3 Exercises for Massive Calves
When it comes to planning a comprehensive leg day, you likely only think about your quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
However, if you only train those muscle groups, you may not be getting a full lower-body workout. Your calves are easy to overlook in the gym, especially on heavy leg days, because squats and other leg lifts will leave you exhausted and eager to get off your feet.
But your calves are also a visual temperature gauge for how closely you’re paying attention to your overall leg training as they serve as your lower body’s forearm.
Plus, you shouldn’t underestimate the impact your calves have on your performance when you go for a run, play pickup basketball, or hit the flag football field. If you completely disregard their development, you will miss out on more than just gains; your abilities and pride in your game will be jeopardized.
“Our calves are one of the constantly active muscles for movement and balance. The stronger and better conditioned your calves are, the more efficient you will be at other exercises, including running, jumping, and biking.”
— John Ford, ACSM, Exercise Physiologist.
Calves require a significant amount of time and effort to grow and strengthen; there’s just no way around it.
And there are exercises that can help you build massive calves, and that’s what we will discuss in this article.
Single Leg Standing Calf Raises
The single-leg standing calf raise is one of the simplest yet most effective exercises for building massive calves.
“This is a truly humbling exercise that surprises many people that try to do it, and that is the number one reason why I’m such a fan of it.”
— Eugene Teo, Pro Bodybuilder and Fitness Trainer.
The best part is that you can perform this exercise at home if you have stairs or something similar to elevate your feet.
Although it strengthens both calf muscles, it is particularly great for emphasizing the gastrocnemius.
The soleus and gastrocnemius both produce ankle extension; however, the soleus only functions around the ankle joint. This indicates that the knee position has no effect on the function and activation of the muscle.
The gastrocnemius, on the other hand, is smaller and starts from the femur before crossing the knee joint and inserting into the ankle. In essence, the knee angle affects muscle function and how well we can contract it.
So, if you want to specifically target the gastrocnemius, single-leg standing calf raises are your best choice since bent leg movements limit the amount of tension you can put into the gastrocnemius.
How to Perform the Movement
- With your left hand, grab a moderately heavy dumbbell and place your right foot on the calf raise platform — this could simply be a couple of weight plates stacked on top of each other or a step on a flight of stairs. Your forefoot should be on the platform, while your heel should be in the air.
- Straighten your back and raise your left leg while holding something — a wall or other stationary equipment — with your right hand for balance.
- Inhale and engage your calf to push through your right foot. Elevate yourself to the greatest extent possible.
- Hold the top position for a second before exhaling and lowering yourself slowly by allowing your ankle to flex.
- Go as far as you can — at the bottom, you should feel an intense stretch in your calf muscle.
- Repeat this movement for as many reps as dictated by your workout.
- After that, grab the dumbbell with your right hand and perform the movement with your left leg. That’s one set.
Proper Form for Single-Leg Standing Calf Raises
The most important aspect of proper form with any calf raise variation is to use the entire range of motion. Lower your heel as far as possible before a strong raise. This allows you to stretch and shorten your calves effectively, which stimulates growth.
It is also critical to perform each repetition slowly and with control. It allows you to maintain tension in your calves, allowing them to grow and strengthen to their full potential.
Pushing through the entire width of your foot is an excellent way to improve calf activation. Some trainees concentrate on pressing through a single point on the foot (for example, the big toe), resulting in less muscle activation and a less effective movement.
Staying upright is also beneficial. Leaning forward makes the movement more manageable, but it reduces its effectiveness. Maintain a straight line with your shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles throughout each repetition.
In terms of loading ranges, single-leg standing calf raises with lighter and heavier weights are beneficial for developing the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.
Because the soleus is primarily composed of slow-twitch muscle fibers, it benefits from high-repetition training. The gastrocnemius muscle has fewer slow-twitch fibers that benefit from moderate and high loads.
Seated Calf Raises
The seated calf raise, as simple as it appears, is a bit more technical since it’s so easy to cheat while performing the movement. This is why it is extremely important to pay attention to technique.
You can either perform this movement with a pair of dumbbells, weight plates placed on your knees, or with a dedicated machine at the gym.
Seated calf raises are excellent for targeting the soleus, the larger of the two calf muscles.
This is due to the origin point of the gastrocnemius. When you bend your knee, the gastrocnemius muscle shortens at the knee joint, preventing it from contracting adequately around the ankle. This is what researchers refer to as active insufficiency.
“Because the soleus only crosses the ankle joint and not the knee joint, it’s better targeted with a bent leg calf raise.”
— Jeff Nippard, Canadian Natural Pro Bodybuilder and Internationally-Qualified Powerlifter.
How to Perform the Movement
- Set the machine to your desired weight. Calf-raise devices normally use weight plates, although others let you select your load with a pin.
- Adjust the thigh pad so that your thighs fit snugly when you place the balls of your feet on the platform. This is essential for easy unracking and reracking of the weight when training.
- Place your lower thighs against the pad and the balls of your feet on the platform. Your heels should be suspended in the air. Your shins should be vertical, and your knees should be over your ankles.
- Engage your calves, take a deep breath, and grip the safety bar, which you’ll be moving to the side shortly.
- Extend your feet to raise the weight and let go of the safety bar to the side.
- Lower the weight as much as possible, ensuring that your heels go below the level of your toes. You should feel a strong calf stretch as you perform this.
- As you engage your calves and elevate the weight, press through the balls of your feet. Go as high as you can. Your calves should contract as you do this.
- Exhale, then repeat.
Proper Form for Seated Calf Raises
The most crucial thing to remember while performing any calf raise variation is to work through your entire range of motion and to move slowly, controlling the rep all the way. This forces the calves to bear all the load.
Slow and controlled repetitions may seem simple, but most people simply bounce the weight up and down, allowing them to employ heavier weights but defeating the aim of the exercise.
“If you’re a beginner, you can start by doing this exercise with a low weight for 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps,” says Carolina Araujo, CPT, a certified personal trainer based in New York.
If you’re unsure about what weight to use, start light — 15 to 20 pounds should suffice. Calves are prone to DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness), so experiment with lighter weights to see how your body reacts.
As you gain strength, you may increase the number of reps and use heavier weights. Araujo recommends 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions for maxing out your calf muscles.
Machine Calf Press
Depending on the kind of machine, you may position yourself in a variety of ways when performing a machine calf press. You can, for example, use a typical leg press machine and place the balls of your feet on the footplate.
You may also use a standing calf raise machine, in which you place a pad over your shoulders, position your feet on a platform, and execute the movement.
How to Perform the Movement
- On a leg press machine, lie down and raise your legs to the platform.
- Place the balls of your feet on the platform while keeping your heels in the air.
- Take a deep breath, push the platform to straighten your legs, then unlatch the leg press machine’s safety bars.
- Allow your ankles to flex in a controlled manner while keeping your legs straight and heels in the same position. Your calves should feel stretched.
- Push through the balls of your feet to stretch both ankles as far as possible, then hold the tension for a second or two before releasing.
- Repeat for as many reps as required.
Proper Form for Machine Calf Press
The most crucial thing to remember about calf presses is to execute the movement with a full range of motion. Flex your ankles until you feel a stretch in your calves, then extend your legs to contract the muscles.
Each rep should be slow and controlled. Extend your ankles for up to three seconds, fully engaging your calves. Hold the top position for a second or two before gently flexing your ankles and stretching your calves. Avoid bouncing at the bottom of each rep and pushing the weight abruptly.
It is also critical to pay attention to the position of your feet. Place your toes on the footplate and leave your heels floating in the air. Instead of pressing through your toes, press from the balls of your feet.
Doing machine calf presses with a lighter weight is also recommended since it allows you to complete more reps while still feeling your calves working. You may also do heavier sets, but limit them and be cautious since heavier sets may require you to use a shorter range of motion, which will render the exercise less effective.
People Also Ask
How can I get bigger calves at home?
Try performing some bedtime raises. Complete a set of 100 slow, standing calf raises each night before bed, being careful to squeeze tight on each rep.
There is no need for weights; simply use your body weight. Your calves are well-equipped to handle the burn on a regular basis; after all, they are used to bearing your body weight.
You can also walk around barefoot more often. And do it on your tiptoes too, as that creates extra calf activation that can lead to growth. Just ask ballet dancers and their enviable calves.
What foods increase calf muscles?
The same foods that grow other muscle groups: lots and lots of proteins to stimulate growth via muscle protein synthesis, and lots of healthy carbs for energy.
How can I grow my calves in 2 weeks?
Just as you can’t grow a massive chest overnight, two weeks aren’t enough to see any significant changes in the size of your calves, no matter what workout program or diet regimen you follow. As with anything worthwhile, patience is key.
Final Thoughts
Calf training might seem unnecessary, especially since it can be difficult to see any results if you don’t get it just right.
But your calves are made of what every other muscle in the body is made of — muscle fiber — which means that all the same principles that apply to growing other body parts apply here too.
As long as you apply resistance training with progressive overload, proper nutrition, proper training technique, and adequate rest, you will see results. Slowly but surely.
