Calves are one of those body parts that just seem to refuse to grow for some bodybuilders. Perhaps genetics is the cause. Maybe the muscle group didn’t receive enough training attention during our formative growing years in the gym. Nothing is more effective for long-term muscle size than those first few years of beginners’ gains. Perhaps we possess a tendency to rush through our calf training and never give them the devotion (translation: number of sets) that they require for growth. Whatever the reason, that is in the past. It’s ancient history. From this point forward, we’re going to interject a new training method into our calf training which just may kick our growth into gear. This method, of course, is called high frequency calf training.

First, let’s take a look at what a high-frequency calf workout would look like. It’s built exactly like you’d expect it to be built with a name like that. You will be training your calves four days per week. Many trainers prefer a Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday split, but you can select whatever method works best for your schedule. Complete four movements of your favorite calf exercises using 3 to 4 sets each. Keep your repetition range in the 8 to 15 range. Complete slow and steady repetitions as you normally would, with an emphasis on quality, not quantity. Every repetition should be as perfect as the last. Training to failure (which often leads to sloppy form) isn’t necessary, as you will be training many more days this week. Steady, solid repetitions are what matters.

Now that we’ve examined the workout, let’s discuss ways we can help our bodies to recover faster from such rigors. DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness, usually peaks about two days (48 hours) after a workout. Your Monday workout will reach peak soreness on Wednesday, and your Tuesday workout will reach peak soreness on Thursday, which is when you’ll need to train again. To assist in the recovery form this routine, you will need to fully stretch your calves each evening after training for a good 15 minutes. Don’t use resistance when stretching, as your muscle will likely interpret this as a mild form of training as well. Simply extend your feet off the end of the bench or a piece of furniture and stretch them with everything you’ve got. Once you complete there, it’s time to evaluate your diet and sleep factors. You’ll need to stay off your feet as much as possible when training the calves four times per week. You’ll need to sleep 8 hours per night, and enjoy a 30-minute nap whenever possible. And when it comes to nutrition, “more is better’ has never applied more than it does when you’re utilizing high frequency calf training. You need a surplus of calories for normal growth and recovery. Your needs will likely skyrocket using this training protocol.

Keep your training intense and frequent, and include lots of stretching, sleep, and good, clean bodying food. You’ll get the most out of high frequency calf training!

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