STUBBORN CALVES? THIS IS HOW TO GROW THEM
Struggling to grow your calves? You’re not alone - calves are notoriously stubborn when it comes to hypertrophy.
A 2023 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research explored how different ranges of motion (ROM) during calf raises affect muscle growth, providing valuable insights for anyone looking to enhance their calf development.
STUDY AIM
The study attempted to determine the effects of full and partial ROM during calf raises on the hypertrophy of the gastrocnemius muscle (the portion which forms the bulk of the calf muscle), focusing on its medial and lateral heads. It tested three training variations:
Full ROM (FULLROM): 225° to +25° of ankle motion.
Initial Partial ROM (INITIALROM): 225° to 0° (greater muscle length).
Final Partial ROM (FINALROM): 0° to +25° (shorter muscle length).
The hypothesis was that training at longer muscle lengths (INITIALROM) would yield superior hypertrophy compared to shorter lengths (FINALROM) and potentially outperform FULLROM.
STUDY METHODOLOGY
The study involved 42 untrained women aged 18–35 who performed 8 weeks of supervised calf training. Participants were split into three groups corresponding to the ROM variations.
To re-cap, these variations were performed at full range of motion (FULLROM), as partial repetitions at the top of the rep when the calf is shorter (FINALROM), and as partial repitions at the bottom of the rep when the calf is longest (INITIALROM).
Training occurred three times per week and included 3 sets of 15–20 repetitions to failure using a pin-loaded leg press.
Muscle thickness of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius was measured before and after the intervention using B-mode ultrasound.
Participants were instructed to maintain their dietary habits and avoid additional physical activity to isolate the effects of the training program.
KEY FINDINGS
Medial Gastrocnemius Hypertrophy (Outer Calf) :
INITIALROM showed a 15.2% increase, significantly outperforming FULLROM (6.7%) and FINALROM (3.4%).
Lateral Gastrocnemius Hypertrophy (Inner Calf):
INITIALROM achieved a 14.9% increase, surpassing FINALROM (6.2%) and outperforming FULLROM (7.3%).
These findings highlight the advantage of training at longer muscle lengths which is likely due to greater mechanical tension and potential stretch-mediated hypertrophy.
POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS
Participants were untrained women, so results may differ for other populations.
Dietary intake and daily activity levels were not strictly controlled.
The study focused solely on the gastrocnemius, leaving room for future research to be conducted on the other calf muscles.
STUDY IMPLICATIONS
If you’re struggling to grow your calves, consider implementing partial repetitions into your regimen which focus on the stretch phase, lowering your heels as much as possible and coming back up no further than level.
Be sure to control the tempo and go slow with the eccentric (downward stretch) of the exercise. Progressively overload the weight and perform your calf raises close to failure.