HUGE Calf Tips

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[@Nial]

I've always suffered from ridicilously small calves like 14 inches, after taking these form tips and training them minimum of 3 times a week they've grown an inch. This is also while being around maintenance, can't wait for upcoming bulk and add some more size to them.

[@ariavalentine4401]

I switched to kickboxing and muay thai and the training involves a lotta skipping and moving on the balls of your feet (calves engagement for hours). It made my calves grow more than anything else I tried.

[@drmvp21]

For real Ive been doing the same thing lately. Overloading more at the bottom and not holding at the top. Of course adding some progression and ive put an inch on my calves also. It works.

[@Opeon1]

Are you black? If you are its going to be tough to overcome those calf genetics

[@zemotika]

I’ve started actually training them hard and noticed big improvements. I’ve been starting my workout with them, gives me a chance to scout the gym since no one is EVER on calf machine😂

[@jeremyparris6121]

I started at the same measurement and have grown a little after only a couple weeks working them 6 on, 1 off. Can't wait to get to a full inch. How long did it take you?

[@zdenek3010]

Thanks for the tips. Now I am laying in my bed all day unable to walk and going to the bathroom on my toes with knees bent.

[@MehdiGlz]

This happened to me the first time I did calf raises lol (fat kid, so big calves adult, never felt the need to train them). First day was really bad, everything hurt. But the second day was HORRIBLE, even lying down and trying to stretch my legs was very painful. I had to take 2 days off work, I just couldn't walk at all

[@trey6892]

@@MehdiGlzffs train them don’t annihilate them.

[@Brandon-hg7ic]

​@trey6892 you can train them seemingly normally for a noobie and feel exactly what he described lol, it's very easily overworked without realizing it

[@happytheatsz]

if you stretch them super hard like he tells you to it can be a bitch ur first time around. same happened to me, actually debilitating

[@neonlight1214]

Trained calves for the first time and until failure without using hand to assist myself. 2second wait top and bottom, slow ascend and descend. Oh boy how my calves hurt for 2 days, it's like I had stones on my calves, just below the knee. I couldn't walk up the stairs and laying in bed didn't help, nothing helped but to rest. I trained football for 6+ years and never trained calves in isolated way.

[@daribessell1329]

100% agree. John Meadows also preached the stretch especially on a standed raise when already having some blood in there after seated calf raise. RIP to Bodybuilding’s Luke Skywalker

[@jeremyparris6121]

And partial reps at the bottom after they're fatigued.

[@zach3955]

RIP

[@onurbole7921]

​@@jeremyparris6121his bottom partials for many muscle groups were ahead of his time, recent research just confirmed them being superior for growth. He didn't just suggest them at the end of sets as an intensity technique. He also suggested loading up the weight and doing bottom partials. In lateral raises, for instance. I remember several years ago I followed his advice trying very heavy partial lateral raises in stretched position, heavier than you could lift all the way up but keeping the tension in shoulders all the time, not using momentum or ego lifting. That gave me a crazy pump I hadn't gotten for a long time, helped me break plateau and increase my strength on regular lateral raises as well. Now the research says this kind of training actually causes more hypertrophy.

[@miha_ity]

Also John thought me to do toe raises while sitting on my heels and leaning my back against a wall in between sets, for the tibiallis muscle and also to bring some more bloodflow into the calves and stretch them a bit in between sets

[@YourMuvva]

There's also a study showing that you don't even need to go all the way to the top to trigger muscle growth. Just going to parallel will do enough.

[@steveffuksake]

There's also a study that show's studies are full of shit,Dr Mike says one thing in one video and the opposite in another 😮

[@cynthiaaaa5204]

It's so cute the way he says "up!" 😅

[@kiz__]

Not at all

[@tanthai3653]

@@kiz__yeah it is

[@Aer0xander]

dude is a cutiepatootie

[@ProJoe-xb5ie]

That's so cute very cute 🥰

[@PhaythGaming]

@@kiz__he’s literally so adorable dude. Just a cutie pie an you know it.

[@saed5971]

thanks dr mike now women can finally look at me and admire my calfs

[@cybervoid8442]

All you have to do now is shower

[@akbananachucker2441]

​@@cybervoid8442😂😂👍

[@saed5971]

comedic genius@@cybervoid8442

[@MH-et5sn]

Mooooo 🐮🐄

[@s.m.969]

Damn, those are some nice calves 😉🙆🏼‍♀️

[@keithdavis8461]

That deep long stretch at the bottom and a hard held squeeze at the top is how I got the best calves of anyone I've met.

[@jls5480]

Genetics

[@theencoder6992]

​@@jls5480 lol

[@Ybf-carl420]

you’ve met yourself?? 😂

[@camrin8937]

@@Ybf-carl420you haven’t?

[@BeGrizzlyStrong]

Cool story. Where is your counter factual. We need to meet the guy that didn't waste time with the squeeze at the top and see if he got better results faster.

[@Vesperitis]

I just tried this out, and the difference is amazing. Real proper workout even at a much lighter load.

[@evzevz06]

If you want to do it properly, stand with your heels touching and point your feet out like11 and 1, do your raises, then without any break, spread your heels apart, and make your big toes touch, and finish the set. You will exercise with the focus on each side of your calves, and do more raises with more concentration and get better growth than just standing there doing it straight on

[@ParvParashar]

Phenomenal advice! I’ve started emphasising the bottom deep stretch on my calf raises and it’s just so effective. The amount of soreness I get from those every time I do them is simply incredible. I go all the way up and sometimes I hold the peak contraction up at the top for a second or two at most to improve my mind muscle connection but most of the times I don’t hold at the top but really stay in the stretched position for good 3-4 seconds and sometimes even more if I don’t want to use much weight. I’m making amazing gains this way. Thank you for introducing the importance of weighted stretch to me and I really appreciate your highly valuable advice on this and other lifts too! 💪🙏👍

[@davp4435]

As the video guy at the company I work for, Scott, The Video Guy.... Cheers to you mate, banger job lately.

[@Anandfulness]

Nice, more of these in depth technique tips please

[@firstnamelastname9215]

Just do it for every muscle you work. The stretch is very important

[@mattsonthemove5143]

Straight facts from a Savage in the gym and knowledgeable about the science. Love it.

[@broids31]

This man knows what he’s talking about. I used a few of his workouts/methods….it works

[@joajoa2000]

he doesn't. He is trying to sprain his ankle by pushing through the outside of his foot. Yo need to push through your big toe

[@jamesdmic]

Always figured this to be “cheating” but after hearing it from Dr. Mike himself, bout to double my reps!

[@benitocamela174]

How would this be cheating?

[@jamesdmic]

@@benitocamela174 my thought process was alway maximize time under tension, so I would pause at the top. Thought it would be “cheating” not to pause at the top (especially since it’s such a small muscle group) but according to Dr. Mike, I’m just wasting energy LOL.

[@SomethingCool51]

@@benitocamela174Skipping out on the hard contraction would seem like missing out on gains to hit more reps if someone didn't say something otherwise

[@TheBoon14]

@@benitocamela174wondering this too

[@ramonalvarez9179]

​@TheBoon14 I heard that going fast on the way up on calf raises works the joints/ligaments more than the actual musculature. I was really surprised when I saw how explosive Dr. Mike was in the video, but honestly it's always worth giving new techniques a try. My calves are well developed from focusing on the top part of the movement, but I never pause at peak contraction. Controlling the eccentric is incredibly important to grow 3x as fast, but I think controlling the entire movement is better for general health/strength. So I think how Dr. Mike does calf raises are purely from a muscle building optimization perspective

[@kp8916]

Dr. Mike has said this about many other exercises as well. Getting a good stretch under load and slowing down the eccentric. Great advice. Renaissance Periodization has some of the best info. And he cracks me up with some of his stories and analogies.

[@ronstero]

What does this mean? Eccentric and load?

[@gonahgames2073]

@@ronsteroeccentric is when youre lowering the weight and load is the weight

[@andressanteliz5354]

To me this has always made sense. Your calf is there to explode up but also to control the angle of your foot via your ankles

[@AlexanderDemergis]

Did 4 sets of stair calves with no weight and still have soreness 5 days later 😂 underrated exercises

[@barrybabbot7481]

I had to take a break from them after a broken toe injury. I added them in after 6 weeks no weight and was destroyed the next day. If I condition on a 3 day split I don't get nearly as sore.

[@ShawnFumo]

Yeah I dropped a bunch of weight and used heavy duty rubber wedges from Gym Docs (that are made so they won’t tip) that I’d gotten originally for deep squats and was super sore compared to usual.

[@RationalMinded]

Single leg calf raises like this for the true masochist.

[@random55555]

Great tip that has been useful. I do all my calf raises on the smith machine with a step and since reducing my top end pause I have dramatically increased the weight and seen some growth. Nothing like those full leg shakes in those critical last reps.

[@Davidinostroza-ks5yq]

almost all dr mike's advice worked great, but ive been trying 2 months mike mentzer's HIT training, and its been working amazingly, i would like to dr mike talk about his opinion on this..

[@DavidDavis311]

Thanks for all the great advice. Over the years I’ve heard way to many ways of training but by far your techniques are the best. I know this because I see results.

[@ebenezersureshworkaccount8947]

Thank you for reiterating this. I've been seeing so many people at the gym performing this the wrong way and its nice to know I am doing it right.

[@BrofUJu]

A lot of people like doing half reps in the easiest part, lol

[@ferreira1501]

Thats how I had a grade 2 strain on my left calf. Careful on that deep stretch, always keep control and the muscle activated.

[@masturchief]

RP is my favorite fitness KZbin channel

[@BreachSheff]

I've literally been training my calves completely wrong based on this video, eye-opener right there

[@benitocamela174]

How have you been training them? I thought this was a given...

[@Flako-dd]

i did deep stretched calv raises yesterday for the first time. boy do i feel that today.

[@NofirstnameNolastname]

Feel good knowing this is actually what I've been doing already!

[@davidlefebvre6988]

My calves are 19" HUGE and trust me. Dr Mike is RIGHT here big time.

[@kwings14]

This was a tip I wish I would've heard a long time ago, my calves are fairly large but this would've defined them way more

[@rrurban]

This is great advice. You have to put tension on the muscle in a stretched position

[@boxbury]

I think varying speeds and full as well as partial reps is ideal for keeping a strong calf injury free. Strengthen the way you plan to use them.

[@fishtail2616]

honestly feel like puking while holding the top of calf raises so I see no problem shortening the time spent there

[@rabidbadgerbackingtracks4480]

Dante Trudel was all about that stretch when training calves

[@asprinklingofclouds]

Standing calf - concentrate on the eccentric and the stretch, reps 8-12. For the soleus seated calf 20-30 reps concentrate on peak contraction at the top, no need to stretch at the bottom.

[@imseifblack]

Thankful for the tip 🫶🏾

[@alterer]

tib raises too will make ur legs look crazy

[@clint8u]

Great insights Dr Mike

[@Ichorianblaze]

That's some pretty good advice because on the down you're using the weight and the machine to help you stretch that muscle making it more supple increasing your muscle fiber lengths. That's the long run giving you more power, but also exploding on the top movement to give you that quick muscle fiber contraction

[@noirceuillesombre3472]

The stretch feels so much better than the peak.

[@ewdtrey]

You know, I rarely get anything new from training videos. But dang, you did it. 🎉

[@ofirmedini6561]

Yeah I always pause at the bottom I try to hold at the peak stretch of every exercise

[@bradleyjames4291]

I 100% agree and as heavy as you can.

[@kylemonster1961]

Full video?😊

[@colorneg1209]

Struggled and struggled to build my spaghetti calves spending so much time and effort with the standing calf machine concentrating on the contraction at the top with no real results and ended up putting it in the genetics basket and just accepted it was not to be. 2 months doing this with the incline leg press and going for the deep stretch and I have somehow broken the curse and see growth I never thought would happen. Granted, I may not be able to walk for 2 days after and I cry when I’m doing them😆but it works.

[@evzevz06]

If you do them with your feet parallel your not maxing out the gains. Do them with your heels together and toes pointing at 11 and 1, then as soon as you finish, spread your heels apart and put your big toes together and do raises again Parallel raises butter the middle of the bread only and miss the crusts. Toes in and toes out raises, butter the crusts and that way the middle takes care of itself.

[@bellou9726]

Also if you have Problems Lifting you heel in squats this helps

[@Simba88242]

Thank you man will save it for my next

[@Najahfreeman]

I just do 2 seconds at the top and 2 seconds at the bottom. Works great

[@five12man]

Started learning from Mentzer and Arthur Jones, great to see some of the same advice 60 years later

[@Person-um9zd]

There’s some stuff out there saying that partial reps in the lower half is best for the work out

[@xrp313]

I really enjoy Dr. Mike and his knowledge has helped me a lot But I have done an experiment with the last six months , of holding on the top on my calf raises and Mike has have exploded. I have a lot of meat and muscle on them just by doing 3 sets of 10 My working sets. Obviously I go all the way down. Deep stretch like how he's doing here on the seated calf raise , and then I cut the weight in half for a drop set on the standing calf raise I also take turns with my foot placement sunsets. I keep my foot straight and other sets. I do them with my foot pointing towards the sides

[@icon5892]

Tom Platz said he would put all the weight he can handle on last set and hold static as long as he could. He had some of the best calfs.

[@goaheadskinit]

💯 got this tip when i first started years ago by a pro lifter...now i don't have stubborn calves.

[@LDacic]

I've never struggled with the deep stretch at the bottom of the movement.. It's hitting that peak contraction in the upper range of the reps, close to failure which really makes my calves grow. Even small weight with excellent form always yields better pump and growth.

[@logangrider6039]

Huge calf tips sounds like some sort of bbq

[@gmoore326]

Hard to gain calf size for me but that hold at the bottom is a game changer and sets my calves on fire. We'll see what happens in a few months.

[@scottofscotts]

Interesting about wasting effort on the top hold range because I’m in some of the last phase of achilles rupture (no surgery) rehab. Ie I’m doing plyos and easy running atm. And one particular exercise is I have to do single leg isometric hold for time ( 3 x 5-6 reps for 10secs) i usually have to cluster them. But I also have to add weight to my single leg calf raises and after I do the isometrics it’s close to impossible. Personally I think it could be programmed better or more efficiently. Like add weight with a slight pause at the top of the single leg calf raises. Anyways I know rehab is different but just sharing thoughts 😅

[@austinstevens989]

That deep stretch does it. In any exercise

[@ianhowe007]

You're telling me I've been looking like a fool

[@liamp6491]

Very true. Those big muscle holds screwed up my knees and ankles

[@samassoum4137]

We need more videos like this😢

[@jeremiaha5167]

Awesome. That's now I've always done it.

[@codycoldbrewski572]

Thank you!!

[@XFXBoard]

when I hold up is when I get the best pump

[@bryanstellfox8521]

I did DC training for two years. Honestly, it wasn't the best training program for me, BUT...the style Dante prescribed for calves ABSOLUTELY WORKED for me. My calves went from shit to my second best body part in 2 years. The results were nothing short of incredible. 13in to 18in. The rep range you’re working for is 10-12 reps but the set format is as follows; Explosive concentric up onto the big toe 5 second eccentric lowering down to full stretch Hold for 10-15 seconds in the stretched position Repeat for 10-12

[@MattBooher-ng4qi]

Definitely gonna give this a try. Do you ever know something is gonna work for you when you never had tried it before but you use your imagination doing them, I think these are for me. Will check back here soon for a major gain update hopefully.

[@bryanstellfox8521]

@@MattBooher-ng4qi Sometimes I get that feeling! Other times, like with this calf training, I just had no idea. I hope it works as well for you as it did for me! It's going to HURT, but keep going!

[@knownoboundaries___]

I'm a big believer in isometric strength. In fact, in terms of strength, it's superior over the concentric.

[@drakenastor]

I do both, explosive speed(with same stretch stretch) then holds, then all completly slow.

[@timothyramponi6921]

Definitely makes sense!

[@JF--]

Without knowing this, I've been doing these for years as a stretch not an exercise. 10/10 would recommend

[@someguy2972]

The biggest calf-pump I ever felt was after a friends 21st where it seemed every bastard was 6'6 (I'm 6'1) and I had to stand on my toes to see the damn speeches. Can''t be sure whether or not my calves were stronger or bigger because that was a while ago, but I could feel those fuckers for days. The moral of the story is: don't read long-winded stories like these as you will be disappointed every time...

[@heavenlymonkey]

Lmao

[@soots-stayingoutofthespotl5495]

Your story implies that the stretch at the top is very effective, but after watching Dr Mike's video, what I want to know is what would have happened if you'd spent hours standing on a doorstep peering through someone's letterbox, with your heels down below the step level and your calves in a negative stretch? Now THAT would have been a useful (if creepy and disturbing) story!

[@derogren]

​@@soots-stayingoutofthespotl5495 well is he gonna try it? information. we want information.

[@Moose92411]

Well this has been illuminating

[@davidhoffman6980]

Thanks for this. I need to try it.

[@colinriches1519]

I've been doing that since I started. Never thought I was doing it wrong. Good opportunity to take a "before" photo, alter accordingly and after a couple of months take the "after" shot.

[@dinobites1]

NOW you tell me 😂

[@AbdulAziz-cj4hg]

FINALLY SOMETHING THAT I FIGURED OUT BY MYSELF AND TOLD BY YOU

[@ShaneBoy]

the guy at the leg press should keep he's knees totally locked, to stabalise the joint and give more strech to the calves from the other direction

[@full.rom.fitness]

Haven’t seen this method promoted but definitely give it a try 👍🏼

[@OG__GreenCrack]

A lot of genetics play into the calf muscles for sure but I always did them this way too. Good muscle to hit once a week I feel and definitely slow and controlled to get that nasty stretch

[@dabi4k151]

UP!🗣️🗣️🔥🔥 UP!🗣️🗣️🔥🔥

[@dumpsterchild5734]

Awesome great tips

[@JPIQQG]

Stretch>Contraction

[@tjcofer7517]

Calf raises are one of the few excersises I do long length partials at the end

[@justinlast2lastharder749]

That deep long stretch at the bottom hurts my Achilles just thinking about it.

[@foxInGloves]

My calf muscles doubled just watching this 🤘🤘🤭

[@nirbhay_raghav]

Its a variation of jump calf raise. Not exactly that but near. Holding 1-2 sec at the top has its own benefits. Studies have shown it to be effective. Getting more reps is good for the sitting calf raise but not here. We can train with more weight less reps. Soleus is less type 1 than the other calf muscle with long name.

[@anonymousceleb1148]

Sporadic contractile force works calves the best way

[@bluesunrise2323]

I started doing jump rope cardio sessions for a couple years and my calves grew a lot I would recommend to anyone who wants to grow ther legs do jump rope it's so good for you

[@ProJoe-xb5ie]

When I used to work out at Venice Beach with Arnold Schwarzenegger he always would just do his calf raises with just his big toe check it out man it really works

[@crystalprosise6647]

Cool Try it! Thx!

[@Bodhinaut]

I’ve been doing this as a part of my recent “stretching the muscle” phase. And holy shit. I’ve never had such sore calves. I did about 60 reps, couldn’t walk for 4 days I shit you not. Wife has also said my calves have grown.

[@phoenixrisin2269]

Added inches to my calves doing this and the seated calf raise.

[@hernandez9350]

When i hit failure ill do a weighted stretch for 10 to 15 seconds

[@KobeManuPetro]

RIP Achilles heels

[@gtcam723]

Proud of myself, figured that one out on my own lol

[@barrybabbot7481]

Which part of the toes is preffered to be on for hypertrophy, Big toe, Pinky, Middle?

[@jasondavis1615]

I have so much still to learn.

[@airportscreen-1234]

Don’t do calf raises if your an athlete, only a body builder. No insults to body builders, it’s just better to have a higher and more toned muscle insertion so your springier when you sprint run and move.

[@ATinyWaffle]

You're understanding Mirror Image wrong. Originally they rolled to see if they hit an illusion every attack that hit the very low illusion AC. Now they ONLY roll to see if they hit an illusion if they first hit you through your own AC. And then if they do, each illusion has a 2/3 chance of getting destroyed, not 1/2. This means you'll no longer lose an illusion when the attack wasn't going to hit you anyway which in my experience happened a lot. This is a big buff.

[@behaawwad8230]

My calves are tight af so it’s been painful doing this, but I’ll slowly loosening them up

[@440s]

Ok that is optimal, but for people like me that train cos we like to and dont want to compete any time soon(or ever)...I do them after i do my heavy squats, superset them with sumo squats, so flat surface no stretch, the only other posibility I have is to do them on a step but I have awful equilibrium(have to do bulgarians with one dumbell holding on to the rack with the other hand😂) so flat floor with the bar is my only choice....am I wasting my time and energy or not?

[@sooperman12]

You should do both because the calf muscle is comprised of both slow and fast twitch muscles. They will benefit from both/and than just either/or!