I Did 100 Calf Raises Every Night for 2 Weeks — Check Out My Transformation

I have been training for almost two decades and my lower legs have always been the bane of my existence. Even though I train them regularly, my calves look like they are missing the size and definition and make my overall physique look unproportionate.

Recently, I decided to do 100 calf raises daily for two weeks to force my stubborn lower legs to get bigger, stronger, and more defined.

In this article, I take you over the details of this 14-day calf training experiment and share the results I achieved. I’ll also share practical tips and tricks you can use if you’re looking to try a similar challenge.

We have a lot to unpack, so sit tight and read on.

Setting the Stage for the 100 Calf Raise Challenge

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this challenge, I want to paint a clear picture of my current fitness level and calf development so you can understand the relevance of this two-week calf raise challenge for me.

Although I train five to six days a week and my workouts involve a mix of compound and isolation lifts, supplemented with accessory work, direct calf work is sporadic. I’d say I hit them once a week with minimal intensity. I have no qualms in admitting that they were never a priority for me.

I signed up for this 100 calf raise challenge to fix this.

How To Perform Calf Raises

I chose standing calf raises for this challenge as they target the bigger gastrocnemius muscle of the lower legs, which is responsible for the coveted inverted heart shape. Furthermore, since I was doing this at home, this variation makes it easy to complete the hundred reps anywhere.

This is how you do the calf raises correctly to maximize target muscle fiber stimulation:

1. Place the balls of your feet on a wooden step, stool, or stairstep with your heels suspended in the air. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and parallel.
2. While maintaining a slide band in your knees, slowly raise up onto the ball of your feet and squeeze your calves in the fully shortened position.
3. Think about looking like a ballerina at the top of your range of motion.
4. Slowly return to the starting position until your heels are a few inches off the floor.
5. Repeat for recommended reps.

I highly recommend tweaking your rep tempo to improve your mind-muscle connection and boost target muscle fiber stimulation. For instance, use a 5-2-1-1 rep tempo to fry your calves. It involves spending five seconds on the eccentric phase, two seconds in the fully stretched position, and one second each in the concentric and fully flexed positions.

Research shows that slowing down the eccentrics leads to greater hypertrophy gains than rushing through them, as it increases the time under tension (TUT), maximizing muscle stimulation and subsequent adaptations. (1)

This will hurt, but learn to embrace the pain and your gains will be on another level.

How and Where Did I Perform the 100 Calf Raises

I performed the 100 daily calf raises each night right before going to bed. I did them on the staircase as the handrails add stability, allowing you to focus on strengthening the mind-muscle connection.

The best part about calf raises is that you don’t need much more than your own body weight to make considerable gains. As you gain more experience, slow down the rep tempo to progressively overload your calves.

Week 1: The Initial Burn

I took on this two-week challenge because I wanted to shock my muscles and there is no better way of doing it than performing 1,400 reps of an exercise within a very short period.

Without further ado, let’s dive into how it went:

Days 1-3: The Rude Awakening

I usually do around 30 to 50 reps of calf raises in my usual workouts. Initially, I had thought that performing 100 reps would not be such a big deal but boy was I wrong.

Increasing your overall training volume by 2-3x is no joke, especially in isolation exercises like calf raises.

In the first three workouts, I broke the 100 reps into five sets of 20 reps. Remember, the goal here isn’t to go through the motions for the sake of it. You must prioritize muscle contraction with each rep to get the most out of your workouts.

The delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) was through the roof on Day Three and it made even walking a big challenge. I had to walk with my knees slightly flexed to remove some tension from my lower legs. Don’t even get me started on climbing the stairs.

Days 4-7: Adaptation and Adjustments

I went from doing five sets to three sets of equal reps in the second phase of this week. This was a sign that my body was adapting to this new challenge and my programming was doing its job as intended.

Plus, the soreness began to subside and I could finally walk without feeling like I was auditioning for “The Walking Dead.”

Completing 100 reps of any exercise is as much a mental battle as it is physical. You might feel like a champ during the first 20-30 reps but fatigue and muscle-ripping pumps strike as soon as you cross this mark.

Knowing how to pace yourself is one of the biggest signs of an advanced athlete.

Honestly assess your current fitness levels, learn to listen to your body, and adjust your training volume so you can complete the recommended sets and reps while maintaining an optimum form.

Nutrition and Recovery: Fueling the Gains

One week is too early to expect significant muscle size and strength developments. However, I always use this time while following a new program to focus on my diet and recovery.

Since I was doing this 100 daily calf raise challenge in addition to my typical strength training routine, I bumped up my calorie and macronutrient intake to support muscle growth and recovery. I also consumed a higher amount of complex carbs at dinner to replenish my glycogen stores and fuel my second daily workout.

I aimed to get seven to eight hours of eye-shut time each night to give my body enough time to repair and my muscles to get bigger and stronger.

Remember, no matter how hard you train, you can’t achieve your dream physique if you’re not eating right and allowing your body enough time to recover. You break down muscle tissue while exercising. They grow bigger and stronger in the remaining hours.

Week 2: Finding a Rhythm

Now that I was settled in, it was time to turn things up a notch. Here is how the final week went:

Days 8-11: Time To Experiment

I hit a plateau around the ninth day and wasn’t able to proceed beyond the three sets.

On Day 10, I began experimenting with different foot placements to target various heads of the calf muscles. For instance, placing your feet in an ‘A’ position targets the inner calf heads, a ‘V’ position hits the outer heads whereas a neutral stance targets the full calf muscle equally.

Since my workouts were getting more intense, I added active recovery techniques like light cardio, stretching yoga flows, outdoor walks, and swimming to boost blood flow and reduce muscle stiffness.

Research shows that light physical activity on your days off is more effective in promoting recovery than doing absolutely nothing. (2)

Day 12-14: The Final Stretch

I finally broke the two-set barrier and was able to complete the 100 reps in two equal installments.

That said, I experienced an uptick in my muscle soreness again as I pushed beyond mechanical muscle failure by employing lengthened partials. (3)

To spice things up in the final phase of the second week, I added single-leg calf variations to the mix to challenge my lower leg muscle further. This made my calves feel tighter, more responsive, and stronger.

Challenges and Improvements

At this point, I’d also like to mention that completing the 100 reps wasn’t always a walk in the park. Mid-week, I had a very intense leg training session, and my calves were already very fatigued from it. Doing the 100 reps on top of that made me feel like my lower legs could crumble at any point.

Consistency, dedication, and discipline are the most important factors while following a strength training program. Learn to listen to your body and adjust your training routine as needed.

I was surprised to see a slight improvement in my calf definition in such a short duration, especially since my lower legs are such a lagging part.

Results and Reflections of 100 Daily Calf Raise Challenge

Let’s now talk about the results because this is why we put ourselves through all the trouble:

• Strength and Muscle Gains: While I didn’t notice a big difference in my calf size, my muscle definition improved by a margin. The most noticeable improvement came in strength. Completing the 100 reps was a challenge initially but I could complete them without the mind-numbing muscle pain toward the end of the two weeks.
• Balance Improvements: My performance in unilateral exercises like walking lunges was subpar. However, I noticed an improved sense of stability in these exercises after incorporating single-leg calf raises into my routine.
• Unexpected Benefits: As someone who has dealt with plantar fasciitis in the past, I’m not a lot comfortable with calf raises. Nonetheless, my ankles felt much more stronger and stable after I completed this challenge. This could be due to the increased blood flow to the area and enhanced muscle stimulation.

Conclusion

I had no idea what to expect from this super-short 14-day calf raise challenge. However, the improvements in strength, balance, and overall lower leg health blew me away. This has also motivated me to increase the frequency and total volume of my regular calf workouts.

Calf raises are an excellent exercise as they can improve your ankle stability and jump performance while helping you build bigger, stronger, and more aesthetically appealing lower legs. Start small but stick to it, and you’ll be able to force your stubborn calves into growing.

If you have any questions about this 100 calf raise two-week challenge or need help implementing it into your routine, post them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

References:

1. Azevedo PHSM, Oliveira MGD, Schoenfeld BJ. Effect of different eccentric tempos on hypertrophy and strength of the lower limbs. Biol Sport. 2022 Mar;39(2):443-449. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2022.105335. Epub 2021 Jun 1. PMID: 35309524; PMCID: PMC8919893.
2. Ortiz RO Jr, Sinclair Elder AJ, Elder CL, Dawes JJ. A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Active Recovery Interventions on Athletic Performance of Professional-, Collegiate-, and Competitive-Level Adult Athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Aug;33(8):2275-2287. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002589. PMID: 29742750.
3. Pedrosa GF, Lima FV, Schoenfeld BJ, Lacerda LT, Simões MG, Pereira MR, Diniz RCR, Chagas MH. Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths. Eur J Sport Sci. 2022 Aug;22(8):1250-1260. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1927199. Epub 2021 May 23. PMID: 33977835.

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