There are many bodybuilders who look like Marvel when it comes to the upper body. But when you look at their legs, especially calves, the difference is sometimes funny. Tiny legs might destroy you psychologically and you can become the subject of harassing and jokes.
Wearing track pants in the gym will not protect you from laugh. You mustn’t evade problems, you won’t get anywhere, face it! If someone makes jokes for your tiny legs, you should train harder and more intense to remove the shortcoming. Even the worst thing you hear from your enemy may become the best advice you ever got! We will present you one very simple tip to grow your calves into bulls.
Why Are Your Calves Weaker Than The Rest Of Your Body?
Repeating Wrong Things Over And Over
The calf muscle is made of three parts – gastrocnemius lateralis, gastrocnemius medialis, and soleus. Soleus is vital for jumping, and you can affect it via seated calf raises. The best exercises for gastrocnemius, the main foot plantar flexor, is standing calf raise. As you see, the mutual thing is lifting on your toes!
Have you ever watched your calves in the mirror? The biggest activation is seen, even by the naked eye, when you go up slowly!
Calves are active all day long when you walk, run, or climb stairs. It means regular three or five sets are not enough for maximum activation, you need something ten times harder to make them spit fire!
You need a different angle and different approach to activate calves properly. Many bodybuilders use compound exercises prior to the isolation ones, and that is the reason why calves can’t grow! Muscle grows better when it isn’t exhausted.
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Calves Are Equally Important As Other Muscle Groups
You must hit failure and change the intensity of your calf exercises regularly.
If you don’t push yourself to the maximum limits, you cannot expect progress. You mustn’t neglect your calves, you have to work them as well as other muscle groups!
Give your calves the attention your biceps and chest get.
If you work 12 sets for your biceps, do 12 sets for your calves. You were neglecting it previously, and you have to make up for it now.
Some people even don’t use the full range of movement.
Lift on your toes as much as possible for maximum effect. You can even use an aerobic stepper or the best standing calf machine to maximize the amplitude!
Your Secret Workout
All you need is one square meter in your house. Every day, you lift your toes so many times. And this is the move even a non-trained person can do, right?
Have you ever noticed how Spiderman’s calves look compared to his body? Your calves can look the same with this simple routine – and the result will be visible swiftly. You don’t even need weights!
All you have to do is one set of standing calf raises, 100 repetitions without rest.
Lift slowly on the toes and squeeze heels in the top position. Relax your heels and slowly return to the starting position. Perform this routine for a month, every night before sleep.
Mistakes and Tips:
- Exhale in the top position, and inhale as you go down.
- You must transfer the weight on the big toe, not on your smaller toes.
- Don’t drop like a bomb when going down, you might hurt your heels and you won’t get maximum effect.
- Do not lean on the wall or hold the wall, it minimizes the effect.
- As soon as your body gets used to the exercise and your calves aren’t killing you anymore, add 15 or 20 repetitions to your routine.
- Go to sleep immediately after your workout is finished.
- Put some rubber flooring under your feet if you feel uncomfortable.
- Keep your spine and head steady, do not move it forward, backward, or sideways.
- Your arms are beside your body, use them only if you need to maintain balance.
Final Words
Building Spiderman-looking calves is not a dream anymore. Even if you are the super strong alpha male with a world-class upper body, you should never let people laugh at you.
You know one of Jay Cutler’s magic greatness tips – learn from your rivals. The best way of defeating them is not letting them find your weak spot.
Here is one more important thing for competitions. Referees look at your calves, forearms, even the muscles that you do not know exist! Stay persistent and you will grow your calves into bulls before you initially expected!