I had this posted also in Routines
Here is the one that i follow
www.abcbodybuilding.com8 Weeks to Bigger Calves Part 1
by Jacob Wilson
Firstly if you have not read, The fundamentals of Calf Training Yet then I suggest you do this first before reading my workout. You can do so by clicking here
Workout I
Your first Calves workout will consist of:
Standing Calf Raises and Reverse Calf Raises
Warm up:
Come to the gym mentally prepared to " go to war " against your calf muscles. Because if you don't you are going to get beat, I guarantee it. Now before you begin you should warm up extremely well. I usually do a light set of 20 on the standing calf raise machine and two sets of 10 pyramiding up as I go. This will help you to focus not only physically, but mentally as well.
First set:
I want you to pick a weight in which you can strictly get 8-10 repetitions on the standing calf raise machine. Let me explain what I mean when I say strict. It should take one second to reach the top of the motion, then you should squeeze as hard as you can at the top and then take 1 to two seconds to lower the weight. As stated previously focus on transferring all your weight onto the ball of your big toe for a complete peak contraction. Now when you reach complete failure I want you to rack out as many partial repetitions as you can for approximately 30 seconds. This is the only time where you will be allowed to utilize sloppy reps. These reps are to be performed quickly to intensify the blood pump. It shouldn't take more than a second to rack out a partial repetition. But I don't want you to count the partials. I want you to count the seconds. So while you are performing partial reps you will be counting to 30 seconds in your head. By the end of the 30 seconds you might only be able to move your calves a millimeter.
Rest exactly one minute, no more and no less.
Second Set:
You will stick with the same weight this time and go to complete failure. When you cannot squeeze out another rep to save your life you need to again rack out 30 seconds of partial repetitions. However in order to throw the intensity of this set up a notch I will utilize what I call the, " Stretch shocking method. " Its not complicated at all. As soon as you have completed your partials you will keep your calves in a complete stretched out position for a total of 30 seconds. This will intensify the blood pump like nothing on earth! And as I have stated in earlier issues, a sustained pump is absolutely vital for optimal growth!
At this point your calves will be on fire! Unfortunately you have just begun!
Third Set:
This set should be the same as your first set but you will pyramid down to a lighter weight in which you can again perform 8-10 strict repetitions.
Fourth Set:
Again, stay at the same weight and mimic the second set exactly down to the T!
You have successfully made it through half of the workout! Give yourself a two minute breather and then get started with your 5th and 6th set.
5th-6th set:
As before you need to follow the same reoccurring patter that you used with the first two sets.
7th-8th set:
In these sets you will again follow the same reoccurring pattern. However I want you to pyramid down in weight quite a bit more than your previous 2 drops. Preferably doubling the drop in weight. For example, lets assume that you have stripped 30 pounds of weight per drop. You will now drop a total of 60 pounds. The reason for this has to do with the muscle's peak. In order for you to get a complete diamond shape you must concentrate on peaking the muscle to a complete and total contraction. With a lighter than normal weight your will be able to accomplish this important aspect of your calves development. These repetitions should be performed even stricter than all of the previous sets.
Important Note: If you are not used to this kind of intensity then I would recommend starting out with just 6 sets and working your way up to 8. Also if you have not trained your calves at all, it would be advisable to start with just 4 sets and again work your way up.
Next is reverse calf raises. Now this is an extremely vital exercise that I rarely see used. It not only contributes to the overall size of your calf muscles but also is responsible for making your calves look huge from the front! However if you do not perform these in a correct manner you will not benefit from them, at least not optimally. There are different ways of achieving success with this exercise, below is one of my favorites!
Set one:
First you need to perform 10 very succinct and extremely strict repetitions. Hold a peak contraction at the top of the movement and then lower your feet slowly. It should take about 2 seconds to lower your feet to the bottom of the movement, a second to perform the positive portion of the rep and then a one second peak contraction.
Its after you have performed these 10 reps that the fun actually begins! I now want you to rack out extremely fast repetitions. As quickly as possible! Similar to the reps you performed after you reached failure on the standing calf raises. When you feel that your tibia( front of your calf ) is pumped full of Blood then count to 30 while continuing your quick reps. Do not begin the count until you Feel a deep burning sensation! Why? Simply because it is after this phase of the lift where growth is achieved.
Set Two:
Same as above
Set Three:
Same as above
That's it for your first workout. Absolutely brutal! Now limp to your car and get home or drive to a juice bar as quickly as possible, because you need to slam a massive post workout shake immediately, if not sooner!
Workout II
Your first Calves workout will consist of:
Seated Calf Raises and Reverse Calf Raises
Well you made it through your first workout, now you get to see what I have in store for workout number two! This session will be as quick as it is brutal! The pain will be tremendous, but your growth will be equally as impressive. Here we go!
Warm up
Get to the gym and perform three light sets of 14, 12, 10. By the time you get to 10 you should be about 20 pounds below your starting weight. Stretch your calves out and prepare yourself mentally for an all out war against your calves!!!!
First set:
I want you to pick a weight in which you can get 10 strict reps on the standing calf raise machine. Lets say for example that that is 300 pounds. Perform these 10 reps extremely strictly to complete failure.
Now I want you or your partner to Strip weight immediately off the machine so that you can continue your set. To be more specific, I’d like you to strip off exactly 25 percent of the weight you were using. So if you were lifting 300 pounds you should immediately strip down to 225 pounds. As before you need to drive your calves to complete failure! Half way through this second set your mind will want fail before your calves do. Prepare yourself for this beforehand. Tell your mind no, and continue the set till true muscular failure with the target weight. When you cannot muster another rep I want you to perform partial repetitions for a total of 30 seconds. Just as with workout one do not count reps, count seconds at this point.
Thought you were done? Sorry, you still have to drop the weight once more! Taking into consideration the weakened state of your calves I want you to take off at least 40 percent of the weight currently on the stack. So if you were doing 225 then you should strip it all the way down to 135.
It is this last drop set that separates the men from the boys. It is now where you must use the gladiators mentality and fight as if this there were no tomorrow! As with your previous set you need to push yourself to complete failure! The pain will be numbing at this stage but you must muster up your last bit of strength and give me another set of partial repetitions for a time span of 30 seconds!
Now rest for 3-5 minutes
Set 2:
Repeat set one
You have now made it! Like a warrior you have won the battle. But similarly you will have to concentrate on healing your wounds over the next few days. That means lots of protein! To the tune of 1.5 to 2 grams per pound of bodyweight a day!
Workout 3
Ok workout 3 is actually the exact same as workout one except instead of using the standing calf raise to execute it, you will be utilizing the seated calf raise machine.
Workout 4
Again you will use the seated calf raise machine and perform the same workout as I outlined in workout number 2.
Repeat weeks 1-4.
That my friends is “ 8 weeks to Bigger Calves” As an important note I would like you to measure your calves before the 8 weeks and then after. This is by far the best way to measure growth! So do yourself a big favor and get a measurement so you know for sure how much you have progressed! If you have any questions about the workout I’d be glad to answer them in our forums or at my email address, trainer@abcbodybuilding.com Thank you and good luck!
Sincerely
Jacob Wilson
