8 Calf Raise Mistakes and How to Fix Them

[@Necroono]

This Video was dedicated for OmarIsuf

[@KS-MDCCLXXVI]

To

[@imsorrythankyouplease7613]

Step 1: reach 250 pounds body weight Step 2: walk Step 3: enjoy your baby cows

[@birkharju1270]

Larry Wheels disagrees

[@Swoopanater]

Birk Harju I think he just has the worst calf genetics ever like he has some small ass calves for being so big.

[@andreasbadenhorst820]

@@Swoopanater false, I have the worst calf genetics

[@Swoopanater]

@@andreasbadenhorst820 cumfirmed

[@rk-2380]

Step 4: take some roids

[@Ericliaoo]

TIMESTAMPS: 0:39 - Range of Motion is not there. Not going all the way up / down 1:46- Not controlling the eccentric phase. Ideally go slow and pause half a second - a second at the bottom 2:28 - Bending your knees. 2:57 - Extreme Strictness. Don't do it just on your tippy toes! 4:07 - Limited by your grip of your feet. Find the surface / shoe that doesn't make you slip 5:28 - Feet width and angle. No right answer. Use the variation that you like the most / change it up every once in awhile. 6:07 - Holding the weight wrong and also not holding onto anything -> no stabilization 7:16 - Going too heavy. Ideally, 20-30 rep range

[@WolfCoaching]

Check your Instagram DMs please sir

[@mohammadabushanab8703]

a god send

[@u.s.m.c6861]

Life saver

[@wag1bredrinwag1]

Thanks sport

[@zansomrak2206]

Topic suggestion: Overhead Tricep extensions and skull crushers. I feel most people screw this up majorly with ROM and I personally struggle to find a consistent elbow position.

[@prabhukarthik03]

Single leg calf raises on stairs with dumbbells gave me the best burn and is helping me develop my calves pretty well! thanks a lot Dr.Mike, have been following your RP template, and calves is something i had neglected a lot.

[@DestyOnline]

This, and going back and forth from one leg to the other with no rest.

[@MattFlyFisher]

Yes I also do this. I learned the myorep thing from this channel and use it for my calf raises and the burn is next level😭💪🏽

[@davidbeaulieu3626]

It would have been the perfect video for a collab with Omar Isuf XD

[@nonachyourbusiness1164]

That's just cruel

[@aja4875]

I wish I could insert the Greata meme here *How dare you?*..

[@cucuy1987]

You get all the likes

[@nogheadz4987]

That intro alone deserves my thumbs up. Dr. Mike is beyond low key hilarious

[@apocbodhimusic]

Love the York a/c as a sidekick

[@fa113nreturns5]

Video production is getting better. Loving the intro music, timing and sequence of images. Keep being the authority on science based fitness and strength. Love the info.

[@JMUDoc]

One tip I can pass on is to think of the movement as pushing the shins forward, rather than pointing the toes. Mind-muscle connection was always terrible for me with calves until I started to think of them this way.

[@xTheHarpoonx]

Goddamn dude, thank you!

[@itguy13]

Mike and team im new to the channel but not to working out...but you your team speaks my language on working out with a purpose and a reason. Thank you I didn't know this channel existed...thanks to Greg docet thats how I found your channel.

[@philipbond6070]

fantastic communicator and easy to follow instructions. thank you!

[@ricp]

This is one of the best Calf raise tips for sure - thanks a lot!

[@VictorLeucos]

2:25 Your fingers are certainly not explaining calf raises mistakes right there Dr Mike... 🤔

[@debaronAZK]

lmao

[@jebstewart7295]

I would love to see this kind of video treatment for the bench press. No matter which variation I go with, I always end up with shoulder pain. Backing off for months at a time, only to come back to more shoulder pain. Thanks Dr. Mike!

[@mikedoingmikethings702]

I'm super noob when it comes to lifting weights. I first went to the gym, I also suffered from shoulder pain and shoulder popping. I scoured youtube for hours and I comprised these that eliminated the shoulder pain and popping shoulders. I started with stretching exercises: (not in order) -Cross body shoulder stretch -Reach your shoulder blade stretch LOL I don't know the proper name for it LOL -Bent arm against a post, (like swearing) then leaning forward -Arm rotation fwd and reverse -Both bent arms, back against the wall then moving arms up and down -If I do a 1 mile run, I skipped arm rotation... Once I'm limbered up: -I "hang" for 1 min, set of 3 (I started with 30 seconds, break for 30 seconds then do another 15 break for 30 sec then another 15) then rest for 90 seconds. Now I can do 1 min sets. -BENT ELBOW LATERAL RAISE (i'm weak but try using light weights but max out at 20-30th rep) using 5 lbs dumbbell 15-20 rep sets of 3 (now I do 10 lbs) -Face Pull (max out at 20-30th pull) -Delts machine (light) kinesiology, but these worked for me that after 7 months, the popping and shoulder pain I experienced when I started had completely disappeared. I'm not strong by any means, not even average strong, but a below average strength 45 y/o with bad neck, shoulder, lower back and knees but I made sure I get a good warmup before doing bench press. Also, I put a lot of emphasis on the negative while lowering the weights slowly, because I noticed when I let the weights drop and catching it on the bottom, that triggered the shoulder pain. I started with 20 lbs dumbbells at the start and I am on 50lb dumbbells now (I can do 60 lbs but, I'm pacing myself) with no shoulder pain. I used to do 15 push ups and stopping, now I can do 42. I'm working my way up slowly, but most importantly, pain free... I hope my experience helps but, YMMV...

[@imbaguitar]

i do this with one leg so i have to use lighter weight and also with a dip belt, so i can hold both rails and have great stability

[@frqsterling9630]

The one dislike is Omar Isuf

[@cdrtej]

Damn you beat me to it

[@yoricks_shovel]

Please explain. I want to know the full KZbin fitness lore.. :'D

[@intoTheEther1]

Omar is the captain of #team nocalves. He cuts his hair more than he trains his calfs.

[@mg44bee67]

@SPENCE you literally have a dog... besides... Who cares?

[@FerretMasterr]

Omar get his leg training from IEDs

[@infinitesky-59]

Make a timber step, excellent grip and you can add timber to make it gradually higher until you are used to full stretch.

[@theftworthrealtor]

Thx for the great info, this made me realize that my form has been wrong for the last few months I have been including calf training in my workout. I was performing them with bent knees and two days ago I followed your tip to keep the legs straight and it made a night and day difference. I had never experienced any soreness after what I thought was a pretty intense workout, but today, two days later, my calves are still burning...I can tell they received a real workout...

[@tripleahafez6513]

The best video and most information-filled video i ever seen, beats everything I’ve seen so far combined for calves thank you so much❤❤

[@jaygee5546]

When I first started going to the gym at 16, I was doing barbell calf raises. I worked my way up to 210kg pretty quickly (I've always had large calves on account of being a big body that participated in sports throughout my youth). I was mid-rep with the 210kg and only slightly lost my balance, but that was enough for the weight to shift off-center, where my spine bent very awkwardly, which caused a horrible crunching sound and persistent scoliosis that I've slowly managed to 'correct' in the last 10 years. And of course, by 'correct' I mean I have strengthened the muscles surrounding my spine to be able to achieve proper posture when actively trying to do so. When I am relaxed I still have a minor deviation around the middle of my rib cage. Long story short, barbell calf raises might look cool and make you feel strong, but the risk to reward is 100% not worth it. I was out of action for a couple of months with back pain and lifting anxiety. Do not recommend

[@sagarsatara]

Shoes grip point is very important. thanks

[@havroth666]

4 days ago I trained my calves for the first time and now I can't walk normally after doing just 2 sets, this shit is crazy

[@Ebombda12543]

I started training calves 3 weeks ago and they've grown 1/3 of an inch

[@atrumluminarium]

I know what you mean. Try some stretching whenever you have access to some stairs it relieves the tightness temporarily until the DOMS go away

[@Ebombda12543]

@asd fgh thanks dude! actually getting serious about training them has been night and day

[@chronometa]

@@Ebombda12543 😅😭 so true. It's sensitive af

[@mynamegoeshere78]

😁 when you can, keep on with your calves. I find looking down and seeing my calf pump more satisfying than a arm pump. Don't want anyone saying "he skips leg day" 😁

[@ChadeGB]

I found what works well for me is putting some weight in a backpack and strapping that onto your back, this distributes the weight evenly and leaves both hand free to stabilise yourself.

[@nilo7727]

Yet another great video Dr Mike!!👍👌👏👊😎💯

[@zacksig8235]

If you have a gym with tires and Olympic Rings then put the tire underneath and load with a weight belt. You can change foot stance by changing treads on the tire and you can stabilize with the rings. You can add more variation by doing donkey calf raises this way as well.

[@songsmith31a]

Good lucid "how to" explanation about exercising of probabl;y the most difficult part of the whole body to develop,.

[@antonylynn7783]

I love these on the Smith!

[@anymouse6202]

Thanks for the video!

[@tweetled9811]

Glad I found your channel, good info. I will combine what I learn from you & coach Greg and I will conquer the world

[@lhoffmom]

Love these! How about one on DB Chest Press?

[@TOMReefer]

I’m so happy to see someone using the stairs for calf raises😂👍🏻

[@mrsmith8423]

Great vid learned some new things and I have above average calf’s. What I find best that works for me is to do 3-4 strip sets

[@mediathor7532]

Best video on calves I’ve ever seen!

[@mezzofeldenkrais6131]

Thank you for your video. Helpful.

[@Pushups_press_play]

Thank u boss love your work 😊

[@josephwebb5860]

Your mate, Jeff Nippard, says there is more research showing eccentric phase to flat had better results than concentric phase focus and all other options.

[@carmelopappalardo8477]

Calf raises are never boring for me. My grandfather had massive calves. Growing up his mother had a grocery store and the storage was actually on the second floor with the steps outside. He had to carry everything from upstairs down to the store. Cases of Coke In bottles. Glass bottles. Dry goods empty crates etc. I dream of having calves like him.

[@theeLonelyRedPanda]

words to live by, make sure you hit top & bottom.

[@whosyourzaddy9278]

I’d like to see Pulldown variations, Dumbbell chest presses or Dumbbell Row variations covered!

[@therenceflorhabon6064]

Add this video to your Technique Problems Series playlist

[@richlohr103]

All sounds great. I am 71 years of age and have arthritis problems in left knee. When I do 4 sets of 20 reps each, my knee really bothers me. Whay can I do?

[@יקק]

Of all the tips you did not suggest training *one leg at a time* and holding the dumbbell in the hand of the working leg . Its also great for fixing leg imbalance,

[@paulrbrtsn07]

lmao "in an idustrial park?!" I love Dr. Mike

[@nouseforaname6846]

I have been using Smith machine standing on a plate 3×30 seems to work well for me

[@Sustainable2020]

Ok all good stuff there doc but missing one important option. What about single calf raises on stair? SL calf raises help avoid needing to use load to get calves stronger n bigger but more important ID and try to correct ROM n strength/size asymmetries between calves/legs.

[@atrumluminarium]

For anyone using a backpack for weight, wear it in front! Think about it, have you ever seen a fat person with undeveloped calves? One function of the calves is to keep you from tipping forward, so loading in front of you (apart from giving you more stability on the stairs) is optimal

[@neilpollack3514]

If the idea is to load the front, why not use your dip belt?

[@davidhadley9412]

Love these videos - any chance of, pull downs, dumbell press, hams?

[@derpauleglot9772]

What about doing them on one leg? Love your content btw

[@thegamechanger3317]

Personally I train calf by leaning 20° degree towards a wall let my hand and chest rest against the wall then doing calf raises unilaterally for sets of 30. Sometime you feel tension in the quad when you're doing calf raises I think it's okay because the quad just trying to keep the knee extended while the gastrocnemius can flex the knee ( Gastrocnemius can do both knee flexion and ankle plantar extension).

[@riccardodiluca6862]

I've been doing single leg calf raises on the stairs of my building and it works fine. My current shoes have poor grip and the stairs are always slippery but nothing a bit of good old spit can't fix :)

[@RDS_Armwrestling]

Barefoot is good for grip

[@riccardodiluca6862]

@@RDS_Armwrestling It hurts the balls of my feet

[@dahomieblair633]

I use a dip belt and kettle bells

[@MsKreynold]

Omg my famous crocs 😂😂😂 love dr. Mike!!!

[@krankin88]

Getting lean Dr Mike!

[@Achezvil2003]

My famous crocs hahaahah LOVE THIS DUDE

[@SaoirseAnthony]

Another person's video says no need to go up to tip toe but just do lower heel to just above floor level. Some kind of tests were done. Thoughts????

[@tristanwegner]

I do them at home, and barefeet has an amazing grip. Also one legged makes holding big weights unnecessary.

[@DanielPerez-wh7zb]

One for the calf seated machine please?

[@imaj6566]

During lockdown I did these one leg at a time, holding the dumbbell with the corresponding hand... good stuff. Added a backpack when the DB got heavy enough that grip was an issue. Shit ate up my traps too.

[@Jay16872]

How much weight in the back pack did you get up to? Also what's your height / bodyweight and calf size now

[@Romanuno]

Great content as always! The Doc knows his stuff! ;-)

[@grizzlymanverneteil4443]

Omar issufffff needs to see this

[@adammiller9179]

Calf raises is one of the most common exercises I see people doing WAY too much weight and way too little ROM. I see people loading big wheels on the machine that I warm up on empty but my calves are much better.

[@7mmScout]

Hey Dr Mike, Any advice on unilateral raises ? Say you've had an injury that is fully healed but you still have a major imbalance?

[@_Bitumoni_fitness]

Good

[@mananmaskkk359]

ผมเล่นมาหลายปี ตอนนี้มีน่องสวยงามขาผมดูแมนมาก

[@Mike-sv2nu]

One caveat, the heel dropping below the foot may cause an avulsion fracture in some.

[@UNGETABLE7]

Is it possible to target the inner gastrocs somehow? There are almost non existent compared to the outer ones, which is confusing. Have an awesome day!

[@leoerus]

I tore both achilles doing a no stabilization calf raise with a bunch of weight I acknowledge that the weight was likely too high, however Id like to point out how I also did lots of weight on the machines and didnt face the issue not worth it

[@nizzyneyrogers1181]

This is fucking gold

[@chrisseal1467]

Don’t we need to target the gastrocnemius with seated or otherwise a bent knee? or does standing do it all, or does gastrocnemius get enough stimulus from other movements like leg curls?

[@LorenzKamo]

The answer is genetics

[@spencer.eccles]

How does he have such good balance

[@taylordavis1799]

Excuse me dr Mike sir. Have you ever done a full on “dreamer bulk?”

[@fionnruadh]

He's answered this in some of the seminar videos I think, he did one, he got a lot stronger/fatter. If you're thinking about doing one I think he said that it's not the most efficient but not the end of the world.

[@scottttym]

I do my calf raises with a dip belt and heavy weight

[@impulse99-uj5zx]

I’ve been doing body building for like 6 months so kinda a noob but I was trying to do body weight calf raises for like 30 mins and I was trying to do it till failure and I weigh 65kg, my question is should I only do like 3 sets of 20 or is going till failure fine? (Edit: I’m 14 if that makes a difference)

[@seanissomething]

Myo-rep calves is definitely the one

[@TexasSlamFishing]

What do you think about the Roger Stewart Extreme Calf Machine II

[@adamlake9507]

Would donkey calf raise be more/less effective because of the posterior chain stretch?

[@tacticalrockette4206]

I was hoping to hear an explanation why I get a pain going up the back of my legs sometimes. Ive always wondered if my foot position is wrong or what Im doing. It starts around the back of my knee and shoots up my hamstrings. I often have to stop before my calves reach failure because that damn pain is intense and burns like a mf!

[@jonnytrup8067]

Question- when I do my standing calf raises I feel them on the insertion points where the gastroc inserts to the soleus and at the top where it inserts into the back of the knee. Is this correct or should I be feeling it in a different place???😊 By contrast, when I do seated calf raises, I feel it exclusively where the gastroc inserts into the soleus.

[@TyroneShoolaces-f8e]

why not train calves between sets of leg presses or really anything else? they dont systemically fatigue you and may help UN pump the other muscle you are working . i done heavy RDLs rest 90 secs, do cal f set rest another 90 secs, and that gives you about 4 minutes rest for lower back, hams and glutes.

[@overtonpendulum2071]

I've heard you shouldn't do full stretch at the bottom in claf raises.

[@cathyjennings5580]

Will this work for women?? For women over 60 yrs. young at heart ?? Need curvey big muscular CALFS. HOW LONG ? TIME?

[@xperimental9860]

The thumbnails like squirtle evolving into blastoise.

[@dereko.1719]

Does changing the toe point angle dictate whether lateral head or medial head is being worked? Saw a YT clip highlight that and wasn't sure if that's science backed.

[@Milan_M95]

I feel like bent calf raises, like bending my back to rowing position hits upper part of calves more than actual vertical stand a bit awkward but you can try it

[@neilpollack3514]

That is a donkey calf raise. It’s done in a machine that works something like a belt squat.

[@russianbeginner643]

OHP next ????

[@ksujani7878]

Is it bad for chondromalacia patella( CMP) knee ? Can we hold dumbbells in two hands? ( Currently doing wth 10 to 12kg Db on flat stable gym floor )For a beginner, is it ok to do on a flat stable surface ? Or do you think keeping a weight plate is better ? Or doing on a sitting calf machine better for bad knees wth CMP? Pls suggest.Thanks

[@koushikdebnath31]

Hi Mike, Could you do a video showing how to engage you glutes better when performing exercises like dead lifts, squats etc. I always feel like my glutes are not optimally engaged I will look through your other videos to see if you already have a video on this topic thank you in advance

[@normanortiz5208]

Can I do this every day? It's possible? How many sets?

[@isaactendongho8360]

So what if you wanna do body weight calf raises, should I hold on to something?

[@LxUxNxA]

Hi I would be very grateful for any advice regarding this .. I keep getting cramp in my calves every time I do calf raises and it triggers really annoying crampy spasms - how can I stop this ? It’s worse when I’m in the few days before my period ( dunno if that’s related 🤷‍♀️) Many thanks x

[@elciochabla6787]

How about a video on abductor targeting are home? Just a thought.

[@MrStrutxD]

That last part of your video was very useful, how you told us not to wait 40 minutes between sets. Maybe do a video on neck training, and some of that unique wisdom into it.

[@imsorrythankyouplease7613]

He doesn’t know or care about neck training :(

[@Mrjack8858]

Thoughts on starting with a set of 50 (due to weight limitations at home) and taking short rest periods to keep the next sets under 30?

[@1brunner699]

The generally accepted hypertrophy range is between 5-30 reps. I would aim to keep all sets between 15-30 for calves.

[@Mrjack8858]

@@1brunner699 yeah agreed! When I asked this over a year ago all the gyms were shut so I only had bodyweight. I was just wondering if you could get similar effects by doing one pre-exhaust set so that the following sets were below 30 reps.

[@JohnDoe-id5ih]

Any range builds muscle if taken to faiIure 8-40-100+

[@ww2200]

Doing this always make my calf cramp😕

[@neub4321]

If I'm strong enough for 15 or more reps, is there any reason not to do one-legged calf raises? I make sure to balance with both hands, and I rest between sets. While in quarantine, I lack heavy dumbbells.

[@DiskoKDiskoL]

So, how do you progressivly overload the calf raises, for the next 15-20 years? And how do you break the plateaus... Am srs.

[@jacobacostamasterscribe2200]

Alen Vidović same way you overload any muscle. Modulate weight, sets and reps

[@chickennugget1531]

I csn feel the activation in my right claf but when i do it with my left calf there is NO NONE ABSOLUTLY NO calf activation

[@witcherpie]

If im resting 5-10 seconds, then how am i gonna pull off 10-30 reps?