOD.

**Ammar** · 06-10-2003, 02:04 PM

I dont know how big of a sports fanatic you are but I tend to see alot of soccer players with HUGE/defined calves. Maybe you should take up soccer...or maybe just go running every day for a mile or two.

**956Vette** · 06-10-2003, 02:05 PM

Genetics is a bitch, aint it. Im in the same boat, my calves and forearms the the most difficult to build upon.

For my calves, i actually used those strength shoes. This was way back when though, (in high school track, i think). My calves were really big then, but as soon as i stopped focusing on them, i lost them.=(

**MR BICEPS** · 06-10-2003, 02:10 PM

What does Arnold-esque calves mean?

Thanks

**BullFX** · 06-10-2003, 02:26 PM

try spot injectioin bro, i started doin it on thid cycle both iner and outer heads of both calfs...they are totally painless for me and i swear i feel they are growing since i started doin that... also u should train them heavy and go very slow on the negative ( as slow as 4 sec )

i change things up alot but once a month i do very slow, like 4sec up, 4 sec hold 4 sec down... it burns like a bitch ..

**toolman** · 06-10-2003, 03:17 PM

Can someone explain something, if spot injections work, then why dont we have enormous glutes?

**spongebob** · 06-10-2003, 06:04 PM

Arnold-esque calves means calf implants... and Arnold's got some good ones

**motoxxxguy** · 06-10-2003, 06:12 PM

Originally posted by toolman
Can someone explain something, if spot injections work, then why dont we have enormous glutes?

Proof that spot injections don't work. This subject is highly debated, but this in itself should answer the spot injection question. There are some AS that could have an effect here, but I've already gotten of the purpose of this thread far enough!

-moto

**MR BICEPS** · 06-10-2003, 08:50 PM

I always wondered how Arnols calfes grew so quickly from his cona days to the movie twins after he quit competing. I do believe he had implants as well. Theres another guy proving big biceps means little calves. Its obviously a genetic predispositon!

**BimBamBoom** · 06-10-2003, 09:03 PM

They grow into very healthy adult cows.

**Whoisdaman** · 06-10-2003, 09:08 PM

Originally posted by BimBamBoom
They grow into very healthy adult cows.

very slick my friend....

..... or maybe not!

**BullFX** · 06-10-2003, 09:12 PM

Originally posted by toolman
Can someone explain something, if spot injections work, then why dont we have enormous glutes?

because that muscle is very big to see any major change in it... compare to ur calfs and bicep which is a smaller muscle

**BimBamBoom** · 06-10-2003, 09:16 PM

very slick my friend....

I try...

**bouya_ak** · 06-10-2003, 09:20 PM

try walking on the tredmill on the highest incline setting for 10 min
evryday before your workout, it's a good warm up and it's made my calf's alot bigger

***Billy_Bathgate*** · 06-10-2003, 09:20 PM

The key to big calves IMHO...dont work them. Knock of the seated calf raises, donkey raises, and the standing raises.

Instead, squat heavy. Do sled draggs, farmers walks, sandbag carries, etc

**mmaximus25** · 06-10-2003, 10:32 PM

I have lagging calves that are becoming a better feature... I had the same question years ago and yes genetics is going to show the shape you will have.... high or low or both, but you can build that size up what ever the shape.
The key for me is not the train eod or ed… I use to do that and got nowhere... better yet kill them every 4 days or once a week.

I pick two to three exercises and then begin a very painful training regimen. One thing that is a must is…. use weight that will cause you to not fully contact towards the end of the set but strain to ultimately failure of the full contract... but no matter how far your able to contract always let the weight stretch the calf with as much tension strain as possible starting from the first rep to the last.... the kicker is two fold.... # one don’t get all speedy Gonzales on the calf machines like I see so many do... better yet go slower into the contraction and even slower into the stretch... always go to your failure... that doesn't mean when you reach twelve ya know... until you can't lift or push then weight... then the fun starts you take a mini break of about 5-10seconds and then you proceed to train in pain... for as many reps as you can stand.... this is one set... 3-4 sets with the first exercise. When starting the second the train in pain mentality still applies but I will go with considerably lesser weight and will look for a higher rep in each set. Stretch applies slow temp applies but the weight is light enough to work maximum detail…
Two different exercises 3-4 sets with each, once a week has been the turn around on my calves....but IMO you must train in pain if you have high small calves… you must do exactly that...
Another thing I’ve noticed is a guy with genetically huge calves is not a good one to ask about this topic… the answers I got those years ago were pretty standard and boring and didn’t work… “Go heavy.” ”Your calves are a fast twitch muscle and respond better to heavy heavy weight” ok Gunter… My answer to that “your calve as all muscle groups do, have both fast and slow twitch fibers and you should train both…
Another thing I’ve noticed is the guys with high calves tend to have better strength in the area, but that’s MO

**mmaximus25** · 06-10-2003, 10:48 PM

a most recent pic... I will try and scan in a before too

I have also caught my calves up to my bi's @ 17-1/4 un-pumped and 17-3/4 pumped...; although, I have taken on that philosophy of not measuring anymore and only using the mirror... It saves so much mental stress for positive train endeavors instead of deflating you because you have not made the gains you would like.

**PEDEY** · 06-11-2003, 12:44 AM

Originally posted by MR BICEPS
My calves seem to be the only bodypart I cannot get to grow, even when on a cycle they get somewhat stronger but not bigger. My arms are 20 inches and my calves are puny. I've read various articles stating that if one has big biceps they may have a tendency to struggle getting calves and vice versa. Is anyone else having this problem? Is so do you have any suggestions for making mine grow? I've tried everything and have actually watched others grow while on the same routines. I was under the impression that steroids could give anyone calves if they trained them hard but maybe not???

No flame intended bro, but like most guys you probably train your arms hard and aren't super focused on your calves. If your hitting your legs hard, squats, etc your going to be hitting your calves. Throw in some calf exercises and your set. Try using weight, and if you arent finding a result from that do sets of 60 seconds straight, standing calf raises on stairs with no weight. You will be sore as hell the next day.

**BullFX** · 06-11-2003, 12:48 AM

mmaximus25 good info there bro

**Warrior** · 06-11-2003, 02:25 AM

You need at least 40 seconds of continuous contraction. Either go high rep or superset heavy exercises. Or better yet - alternate both types of training. The key is maintaining continuous contraction (don't bounce the weight and focus on what you are doing) for an adequate amount of time to get a hypertrophy repsonse. Charles Poliquin has a good chapter on calves in his book Poliquin Principles.

BTW - do you have a high, small muscle belly?

**Christos** · 06-11-2003, 04:54 AM

I don't know if I'm just lucky but i have had huge calves all my life. My calves have always been bigger then my arms. Too bad everything else isn't proportional to them.

**MR BICEPS** · 06-11-2003, 08:45 AM

mmaximus25 I agree with you 100 percent. I can remember back in the older days when Chris Dickerson who had huge calves was telling trainers to run on their tip toes in the sand, etc. Arnold tries it and nothing happened.
Then on the other side of the coin Arnold was telling people too visualize mountainous peaks on the bicep contractions. Obviously that did not work for Chris Dickerson.
You see Chris had a short bicep and Arnold was bornm with a long bicep. Chris was born with low diamond shaped calfes and Arnold was born with short high calfes like us.
One thing is for sure, I'll take the bigger biceps any day.
By the way one of my training partners has some of the best calves I have ever seen. However he cant get his biceps to respond. Its definetly genetics but I will continue to burn them and get a little growth. It's the guys who have both calves and biceps who are winning todays olympias. I'm glad I just want to get big, not win any olympias!