6 Tips to Get Bigger Calves

Some people are born with money. Some people are born with incredible intelligence. And then there are those who are blessed with enormous calves. Just hate These people? (Okay, maybe hate is too strong a word.) But those of us who have a hard time seeing much calf development envy those who rarely need to do calf raises but have thick, strong muscles from knee to ankle.

There are plenty of people with big legs, a huge chest, and huge arms, but if you have huge calves, you’re in your own club. However, a lack of genetics is no excuse for having unimpressive calves. More often than not, a weak pair of calves is a product of poor training, not poor genes.

The good news: Even if you don’t share the gene for big calf muscles with Manny Pacquiao, you can still build awesome muscle in your lower legs. Sometimes, the hardest working, smartest workers outperform the genetically gifted. If you’ve been adding a few lazy sets to the end of your workouts—or worse, ignoring them altogether—it’s time to start treating the area below your knees with a little more respect.

Most guys find that their calves don’t grow much. This means that if you want to see any gains in size and strength, you definitely need to attack your calves. Traditional workouts won’t work—here are 6 unique methods and a few exercises we swear by to grow those stubborn calf muscle fibers.

Note: Do not use all of these methods at the same time, otherwise your calves may become overtrained, which of course will not contribute to growth. Choose two or three items from this list and change them every few weeks.

Related: The 50 Best Leg Exercises of 2024

6 Tips to Get Bigger Calves

1. Work Your Calves for 2-4 Weeks

Work your calves daily for two to four consecutive weeks before returning to your normal routine. Use a different exercise each day, doing about four to six sets per workout.

2. Exercise Before Bed

Every night before bed, do 100 slow, hard-squeeze standing calf raises using only your body weight. Do this in addition to your regular routine. Go for the maximum burn!

3. Walk on Your Toes More

Walk on your toes instead of flat feet whenever possible. (This is why ballet dancers have strong calves.)

4. Calf Raise on Stairs

Each time you encounter stairs, do a calf raise on each step. As you go down, press through the ball of your foot, as this will act as a plyometric move for your calves.

5. Train Barefoot

Do as Arnold does and work your calves with your bare feet (if your feet can handle it). This will increase the range of motion for any calf movement and create a very intense contraction.

6. Do 2 Calf Exercises a Week (Heavy and Light)

Try two calf workouts a week—one with very heavy weights for sets of 4 to 6 reps, and one with very light weights for sets of 25 to 50 reps. This will hit fibers you probably don't target with traditional exercises.

Related: These Calf Exercises Will Definitely Add Volume to Skinny Legs

Exercises to Build Bigger Calves

1. Seated Calf Raise

How To

1. To start, sit on a bench and place the soles of your feet on a block or step.
2. Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees and your toes should be pointing straight ahead.
3. Allow your heels to slide toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your calves.
4. Now press the tips of your toes into the platform and lift your heels as high as you can.
5. This is 1 rep.
6. Perform 2 sets of 25 repetitions.

Pro Tip

To make the move more challenging, hold dumbbells on both thighs.

2. Single-Leg Calf Raise

How To

1. To start, stand with your left leg on a block or step and keep your weight on the ball of your foot.
2. Wrap your right foot behind your left leg to stabilize yourself.
3. Allow your body to sink toward the floor and stretch your calf.
4. Hold and push the front of your foot toward the surface as you lift your heel up.
5. Complete 1 set of 30 reps.

3. Hole Calf Raise

How To

1. First, stand on a block or step with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower yourself down as if you were going to squat.
3. Get as high as you can on your toes without stretch your hips or legs.
4. This is 1 rep.
5. Perform 2 sets of 25 repetitions.