Calves respond better to reps, 75's are a popualr training method heres how to do them.
Using a standing or seated calf press, choose a weight that you can do 25 times to failure using a full stretch to full extension form, squeezing the muscle at the top of the movement.
Perform the reps aiming for 25. As your calves become acidic, they will become very painful and burn! eventually the acid interferes with the muscle ability to contract and you will have to stop. Keep going until you reach a total of 75 reps. IN theory possible in three sets, in practise...
Do a
standing calf exercise for the
Gastrocnemius which is the bigger calf muscle, toes in and out for each head or central to equally hit both.
Do
seated calf exercises to hit the
Soleus, which is under the Gastroc and can be seen from the side of the calf as a line, looks very nice in a profile shot.
Calves are work horses, they absorb many times your body weight in the course of running or jumping, and are used to prolonged and repeat working, so train them that way as their fibres are developed for that sort of activity. Rep them out and work through the burn.
Two cautions, first stretch out your calf and achilles tendon, a rupture here is 3 months rehab minimum!
Secondly, take it slow, sore calves are an annoying niggle, mega damaged calves are a downright depressing inconveniance as you use them all the time. Work up to your weights, give the calves a few weeks to adapt to the work or you will have the post calf workout walk for your friends to laugh at for the better part of a week
Nice little calf exercise you can do anywhere, just stand on one leg, tuck the other behind it and press up your body weight, squeeze hard at the top and return. If you can find a step even better, swap legs half way. Instantly I have a 100kg calf press with no equipment required
very little chance of overtraining, so you can do this as soon as soreness wears off from last session.
hth
SD