| Bodybuilders have always complained that the calf | | | | buddies sitting on his back whenever he does this |
| muscles are the hardest to build. I am sure you have | | | | exercise and you can imagine how big and heavy |
| seen many big guys in the gym with incredibly out of | | | | Arnold's gym buddies are. |
| proportion small calf muscle. | | | | Just bend over and support yourself on a bench, have |
| Building big strong calf muscles not only will make you | | | | your gym buddy, the heavier the better to sit on your |
| lower body more pleasing to the eye, it will also help | | | | back as if you are a donkey, then raise your heels off |
| tremendously in your sports and games giving you | | | | the floor, and pause at the top and squeeze hard for |
| more power in your sprints and jumps. You calf | | | | full muscle contraction, then return to your original |
| muscles along with your quadriceps will also help to | | | | position by lowering your heels almost touching the |
| support your knee joints, reducing wear and tear. | | | | floor. That will be one rep. If your buddy is not heavy |
| The great Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, | | | | enough, he may carry some weight plates when sitting |
| "Everyday you walk around. When you walk you are | | | | on your back. |
| using your calves. You are pushing at least your body | | | | If you do not have gym buddies to help you, there are |
| weight every time you take a step. So, when you go | | | | donkey raise machines which you can use to build |
| to the gym and work out your calves with light weight, | | | | your calf muscles. |
| are you really stressing your muscles?" | | | | SEATED CALF RAISES This exercise is commonly |
| Think about it. Whenever you walk, jump or run, your | | | | preformed using a machine where you sit, and a |
| calf muscles are pushing at least your body weight. | | | | padded section is placed above your knees. |
| That will mean that in order to build your calf muscles, | | | | If your gym do not have seated calf raises machines, |
| you will have to lift heavy. Real heavy. So the kids | | | | you can still perform this exercise by sitting on a bench |
| gloves are off when you want to build a strong | | | | and putting a weighted barbell on your thighs, then raise |
| beautiful diamond shaped calves. | | | | your heels off the floor, and pause at the top and |
| The major muscles on your calves are the soleus and | | | | squeeze hard for full muscle contraction, then return to |
| the gastrocnemius muscles. The soleus muscles are | | | | the original position with the heels almost touching the |
| the wide and flat muscle located on the tibia and the | | | | floor. That will be one rep. If the barbell hurt your thighs, |
| fibula. The gastrocnemius muscles are the large | | | | put a towel as a cushion on your thighs. |
| muscles located near the middle and goes to the top | | | | Now remember to use heavy weights. How many |
| of the fibula and tibia. | | | | sets and reps? Well, those of you who are familiar |
| The gastrocnemius muscle is made up of the medial | | | | with my training methods will know that I do not believe |
| head (inner calve) and the lateral head (outer calve) | | | | in a pre determined number of reps. Just perform the |
| muscles. | | | | exercises until you just cannot lift any more even if I |
| So what are good calf muscles exercises? Here are | | | | were to holler at you. That will be one set. As for |
| 2 of the more common calf muscle exercises. | | | | number of sets, depending on your time and your split |
| DONKEY CALF RAISES One of Arnold's favorite calf | | | | routine for the day, do 3-6 sets of calf muscle fatigued |
| muscle exercises is the Donkey Raise. He has 2 gym | | | | reps. |
