4 Steps to Stronger Calves
Some people are born with incredible intellect while others are born into money. There are also those who are born blessed with huge calves – don’t you envy these guys? Luckily, there is more to muscular claves than genetics. There is so much you can do to have massive calves, probably better than those who have naturally huge calves. The biggest misdoing that you can do when trying to build leg muscles is to train them as an afterthought rather than as a significant muscle. Here are the tricks you can employ for making your calves to grow stronger and more prominent.
1. Combine rep ranges
Confusion could be a bad thing for the brain, but certainly not for your muscles. It’s one of the best ways to keep your muscles growing and progressing. Just like any other muscle, your calves will benefit from a variety of rep intensities and ranges. At the start of the session, begin with a set of heavy weights and low repetitions, about 4 to 6 repeats. This is because at that time your muscles are fresh and energetic, so, it will maximize stimulation and overwork the fast twitch fibers. Once you complete this set, start dropping the weight steadily while increasing the rep range. You can now incorporate sets of 8 to 15 reps and finish with sets of 20 to 50 repetitions. This will kindle cellular swelling and boost muscular growth, especially in the slow twitch fibers of your calves.
2. Go barefoot and explosive
Here is a practical yet underrated tip with regards to maximizing growth in the lower legs and calves. Consider training barefoot or using minimalist footwear for optimal results. It is particularly critical when you are performing sprints, plyometrics, jump rope, agility drills, and calf exercises. However simple the idea seems, it is crucial in not only ensuring the growth of the larger muscles around the calves but also for the small ones on, the lower legs, calves. When you do this, you will be waking up new muscles that will help in stabilizing your body and absorb shock from workouts. However, make sure to progress gradually when introducing barefoot and minimalistic footwear approach to your training. If you add the concept abruptly, your legs might go out of action for days, which you wouldn’t fancy.
3. Perform higher frequency
Calf muscles are some of the best muscle groups that respond to higher frequency training. This is because they are relatively small and might be slow twitch. This means that they take longer to grow than other muscles and should be prioritized when training. So, the next time you are in the gym, work on training your calves at least thrice a week. Add calf exercises to your regular training days to ensure you give them the attention they deserve. Combine them with other muscle groups such as the back, shoulder, and chest. For instance, you can do a set of calf exercises between your sets of presses, pull-ups, and rows. Not only will this ensure efficiency of your workouts, but it will also ensure that the calves are challenged to new growth levels often. For better physical endurance and stamina, you can incorporate SARM stack into your training. They’re safer than steroids and provide the benefits of traditional AAS (anabolic-androgenic steroids).
4. Don’t neglect one leg
If you participate in athletic activities or have ever played a sport, you may have noticed that one calf muscle is considerably more advanced than the other. Not only will this visually distract you from your desired physique, but it also puts you at high risk of injury. The best way to ensure a balanced asymmetry on any muscle is to train every leg separately. Every regular calf exercise can be adapted to suit single leg variation, and you can perform single leg calf raises at home. Consider doing three sets of 20 reps on each leg every day for four weeks, and you will be amazed at the progress. The online fitness boom has availed several quality tips on how to build bulk, but calf training seems to have been left out. This has left many scratching their heads and trying hard to find the information they require elsewhere. Others have given up on their quest to have “handsome” and strong looking legs. If this is your case, do not despair. These four tips plus your determination will leave you looking like you were born with calves naturally.
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