Calves & Forearms - All Genetics or Train Them?

It's often said that Forearms & Calves are all "genetics."

i.e. You either have them or you don't and direct training is largely a waste of time.

Is this true or just lifing mythology?

I think it's partly true.

I've been in the gym now as a lifter and a coaching for nearly 30 years, and my opinions are solely based on observation - I have no hard data to prove anything.

I've seen quite a few lifters over my career with jacked forearms and/or calves that never directly trained either of them.

Furthermore, I've seen guys that didn't train at all that have some pretty spectacular calves and forearms.

What can I say other than life isn't fair.

What is not true is that these muscles are somehow "unresponsive" to training.

Even the lifters that don't directly train their calves are at least indirectly training their calves with things like Squats and Leg Curls where the gastroc plays a secondary role in the exercise.

If you don't think your calves are being trained with Squats then try squatting with a strained calf muscle. You'll soon find out just exactly how much your calves are involved.

But if you don't have great genetics for calves or forearms then indirect training may not be enough to really drive any growth and you'd need to train them directly to get more development.

I think a lot of the reason guys don't see any results is because they simply don't train them hard enough or heavy enough to force an adaptation.

Calves and Forearms are thrown in haphazardly at the end of a workout, done with shitty form, light weight for high reps, and no focus on progressive overload, etc.

If and when guys start to train them with the same level of focus and intensity that they do every other muscle on their body - then they see growth.

Reality is bigger calves and forearms can have a huge visual physique impact, especially in a typical T-shirt and shorts attire.

Here is an overall strategy to help you get some growth from these muscles:

1. Start training each muscle 1-2 times per week consistently.
2. Stop doing things like 25 rep sets and other sorts of silly protocols that people advise for these body parts. They are not unique
3. Start treating them like any other muscle group - take sets to failure, use heavier loads in the 6-12 rep range, and focus on progressive overload week to week

In Part 2, I'll go over some specific exercises and techniques to help you get more out of your training.

Let's start with calves

My best results with Calf training has been training them twice per week.

I like doing once per week with knees straight (standing or on leg press machine) and once per week with knees bent - on a seated calf raise machine.

Knees straight is going to bias the Gastroc - the big meaty part of the calf under your knees.

Knees bent will bias the Soleus.

If you do not have access to a Seated Calf Raise machine then you can do them twice per week with knees straight. It's not a deal breaker. If doing this then I'd go once per week heavier - like 5-8 rep range, and once per week a little lighter in the 8-12 rep range.

You don't need a ton of per session volume. 3 sets each workout (6 sets per week) done with utmost effort and intensity.

Reps should be in the 5-12 rep range for the most part. And all sets should be taken to failure.

After a warm up set or two, then I like to do Descending Sets. That is starting with a heavier weight and then slightly reducing the load each set.

Here's the big one.....

Every rep of every set needs to be done with a full range of motion. None of this bouncy partial range of motion shit.

Full stretch at the bottom of every rep. Hold that stretch for a solid 2-3 count.

Come up all the way and squeeze.

Bouncy partial range of motion bullshit with 400 lbs on the stack doesn't do anything.

I'd rather see you use 100 lbs with a deep stretch at the bottom of every rep for a 2-3 count hold in the stretch position.

This is the real difference maker in my opinion.

And like every other lift - track your performances. Week to week try and add weight or add reps to the same weight you did last week.

Give it a few months and you'll see a difference.

Forearms

For forearms I like the following 4 movements the best although these are just my bias and other movements could be used if you have a preference.

1. Reverse Curls on an EZ Curl Bar 2 Reverse Curls w/ EZ Bar attachment on a cable machine
2. Cable Machine Rope Curls
3. Single Arm DB Preacher Curls (hammer curl grip)

The same rules apply here as with calves.

Two times per week for best results although sometimes forearms can be overtrained. Sometimes once per week is better especially if you find that you get inflammation in the forearms close to your elbow joint.

3 sets (again I like Descending Sets) pushed with maximal intensity and effort - meaning all sets taken to failure.

However that does not mean loose form!!!!

Execution is everything.

No swinging the weights, leaning back to finish a rep, using your hips to get the weight going, etc.

100% forearm the whole set and if you cannot do another rep with perfect form then the set is over.

Full range of motion. Feel the forearm muscle stretch at the bottom with a full extended elbow.

Once per week do a Reverse Curl movement, and once per week do one of the hammer curl movements (dumbbell or rope).

Do that for a few months and your forearms will grow.

By the way......a good forearm strategy is NOT just abandoning straps for all your heavy back work.

Heavy Rows, Shrugs, and Deadlifts without straps can absolutely build your forearms.

But at the expense of the intended target muscles for that exercise!

This is a terrible trade off.