Bleh Calves Bleh!

[FighterInSnatch]

Ok, quick question about this stubborn muscle. My calves are very cut and I am quite proud of them. But for some reason I cant get the outside of the calve to grow as much as the inside part of it. I do lots and lots of sit down calve raises. My question is: What can I do to get the outside of the calve muscle to grow a bit more and have that roundness that everyone strives for? What am I doing wrong?

[ROMANMAN]

Why do you do them sitting down. Go in in squat similar form and raise up onto your tippy toes.

[FighterInSnatch]

Why do you do them sitting down. Go in in squat similar form and raise up onto your tippy toes.

AHHH. Never thought to do that. I do standing calve raises also and I run for like 5-10 minutes on tippie toes on tread mill.
In response to your question though, I just for some reason enjoy doing sit down calve raises more then anything, but I always notice that it doe'snt work the outside of the calve as much as the inside.

[DNL]

you can alter your genetic. do both high reps and low reps, both standing and seating calf raise. You can try gaining more weight. Perhaps even toes direction.

[FighterInSnatch]

you can alter your genetic. do both high reps and low reps, both standing and seating calf raise. You can try gaining more weight. Perhaps even toes direction.

Now I notice that when I apply most of the weight on the outside of the calve it tends to work the outside more, but is this safe to do?

I also read that high weight doing like 5 sets of 10 reps is pretty good as far as building.

[BG5150]

Try pointing your toes inward.

[FighterInSnatch]

Try pointing your toes inward.

What do you mean inward? Like inward like between my legs? Because that seems to put more stress on the inside calve.

[sCaRz*Of*PaiN]

Why do you do them sitting down. Go in in squat similar form and raise up onto your tippy toes.You want to do both sitting and standing calf raises, not just standing.

[D Breyer]

lol @ running on tippy toes

[sCaRz*Of*PaiN]

lol @ running on tippy toesYeah, possibly the worst idea I've ever heard of. Sounds dangerous too.

[muscleup]

lol @ running on tippy toes
Asking for shin splints he may be.

Fighter- Try doing raises pigeon toed to hit the outer.

[FighterInSnatch]

lol @ running on tippy toes

Ok I'll stop doing that.

[FighterInSnatch]

Asking for shin splints he may be.

Fighter- Try doing raises pigeon toed to hit the outer.

Bleh I'm an idiot what do you mean? I can't remember what pigeon toed is.

[Built]

Lyle on calves: http://www.wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=172

[d'Anconia]

Point both of your toes inward toward each other. That is pigeon-toed. If you've learned to ski in class they tall you to "make a pie or piece of pizza with your skies" that's the same as being pigeon-toed.

[d'Anconia]

Wow I wish I had started reading Lyle McDonald's articles earlier. Hell I nearly killed myself the other day trying to narrow-grip chest press the other day. It was too unstable and hurt my wrists because my grip was too narrow and the barbell rolled off my hand and onto my chest (luckily this was at the bottom of the movement). If it had been a bit heavier than 185lbs then I would have had a problem repositioning my hands and pushing the barbell back up. Looks like I didn't need my hands that narrow.

That's also a good piece on the calves especially how bouncing up and down doesn't work the calves that well. So the achilles tendon stores potential energy because it's efficient for walking... I know some of you guys might not think it that important but it's always cool to me to see how our body has become so efficient through evolution.

[Built]

I just started using this pause strategy for calf work, and it's BRUTALLY hard.

[muscleup]

Point both of your toes inward toward each other. That is pigeon-toed. If you've learned to ski in class they tall you to "make a pie or piece of pizza with your skies" that's the same as being pigeon-toed.

Yea hold your feet the way you would if you wanted to Snow plow while skiing. It's how they teach beginner skiers to stop.
/ \ <--- make your feet look like those 2 lines. Toes pointed towards eachother.

[FighterInSnatch]

I'll try both of these tomorrow. Thanx for all the help and input thus far everyone.

-Ryan

[MixmasterNash]

Why do you do them sitting down. Go in in squat similar form and raise up onto your tippy toes.

Because the soleus is activated when the knee is bent, as in seated calf raises, while the gastrocnemius is almost completely deactivated.

[Hatred]

Using Lyle's strategy...play jumprope with a heavy ass chain.

[Slim Schaedle]

To everyone who said toes in/toes out...NO

What matters is the plantar eversion and platar inversion. (raising on either the inside of your foot or the outside)

And MixmasterNash is right about the soleus/gastrocnemius

[DNL]

Using Lyle's strategy...play jumprope with a heavy ass chain.

Yeah imagine you getting hit with it too =)

[Guido]

lol @ running on tippy toesThere's nothing wrong with running on "tippy toes". That's essentially what you do when you are sprinting. Not a good idea to do it for any prolonged period, though.

BTW, like Built mentioned, I do pause reps, i.e. pause at the top and bottom of the motion. Makes it much tougher. I see guys doing calf raises on leg press and they are just essentially bouncing the weight up and down. Not only is it not nearly as effective, it also puts much more undue strain on their achilles tendons. It's a good way to snap one.

[Wierz]

I started doing the paused reps (also concentrating on a slow contraction during the rep) with heavy weight. They have worked well for me so far. I used to "bounce" the weight far too much, the paused reps work seem much more effective to me.

[Focused70]

I just started using this pause strategy for calf work, and it's BRUTALLY hard.

Very cool.

You'll probably want to toss in the occasional 5-second pause set or 10-second pause set....once you get up and running that is. ;)