There are rules to everything in life. You can’t make a living without paying taxes, that’s one rule we all know too well. You can’t drive a car without following the rules of the road, right? And there’s one rule on life that we all, unfortunately, have to follow: Nobody makes it out alive! But one of the more pleasant set of rules involves those involved with building up the calf muscles. Let’s check them out!

To build calf muscle, you must gain weight
You aren’t going to pack slabs of beef upon your calves, thighs, back, arms, chest, or any other muscle group while keeping the number on the scale the same. You’ll need to gain weight. So if you are one of those lifters with year-round abdominals who can’t bear the thought of moving about 9 percent body fat, you sure aren’t going to be able to add any new calf muscle. Ignore the scale, and use the mirror to measure your gains! Remember, Arnold never achieved his muscle mass at 165 pounds – and neither will you!

To build calf muscle, you must train heavy
Your calves carry your body weight all day long – so using light weight in the gym for calf training will not change much about their size or shape. Instead, you must use AT LEAST double your body weight for repetitions on calf work. The leg press or smith machine work best, but the calf sled is also a viable option for the movement. Just be sure to pile on the weights. Start with short range repetitions, then let them go full range as you grow stronger!

To build calf muscle, you must use high repetitions
Yes, it is possible to train heavy and with high repetitions. It won’t feel all that good, but it’s certainly necessary if you want to draw enough blood into the muscle fibers of the lower leg to facilitate some new growth. Aim for 15 to 20 repetitions on every set.

To build calf muscle, you must vary your angles of attack
Point the toes forward, outward, and inward in order to stimulate as many possible muscle fibers as possible. Just as you use flat, incline and decline bench presses to attack all angles of the chest muscle group, you focus upon the different areas of the calves in order to deliver the most balanced possible muscle group development and growth.

To build calf muscle, you must make them a focus
You can no longer just add four sets of calf raises to the back end of your leg day and consider the calves to be adequately trained. Rather, you must give them the focus! Start with calves on leg day, instead of finishing with them when your energy levels are at their lowest. Or, give them their own day in the gym, perhaps followed by forearms, neck, abdominals, and other commonly overlooked muscle groups.

There you have it – the keys to building new calf muscle. Follow those five rules and you’ll be big and huge in no time at all – calves included!

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