Do This EVERY Day for Bigger Calves! (ONE MOVE)
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Published 2021-07-26
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The first thing that is always helpful however is to explain the science of calf training so you can understand why you’re doing what you are going to do. The calf muscle attaches to the heel via the largest tendon in the body, the achilles tendon. This happens to be one of the strongest tendons in the body but yet, still the most frequently torn.
The reason for this is simply due to the extreme forces that this tendon modulates every single time we take a step. Of course, these forces are magnified in running vs. walking.
The properties of the achilles tendon are that they are resilient to the highly ballistic nature of the forces that it is subjected to in function. It quickly transfers force from dorsiflexion to plantar flexion to keep the force both a mobile adapter to the ground and a rigid lever capable propelling your entire bodyweight off of the ground.
It has been documented that the achilles tendon can handle up to 1,000 pounds of force through it, making it capable of carrying much more than your own bodyweight and able to perform many dynamic functions.
The main issue however is when it comes to calf muscle development and growth. Here it becomes obvious that the main advantage of the tendon becomes it’s own curse. Because the tendon is so good at handling the ground reaction forces that start below it through the feet, it doesn’t necessarily transmit those forces up to the muscle that it is attached to so well.
This means that the calf muscles (both the gastrocnemius and the soleus) do not experience the peak tension that they should from the forces generated below. Less force directed into the calf muscle itself means less contractile stimulus for growth. So this is an instance where the achilles is being functionally efficient making running easier, but preventing the muscular inefficiency that we need to seek when we’re trying to force a stubborn muscle to grow.
How do we fix this?
We need to find a way to make the standing dumbbell calf raise more inefficient. That’s right, we have to make it harder. The way to do this at the ankle is to nullify the ballistic component of the moves that the calves favor. This means, no more bouncing your way through each rep of a barbell or dumbbell standing calf raise. In fact, the elimination of all momentum is going to be the key to unlocking bigger calves that is going to be a pleasant surprise for many that have chalked up their bad genetics to why they can’t grow big calf muscles.
By the way, regarding genetics, it is true that your DNA may be responsible for a good portion of how your calves may look. This is due to the fact that this muscle group can be comprised in many more slow twitch fibers in some smaller calved individuals and fast twitch in some large calved individuals. The other thing is that the insertion point of the muscle matters, which again is something genetically determined. The lower your insertions are the more full the muscle belly of the gastroc and soleus are going to look while the higher the insertion the more thin.
Regardless however, changing the tempo of your calf raises can make a big difference.
Next time you do dumbbell calf raises, try this. First, lower down and hold the bottom position for 4 seconds in order to take all elastic rebound out of the exercise. From here, lift up high onto your toe and hold the top position for 4 seconds again. Keep performing these slow controlled reps until you can’t do anymore. Don’t worry about what the number is but rather make sure to make these reps count.
Perform 3 sets on each leg every day.
That’s right. Every single day.
The calves are a resilient muscle group, well accustomed to the ground reaction forces applied to them through standing, walking and running that we do every day and therefore can handle higher volumes. With the weights lowered a bit to account for the slower reps, you want to make sure you keep the frequency high to get the volume to the place that it is capable of producing gains in this stubborn muscles.
If you find this to be the game changer that I believe it is and are looking for more workouts that put the science back in strength, remember to head to athleanx.com via the link below and get the program that is best suited to your goals.
For more calf workouts and calf exercise videos for bigger calves, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link below. Remember to turn on your notifications to never miss a video when it’s published.
All Comments (21)
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If your calves aren't growing, it's likely because you are making a common mistake. In fact, if you struggle to build muscle in general, suffering from slow or no growth at all, then you are going to want to see what mistakes you might be making - https://youtu.be/330Ufcaj1zA
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calves the kind of muscle that just burn on a whole different level
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Not gonna lie Jeff has really helped Jesse get his physique waaaaay together.
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Jeff: “How’s this feel?” Jesse: “Oh this Sucks!” This was Hilarious 😆
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I’m 65 years old and have really stiff Achilles tendons but since I started doing the calf exercises like this they are so much better. Thank you!!!
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Jesse is starting to look jacked now. Give that man a gummy bear.
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Everyone gangsta until you see Jeff holding a muscle marker in a glute workout video
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Jesse is a living proof of natural gains and it really shows that results take time but will definitely make you feel great. And it really motivates people like me since i used to be skinny too and i admire his journey with Jeff. Will never get tired of this channel
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Jesse's socks are def killing his gains
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Jeff: How do you feel? Jessie: Oh, it sucks!
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I have been someone with thin calves almost my entire life. This video has made my calves look better and feel stronger. Thank you Jeff for all your helpful videos!
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“How to get bigger calves” Genetics: You’re not that guy trust me you’re not that guy.
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Jeff showcasing the proper standing stance for 4 minutes.
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“How to get bigger calves” Genetics : We dont do that here buddy
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Jeff, not gonna lie man, every time I do one of your workouts, I walk away from the gym beat and sore the next day. If I stay I my own little routine, no soreness, so thank you for bringing the science into it and speaking to me the way my brain works brother. It’s literally how I make gains before anyone else in the gym seems to and THAT is something. Keep it real and PS I’d love to see more videos of you teaching dudes like that WWF dude, sucks I can’t think of his name, but those kinds of videos almost makes it easier for me to understand what you mean in certain variances and positions to make it ‘correct’. Every rep I perform I have your expertise in my head. Thank you.
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I'll admit, I did this just on the ground, so I am missing half of the workout. But 3 reps, 3 sets, each side, I definitely feel a lot of tension back there. Thanks Jeff for all the amazing exercises!
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Yeah. This works. My calf genetics are so bad that I don’t usually enjoy wearing shorts. But, doing it slowly, and on one leg, has brought me to a place where I am confident; it doesn’t look like I’ve continuously skipped leg day.
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If one was to do everything that Jeff tells us to do "every day" or "every workout" we'd be busy until the next day.
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Hey Jeff, saw you on the Kelly & Ryan show earlier this week & I'm always telling my friends about your workout routines. Keep up the great work!!
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Literally just did slow controlled calf raises. Then watched this and confirmed what I was feeling. I appreciate that. I'm definitely a calf-not I believe, so this was great. 👍
