Four Tips For Much Better Standing Calf Raises

I tried to build big calves for years and they still never fully got to where I want them, which is the calf size and shape of a 5'1" Eastern European grandmother... (if you know what I'm saying, you know what I'm saying).

But you absolutely CAN (with effort and technique) build them up to a lot better than they currently are (these aren't mine, just FYI).

In the video above, I run down the four most important things you can do to improve how standing calf raises work your calves.

1 - Hold the stretch for 3-4 seconds at the bottom of every rep.
2 - Let the hips drift back a little bit at the stretch.
3 - Come up only 2/3 of the way.
4 - Come up on the big toe side of your feet.

I go into a lot more detail in the video, but that's the gist of it.

Many people do ugly, fast, bouncing calf raises as an afterthought at the end of their workout and say they can't build calves.

To really develop the calves, you need to give them priority, effort and progressive resistance, treating them like you would any other muscle group.

I recommend using a weight you can get 6-8 good reps with. Do 3 sets with about 2 minutes rest between sets.

Make sure you EARN your increases in loading by keeping your reps consistent and good quality...no cheating just to get reps. When you get good reps with a weight, then you can go up next time.

Give these 4 tips a try next time you work calves. You will really feel the difference, not only while you're doing the exercise but for the next few days after...

You can also use the "squeeze-in" trick for standing calf raises to help ramp up the tension even more.

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