are calves soley genetic?

[Deep South Chris]

ok...i never used to train legs...dumb i know, but i have been for a while now and my quads and hams...and whole upper leg have responded VERY nicely. my calves have responded somewhat...but hardly...on to the point, are they soley based on genetics? i was told by someone at my gym:

"chicks can work tits, and guys can work calves, but if they arnt big from the start, they wont ever be"

im sure its true to some extent...but they should be able to grow to decent size shouldnt they?

thanks in advance

 

[mister69]

yeah i have the problem becuase i havent been blessed with great calves at all, but youknow what, they have grown and are lookin ok these days, still not what i want them to be, but it takes long hard work.

Just keep working them andthey will grow.

The way I look at things is that there are a lot of people that say they want bigger triceps, but in ordre for them to grow everything else has to grow.

I just eat lots and train and be patient.

But yeah i got friends with huge calves and they barely work them.

Hell, i have seen chicks with some diesel calves now thats a turn on :-o

 

[syko]

yup its all genetics

 

[thetopdog]

I have gained 60 pounds since I started lifting and I don't think my calves have grown even 1/2 an inch

 

[mister69]

what are your stats?

 

[jcp2]

I don't care what anyone on here says, you either got em or you don't. I don't. I have done alot of shit to get them to grow. The only time they get even remotely bigger is from sprinting.

 

[rubberduckyo]

I'm with JCP on this one. You've either got 'em or you don't.

That said. You're not gonna know if you've got 'em unless you train them like heck! Your calves are probably one of the most worked muscles in your body. Think about that for a minute. They get worked constantly. Walking, heck even just standing. My calves were never very good at all till someone sat me down and explained that to me.

You've really gotta KILL 'EM to get any response out of them. They can take one helluva beating too. At my strongest my squat was 225 but on standing raises I could get 400 (no joke). My calves started to slowly improve.

Now as I've said, I do think it's largely genetic, but if you don't put in the work you'll never know what you've got.

 

[painless2]

The large underbelly of the calf is the soleus muscle, which is nearly homogenous in being slow twitch fibers, capable of very little hypertrophy. If you aren't blessed with good gastrocnemius muscles, then you will have to blame your parents, as always. You can always make them grow, but to what extent and to what shape will be determined genetically and anabolically.

 

[joshbeam1]

Yes, i'd like to blame my calves on my genetics too. Much improvement can be made by working out/diet, but I see the least progress w/my calves then any other muscle. Sux. Think some chicks have bigger calves then me Finally got mine up to 18"!! Has taken alot of frikken work though and patience.

 

[mister69]

some of you guys want to post your calf routines

thanks

 

[joshbeam1]

I usually do calf raises(use the leg press) do 3 sets of (10 reps normal , 10reps with toes angled out, 10 reps w/toes angled in) so 3 sets of 30 Alot of times I don't get all 30 by the end of my sets. (reason I point my toes in/out is to work the out side/inside of calf). Started added size to my tiny ass calves when I started doing that. Sometimes throw in some standing calf raises while holding a 45lb dumbell do as many as I can, then do as many as I can w/just body weight 1 leg at a time, then do bodyweight w/both legs as many as I can. Gives ya a good burn.

 

[mister69]

once a week?

I usually do calf raises(use the leg press) do 3 sets of (10 reps normal , 10reps with toes angled out, 10 reps w/toes angled in) so 3 sets of 30 Alot of times I don't get all 30 by the end of my sets. (reason I point my toes in/out is to work the out side/inside of calf). Started added size to my tiny ass calves when I started doing that. Sometimes throw in some standing calf raises while holding a 45lb dumbell do as many as I can, then do as many as I can w/just body weight 1 leg at a time, then do bodyweight w/both legs as many as I can. Gives ya a good burn.

 

[painless2]

Toe in and toe out is an old misconception when it comes to calves. It doesn't aid in building the calf, or any specific part of the calf, as opposed to regular, inline motions.

 

[joshbeam1]

Yes, once a week.
If toe in/toe out is a misconception, how come my calves really started responding once I started doing that, and before they barely grew at all?? And how come u can feel it more on your outer/inner part of the calf when u're doing the lift??

 

[jcp2]

some of you guys want to post your calf routines

thanks

I haven't done calves in over a year, i love it. I did look kind of funny in my squat suit yesterday though, lol

 

[1HUGE1]

you gott'em or you aint!! nice av deep south. (not)

 

[rubberduckyo]

Toe in and toe out is an old misconception when it comes to calves. It doesn't aid in building the calf, or any specific part of the calf, as opposed to regular, inline motions.

I believe you are misinformed.

 

[DiscoFever]

i love having genetic calves, im young and guys at my gym always ask me what i do and i tell em, 3 sets of raises a week on wednesday, they look at me crazy!

 

[painless2]

I believe you are misinformed.

The calf complex can consist of 2 or 3 muscles, given that some people do not have the plantaris muscle. The plantaris and gastroc cross both the knee joint and utlize the common insertion tendon of the Achilles to cross the ankle. Their actions are to 1) flex the knee, and 2) to plantar flex the ankle. These are linear working motions that are not aided by toe in toe out. The soleus muscle is a single joint muscle which has plantar flexion as it's sole responsibility, and toe in toe out does nothing to change the emphasis as well.

 

[rubberduckyo]

The calf complex can consist of 2 or 3 muscles, given that some people do not have the plantaris muscle. The plantaris and gastroc cross both the knee joint and utlize the common insertion tendon of the Achilles to cross the ankle. Their actions are to 1) flex the knee, and 2) to plantar flex the ankle. These are linear working motions that are not aided by toe in toe out. The soleus muscle is a single joint muscle which has plantar flexion as it's sole responsibility, and toe in toe out does nothing to change the emphasis as well.

So you're saying that years of advice given by those in the fitness community regarding training that muscle group are worthless?

~edit~ I'm not trying to start an argument here. It's just that every piece of advice I've ever been given and everything I've ever read regarding training this muscle group points to "toe in toe out" working different areas. If I'm wrong I'd like to know why. That's all. We're all here to learn right?