5 Dumbest Calf Raise Mistakes Sabotaging Your Calf Growth

So, the curse of tiny calves muscles. This is an epidemic on such a large scale that it affects 9 out of 10 guys and that 10th guy being…Rikki. But even if you’re genetically “cursed” in the calf department, there still might be a way to tap into some extra growth by fixing some mistakes you might be making in your training.

Standing, sitting, or on the edge of a platform… it doesn’t matter. But before we get started, if you’ve missed any of my other DUMBEST MISTAKES videos, you can check out the entire series right HERE.

Mistake #1 – Skipping The Hard Contraction At The Top

Let’s take a poll. How many of you are guilty of just blasting through your reps? We’ve all done it and honestly it at first doesn’t even feel like a mistake, because if you blast out 20 reps in a row, your calves are going to be on fire which to us signals “breakdown and growth”. But believe it or not, skipping the hard contraction at the top is a big no-no. Think about it, do you feel like you are getting a good biceps pump when you curl 20 reps in a row with zero focus on a hard contraction? No, because we go heavy and SQUEEZE at the top. Well, why are we not applying that same concept to calves? 

I guarantee as soon as you focus on a hard contraction at the top of every rep you will not only build a stronger mind-muscle connection, but you will actually start to increase your range of motion as well. So really focus on pushing through the ball of your foot and then through your toes on every rep.

Mistake #2 – Skipping That Sweet Stretch At The Bottom!

So basically, this is just an addition to the first mistake when it comes to taking advantage of full range of motion. But for obvious reasons this can be harder to implement if you don’t have a platform to stand on. So you might have to find a different exercise to focus on the stretch or just get creative with some small weight plates.

Instead of just hitting the barbell calf raise off the floor, toss some small plates on the ground so you can force a nice stretch at the bottom of the movement. But then also STAY THERE for a second! Don’t be too eager to get out of the stretch. Really feel the muscle stretching and then explosively push your body up for the second repetition while simultaneously focusing on the FLEX at the top. This is how ALL your repetitions should look.

Mistake #3 – Never Training The Soleus 

Believe it or not, there is a difference between doing the seated version and the standing version of the calf raise. You see your calves are actually comprised of two muscle groups. You have the two-headed gastrocnemius and you also have the soleus, which helps make the calf appear fuller or “bulkier”.

So it should be obvious that if you are not able to target both groups effectively that you are leaving untapped gains on the table. But which exercise is best for each muscle group? Well, standing calf raises actually target mainly your gastrocnemius and seated calf raises will engage much more of your soleus due to your knees being bent 90 degrees. 

Obviously the easiest way to do a seated calf raise is with the seated calf raise machine, but if you don’t have one you can get a bit creative with a barbell and a bench and simulate the movement.

Mistake #4 – Going Too Heavy (Or Even Too Light!)

I know, it sounds confusing, but hear me out. If you are doing a calf raise and you can’t even get your heels an inch off the ground, there is no way you are going to be able to hit that hard contraction on the top of the movement and if you are lifting weights that are too light, you won’t be able to take full advantage of the stretch at the bottom.

So as a rule of thumb, always try to make sure you are working with a weight that allows you to complete anywhere from 8 – 15 reps. This will allow you to go heavier on some days or for higher volume on others depending on your programming. The main point being that you stay in control of all your reps.

Mistake #5 – Not Taking Your Calf Training Seriously

If you’ve listened to all of my tips so far and you’re thinking “I already do all those things correctly”, then the problem is YOU and I don’t mean your genetics. Even if your genetics are terrible, you should still see some improvement over time and if you are not, it’s because training your calves once a week is just not enough. Think about how much “full body training” has helped so many of you make such amazing progress with your physiques. But the top two muscles groups that always still seem to be left behind for most people is calves and abs. 

So what I want you to do right now is pick THREE days out of the week that you are going to attack your calves. For example, let’s say Monday, Wednesday and Friday and let’s keep the training so incredibly simple that you have no excuse to avoid it.

On each day you are going to hit 3 sets of 10 – 12 reps of a standing barbell calf raise and 3 sets of 10 – 12 reps of a seated calf raise, focusing on a hard flex at the top and a solid stretch at the bottom. That’s it and you are going to do this for the next 4 weeks, and then after that take a week off from hitting your calves to “de-train” them. Then start over again.

Conclusion

There are no secrets to muscle growth, it’s just that if you are natural growth takes a lot of time and dedication and each and every single one of you has the ability to get it done!