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Let’s face it:

Your calves suck and you’re desperately looking for a solution to make them grow.

It’s frustrating, I know.

You’ve put in the work and nothing seems to happen. Why can’t they just grow like the rest of your muscles?!

The calves are an important part of an aesthetic physique (as I laid out in my book) and anchor the lower body to create visual balance from head to toe.

But unfortunately, the calves are the Achilles heel (pun intended) of lots of otherwise great physiques…

“But why?!”

In my experience, bad calves come from these 5 things:

1. You have bad calf genetics
2. You don’t understand calf anatomy or exercise selection
3. You have bad calf raise technique
4. You don’t prioritize your calves like other muscles
5. You don’t train your calves often or hard enough

In this article, I’ll be addressing these all, building you from the ground up to teach you all about the calves, and showing you what you can do about it to get them to grow and match the rest of your physique.

Read on.

Reason #1: You Have Bad Calf Genetics

It’s gym time, and as you walk on over to the weight room to give your lagging calves some tough love, you see a skinny-fat racquetball warrior walk past with massive calves despite doing absolutely ZERO formal weight training for them.

WTF?

This is due to 2 main factors:

1. Muscular potential
2. Muscle shape/insertion

Let’s look at each of them in more detail:

1. Muscular Potential

Muscular potential refers to how much a certain muscle responds to training and how big it can get. This varies from person to person and muscle to muscle.

For example, this 2004 study found that the soleus muscle (the long muscle of the calves that runs beneath the gastrocnemius) had a muscle protein synthesis response that was outright laughable – even after a relatively high volume of 12 sets of calf raises!

In fact, the average fractional synthetic rate – a way that muscle growth is measured – of the vastus lateralis (the outer quad) is 200% higher than that of the soleus (calf) found in this study.

In line with other research, the lower body already appears to respond less than the upper body in terms of muscle growth, so this is further evidence of how the calves are stubborn compared to the your biceps, for example.

2. Calf Shape/Calf Insertions

A rookie mistake of bodybuilding is to assume that all bodies are created equally and have the same potential for looking like a Greek god.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Your DNA doesn’t just tell your muscles how much to respond from exercise, but it also impacts how those muscles are shaped.

For example, calves that insert high up on the lower leg make it crazy hard to develop that wide, sweeping set of calves that you’re after.

In general based on my observations:

• Black people tend to have higher inserting calves
• Asians tend to have lower inserting calves
• Caucasians tend to be somewhere in the middle.

This also works hand in hand with the genetic potential part, too.

Some of the biggest, non-fat calves I’ve ever seen in my life have been from Asians who don’t even lift.

And because aesthetics are all about proportion, the size of your ankles and knees will also have an effect on how big your calves look.

Am I doomed to have small calves forever?

Slow down, toothpick legs.

Calves without a doubt have a huge genetic component, but that doesn’t mean that you’re doomed to a lifetime of tiny calves hiding in the darkness under the cloth of long pants and dresses.

In fact, for guys, a nice set of calves will get to around the same size as your upper arm.

You’ve just got to train them the right way.

Let’s look at how, starting with calf anatomy and proper exercise selection/execution:

Reason #2: You Don’t Understand Calf Anatomy or Exercise Selection for the Calves

Next up, most people just don’t understand the function of the calves & how to pick the right exercises to hammer them effectively.

We’ll fix that.

A quick lesson on the anatomy of the calves:

Calf Anatomy

The calves are the group of muscles of the lower leg made up of two muscle groups whose main function is plantarflexion (increasing the angle between your foot and leg – “getting up on your tippy toes”).

These muscles are the:

• Gastrocnemius
• Soleus

Collectively, they are known as the triceps surae, and while there are several muscles in the lower limbs (more than you ever thought), these are the ones that’ll turn your lagging calves into a pair of diamonds.

Understanding the anatomy and function of these muscles will help you understand how best to train them:

The gastrocnemius (gastroc) is the large, ‘ball’ part of your calf. When you think of great calves, it’s largely because of this guy. The gastronemius is a biarticular muscle, meaning that it crosses two joints. The gastrocs assist in both plantarflexion (tippy toes – like a calf raise) and to a small extent, knee flexion (heel to glutes – like a leg curl). Remember this – it’ll be important later.

The soleus, on the other hand, is a bit different from it’s flashy sibling, the gastrocnemius. The soleus is uniarticular (crosses only one joint) and does not cross the knee. It is a long muscle that lies underneath the gastrocnemius. Despite this fact, it does contribute to a pair of great calves and shouldn’t be neglected. 

The soleus is also heavily endurance oriented and because of this, it’s often stubborn to training.  In fact, it has a muscle fiber composition that is heavily skewed towards type I (slow-twitch, more endurance based) fibers.

Most muscles of the human body have a fairly even split between type I and type II fibers (like the gastrocnemius), but the soleus is notoriously slow twitch with a proportion of 80+% type I fibers on average. 

This simply makes sense from a functional point of view. How many reps a day do you do with your calves every day assuming 5,000-10,000 steps per day moving your bodyweight?

That’s a lot of volume. And you expect them to grow with 2-3 pumpy sets after a hard leg day?

Good luck with that.

Exercises for the Calves

Ok then. What exercises do we have to target those lagging calves of yours?

Based on the basic calf anatomy and function we’ve just discussed, you should be doing two types of exercises for them:

1. Straight leg calf-raise
2. Bent-knee calf-raise

Yes, it really can be that simple. After all, the calves only go up and down.

But the devil is in the details.

Let’s look at each and how they will be used to work on bringing up your calves.

Straight Leg Calf Raise

As I said in the section over calf anatomy, the gastrocnemius crosses two joints, so not only does it put you on your tippy toes (plantarflexion), but it also helps the hamstrings out in bringing the heel backwards (knee flexion). 

When your knees are straight, the gastroc will be stretched at the knee, and it is going to be able to generate more force at the ankle.

Therefore, the straight leg calf raise movement is there to let the gastrocs do the work & shine. You can really push some serious weight here and get excellent stimulation of your calves.

There are several ways to do this:

• Standing straight leg calf machine
• Seated straight leg calf machine
• Leg press machine

As a general rule, I tend to prefer closed chain movements for the calves.

This means that YOU are moving, not the weight (like what happens during a lateral raise, for example.)

The calves simply don’t operate in an open chain fashion, and you’ll more than likely find that you get better contractions by using closed chain calf raises.

• Rep Ranges and Variations

For straight leg calf raises, stay on the lower end of the rep spectrum. 5-10 reps tend to work best with straight leg calf raises under proper form. 

You can def bump that higher here or there (15-20) for variety on occasion depending on your programming, but I wouldn’t make it my first choice by a long shot. 

The gastrocs are a powerful muscle & your best results will come from utilizing their full potential.

Bent Knee Calf Raise

As I just pointed out, the gastrocnemius crosses the knee joint and assists in knee flexion (think of a leg curl). 

Because of this, it enters what’s known as active insufficiency when the knee is bent and can’t exert force optimally, so its little brother, the soleus has to pick up the slack.

That’s where a bent-knee calf raise comes in.

By performing bent-knee calf raises, you’ll be giving the spotlight to the soleus which will allow you to give it proper attention without its big brother stealing the show.

Most gyms worth their salt have a bent-knee calf raise machine, but if it doesn’t, you can use a barbell with a pad underneath to spare your thighs to mimic the movement.

Try it yourself: Point your toes with both your leg straight and bent. Where do you feel it? Where do you see the contraction? You’ll notice that the gastrocnemius still has a bunch of ‘slack’ in it when you bend your knees. 

• Rep Ranges and Variations

As I also stated earlier, the soleus is a slow-twitch dominant dominant. If it wasn’t, you’d hate your life and crawl everywhere.

Because of this, it’s going to do best with high reps and higher volumes for the majority of the work.

For these, I like to see 12-15 reps up to 20 reps+ with clean, solid form (see below). Slightly shorter rest times (60-90 secs) may be better here as well.

Reason #3 You Have Bad Calf Raise Technique

The exercises for calves aren’t surprising.

You’re probably doing those already. Anyone with some common sense can figure that out.

But are you doing them the right way?

Look at any random dude working out their calves at the gym, and you’ll get a migraine from all the damn bouncing going on.

They might even have that machine loaded up to the sky like the Tower of Babbel with huge stacks of weight plates.

Bounce

bounce

bounce. 

“Damn,” you think.

“He’s doing all that weight and his calves aren’t even that great. I really have to load up the calf machine and pump out a ton of reps, too!”

Wrong.

You see, the Achilles tendon – the tendon that connects the calves – is extremely good at transferring energy, so Mr. and Mrs. Bounce are wasting their time.

Named after the glorified Greek warrior from the Iliad, Achilles may be gifted with the spear, but if spear-headed calves are what you’re after, you better keep him in check.

To get around this, you have to make sure that you have a controlled eccentric (the negative or descent portion of the lift) and incorporate a slight pause at the bottom of the exercise to allow that momentum and elastic energy to dissipate.

You don’t have to camp out at the bottom of your reps like a hipster waiting for the next iPhone release, but go ALL the way down until you feel a nice stretch on your calves and make a clear STOP like the cops are scoping out the stop sign intersection.

That’ll make sure that your calves are the ones doing the work – not it’s workaholic warrior, Achilles.

BONUS TIP: CHANGE YOUR FOOT POSITION TO TARGET THE CALVES

There is evidence suggesting that switching up your foot positioning by changing the angle of your foot when doing calf raises can target different heads of the gastrocs better.

So, if your lagging calves are leaning to one side, turn your feet slightly inside or out to give a little more focus to one side or the other.

This should be done through hip internal/external rotation since the ankles do not move that way.

• With your feet turned inwards (pigeon toed), you’ll be activating more of the lateral (outer) head of the gastroc
• With your feet turned outwards (duck toed), you’ll be activating more of the medial (inner) head of the gastroc

If you find your calves lagging on one side alone, start performing your calf raises unilaterally, or one leg at a time. This will make sure that you get proportional calf development by forcing each side to work independently.

What Shoes Should You Wear When Training Your Calves?

Before wrapping up our section on technique for making your stubborn calves grow, it’s worth mentioning your shoes.

In order for you to perform the exercises the right way, you’ll want a flat, flexible shoe that lets you get full range of motion for your calves throughout the entire exercise.

Rigid high tops are a no-no, and so are stiff soled shoes that don’t allow you to arch your foot naturally.

Performing your calf exercises them with socks only can be another good option if it doesn’t make it slippery for you.

Reason #4: You Don’t Prioritize Your Calves

Bad technique is definitely a huge reason why people have small calves, but perhaps a bigger contributor to lagging calves is this:

Prioritization.

I’m not here to pull up a chair and give you a daddy lecture, but you need to get your priorities in order.

Think for a sec about where most people put their calf exercises in their training program:

At the end of a leg workout tucked into the corner like a red-headed problem child in timeout.

Now think for a sec about how much effort and energy is given to them:

Enough to say “I did it” so you can kangaroo hop on home to whine on social media about how calves are “all genetics”.

That’s not gonna cut it.

You’ve got to start viewing your calves as your precious little babies who get priority attention.

If you want diamonds, you need to start viewing them like diamonds.

Therefore, if big calves are your goal, you need to give them PRIORITY.

How?

Got you.

1. Train Calves First in Your Workouts

The muscle group you hit first is usually going to make the best progress, all else equal. 

You’re fresh, full of energy, and can give the exercise your full focus and effort. How often do you see someone do calves first? Well, you’re about to.

Stop leaving calves for the end of the workout when you’re already drained, and instead move them forward in the waiting line – first, if and where practical and not a limiter for your following exercises.

2. Have a Calf Day

Yes. #CalfDay

If you find that putting your calf workout first interferes too much with the execution of your other exercises (on leg day), give calves their own day at least 1x/week.

No more tacking them on as an afterthought..

Give your calves proper attention just as you would the other muscles of your physique. Second-class treatment is a surefire way to be headed towards a second class physique.

Aesthetics are all about balance and proportion. Leave no zone neglected.

If it’s practical, you can knock out your calf workout in the morning or evening separated from your other training.

You can also see benefits from super-setting calves with another muscle group. Arms and calves, for example.

Not all gyms or gym times make this doable, but if you can do it, it’s an easy way to get your calf workout in without wrecking your schedule.

Reason #5: You Don’t Train Your Calves Hard or Often Enough

Even if you have the first 4 points down, most people just aren’t hitting their calves hard or often enough. We’ll touch on both:

Training Frequency for Lagging Calves

Training frequency is another one of those topics of debate, but it’s pretty clear by now in the scientific community that if you want to make the best gains, you’ve got to hit a muscle group more than 1x/week.

There is also evidence suggesting that the more advanced a muscle gets, the more frequently it can be hit (while factoring in total volume). 

This is especially true for the calves which are smaller, recover quickly, and are already relatively ‘trained’ from walking.

If you’re only hitting calves 1x/week, you only have yourself to blame for small calves.

Bump that up to at least 2x/week.

In reality, the best calf growth for most people is going to come from hitting them 3-4x/week. Make sure to factor in your total volume:

Training Volume for Lagging Calves

Now what about the training volume for your calves?

Volume is the #1 factor for muscle growth, and the benefit you get from that volume follows an inverted U curve where the more you do, the better – so long as you’re not overdoing it.

See the chart below:

Like I said earlier, research already shows differences between muscle groups with regards to volume, and research, client, and personal experience all agree that the calves are going to need more volume than other muscle groups to get its best growth.

If you’re only doing 2 or 3 sets for calves because “they’re small” or just to get it over with, you’re only shooting yourself in the foot (pun intended) when it comes to your small calves.

So how many sets do you need to do for calves?

In my experience:

• 12 sets/week should be the minimum
• 18-24 sets per week on average tends to produce the best results for most people

Now I’ll show you how to about scheduling that in a simple, effective way:

How to Make Your Calves Grow

We’ve gone over quite a bit so far as to why your calves are lagging and the things that you’re going to do to fix that. So now let’s wrap all of that together & give you a routine to make those calves grow.

With these protocols, start off with the generic routine on the low end of the volume requirements and only increase the sets and switch into the advanced routine after you’ve given it time and see how you respond.

As always, ensure that you are carrying it out with proper form like we’ve talked about and are focusing on progression. 

Generic Calf Building Workout

The following should be done 2x/week:

• Straight Leg Calf Raises: 3-5 sets x 5-8 repetitions
• Bent-knee Calf Raises: 3-5 sets x 12-20 repetitions

Start at 3 sets and increase as needed. Remember that volume follows a dose-response relationship.

Advanced Calf Building Workout

If you’ve given it some time (2-3 months) and can handle more volume & frequency for your calves, consider moving into this more advanced calf workout. Here there is a lighter day for extra volume without the additional wear and tear.

If your calves are REALLY stubborn, you can add a 4th day by repeating what you did on day 2.

If necessary, blood flow restriction training can be a good option to get extra stimulation with even lighter weights and less muscle damage on this day. Click the link to see my ultimate guide on that.

Day 1&3:

• Straight Leg Calf Raises: 3-5 sets x 5-8 repetitions
• Bent-knee Calf Raises: 3-5 sets x 12-15 repetitions

Day 2:

• Straight Leg Calf Raises: 3-5 sets x 12-15 repetitions
• Bent-knee Calf Raises: 3-5 sets x 20-30 repetitions

How to Make Your Calves Grow: Conclusion

And there you have it. Why your calves suck & what to do about it.

Let’s recap:

Put these principles into play, work hard, be patient, and soon those small calves will be a thing of the past.

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