Build Bigger Hams and Calves in 8 Weeks! Complete Lower Body Workout for Leg Mass
Build Bigger Hams and Calves in 8 Weeks!
Complete Lower Body Workout for Leg Mass
By Ron Harris
Who cares about hamstrings and calves?
Certainly the quads are the showpiece muscle group of the lower body, but they are far from the sum total. On the opposite side of the thighs are their antagonists, the hamstrings, also known as the leg biceps. And as we will eventually discuss, their form and function is remarkably similar to that of the biceps. Below the knee is a powerful set of muscles known collectively as the calves. When fully developed, the hamstrings and the calves complement great quads perfectly, forming a sculpted lower body that inspires awe and admiration in just about anyone who sees it. You may not have an athletic bone in your body, but when your legs are big, shapely and proportionate from top to bottom and front to back, casual observers will assume you are an Olympian, or perhaps in the NFL.
But I am sure there are those among you right now who say, who really cares about hamstrings and calves? It’s not like anyone is ever going to ask you to drop your pants and flex them. The competitive bodybuilders out there reading this, and those who aspire to be, should already know how critical the hams and calves can be. Plenty of guys out there have big quads, but when they turn to the side, it’s a big letdown. As the great eight-time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney used to say, “Without hams, you only have half a leg.” And sure enough, all the top physique stars today have at least very good if not excellent hamstrings: Phil Heath, Brandon Curry, William Bonac and Shawn Rhoden. Calves are another area that has been a make-or-break muscle group for some top bodybuilders. So much so, in fact, that some desperate men have resorted to implants and synthol injections to fill out their lower legs.
Those of you who have no intentions of ever striding on stage in posing briefs will need a bit more motivation as to why you should bother specializing on hams and calves. OK, how about this? Assuming that building the best physique possible is your goal, that should mean that you want proportionate development from head to toe. Having “missing” body parts really does detract from your overall visual impression and gives you an unbalanced, dare I say, lazy, look. If you are going to the efforts to train your quads in order to increase their size, it only makes sense to go for the whole enchilada in terms of the lower body. The fact is, very few bodybuilders have great hams and calves. When we narrow the parameters to non-competitive, recreational bodybuilders, those who have outstanding development in those two areas are almost as rare as unicorns. If you want to stand out and be recognized as someone with a truly exceptional physique, the owner of a body that is both coveted and admired, it will behoove you to beef up your hams and calves.
What can be done in 8 weeks?
I cautioned anyone to temper your expectations with a strong dose of reality as far as what to expect in just eight weeks. This time, I have some really encouraging news. I firmly believe that nearly all bodybuilders don’t do the right things necessary for stimulating growth in the hamstrings and the calves. The odds are quite high that you, yes you, have been unwittingly sabotaging the growth of these two muscle groups. And the wonderful thing about that is that once you read this article all the way through and proceed to apply everything it explains, you will definitely see an improvement in two months’ time. I would even say that some of you will experience better gains in eight weeks than you have over the past two or three years. If I come across as bold and brash with these statements, understand that it’s only because I have seen such changes occur many times, firsthand.
Genetics and how they apply to the hams and calves
You don’t often hear genetics discussed when it comes to the hamstrings. I feel that just about everyone has the raw genetic material to build hams that at least match our quads. There are a lucky few among us that have definitely inherited a little extra in terms of muscle insertions and muscle cell density. Otherwise, how could you explain the almost impossibly huge, hanging hams of men like Phil Heath and Hadi Choopan? Calves are another story. No other muscle group is as infamous for being genetically predetermined. There is a longstanding cliché that says, “You either have good calves, or you don’t.” I have to admit, there is some veracity to that. If you have very high calf insertions, as is often the case with African-American bodybuilders (though there have been several notable exceptions, including Chris Dickerson, Phil Heath, Paul Dillett and Vince Taylor), there simply isn’t as much potential muscle to make grow in the first place. With very high calves, years and years of intense effort can still yield only mediocre results, although it should be said that these results are still an improvement from the starting point. Those fortunate enough to have very low calf insertions often don’t even have to train their calves, yet theirs are outstanding. Mike Matarazzo would be the most notable example of this. Mike pointed out that his father, who had never performed so much as a single calf raise in his life, had even bigger cows than his famous Mr. USA son. Others, like six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates, had very good genetics and made the most of them by hitting his calves with over 1,000 pounds in the standing raise for reps. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the most famous example of a bodybuilder that had decent calf genetics, yet showed poor development in his early years because he never prioritized their training. Only after spending time in South Africa with his idol, Reg Park, did Arnold gain an appreciation for how hard and heavy they needed to be trained. A couple of years later, Arnold’s calves were among the best in the world. There is a wide genetic range for how easily our calves respond to training, and it can’t be denied that some are luckier than others. But the point here to take home is that unless you are training your calves properly, you will never know just how good they could have been. And, you could very well be surprised to eventually discover that your genetics weren’t as bad as you used to think!
What keeps most of us from ever getting the hams and calves we are capable of?
The reason most of us don’t ever build the hams and calves we should is simple – lack of prioritization. These muscle groups take a backseat to the quads in terms of volume and intensity in the workout regimens of the masses. Typically, they are trained on leg day, after many sets of quad work that include leg extensions, squats, leg presses, and perhaps hack squats and lunges. After all that, you are seriously telling me you are able to put out a respectable effort for the hams? Not by a long shot. Usually you will only have the time and the energy for a couple of sets of leg curls. With those out of the way, you may finally get to calves – a couple of lackluster sets done with all the enthusiasm of paying a speeding ticket. Is it any wonder then that the hams and calves usually lag far behind the development of the quads? They never had a chance! As I’ve discussed previously, quadriceps training is so long and taxing that it deserves its own workout. By training the hamstrings and calves at a different time, all of a sudden you will be able to apply more volume and intensity, and the difference is dramatic enough that you will notice it the very first time. For instance, if you normally can use 100 pounds for 10 reps on the lying leg curl when you do it after an hour of quad training, I would wager that by doing it first thing in a workout, you will be able to handle 130-150 pounds for the same 10 reps. Likewise with calves, the concentration you will direct toward them when hitting them fresh is like night and day compared to the half-assed treatment they usually receive. If your hams lag far behind your quads, as is the case for many, you could consider training them first on leg day, and reducing your quad work by about half. I did this for about two years when I lived in California, and my hams caught up very well. As for calves, think about training them on “off days” when you come to the gym for cardio only. That leads us directly into the next sub-topic.
Where to structure hamstring and calf workouts in your training week
Hamstring are involved in all compound movements used to train quads, such as squats, leg presses and lunges, as well as deadlifts for the back. Split A below has you working hams first on leg day with quads. Split B has hams and quads done at different workouts on the same day, and C has them on completely separate days. In all, calves are done twice a week on “off” days.
Split A
Monday:
Hamstrings and quads
Tuesday:
Chest and biceps
Wednesday:
Calves, abs, cardio (optional)
Thursday:
Back
Friday:
Shoulders and triceps
Saturday:
Calves, abs, cardio
Split B
Day one:
Hamstrings AM, Quads PM
Day two:
Chest and shoulders
Day three:
Back
Day four:
Calves, abs, cardio (optional)
Day five:
Arms
Day six:
OFF
Day seven:
Calves, abs, cardio
Split C
Monday:
Hamstrings, biceps
Tuesday:
Chest and triceps
Wednesday:
Calves and abs
Thursday:
Back
Friday:
Shoulders
Saturday:
Quads
Sunday:
Calves and abs
Effective rep ranges for the hams and calves
One very fast change you can make to start seeing more growth in the hams and calves is to do the right amount of reps, based on their muscle fiber composition. While quads seem to respond well to a mix of high and low reps, hamstrings have a much higher percentage of fast-twitch fibers. This means they are designed for short bursts of power. This is why sprinters usually have better hamstring development than most bodybuilders (ever wonder why?). So treat hams like most upper body muscles, and keep the reps in the range of 6-12. Calves have to be thought of as the two distinct muscle groups they really are. The gastrocnemius is the diamond-shaped muscle on the outside, and is worked in any type of calf raise where the legs are straight and the knees are locked, which is pretty much all calf raises except the seated variety. They respond well to lower reps and heavy weights, so stay around 8-12 reps for it. The soleus is the flat, spade-shaped muscle underneath that we can’t see, and it is worked only when the legs are bent, as in a seated calf raise. The soleus is more of a slow-twitch, endurance muscle, so the reps for it should be around 15-20 or higher. This isn’t to say that going higher or lower occasionally to shock the muscles isn’t a good idea, because it is. But most of the time, adhere to the ranges that the particular muscles respond best to and you will experience the best possible results.
Putting effective hamstring and calf routines together
Designing good workouts for the hams and calves is fairly simple. The hamstrings really just need various types of leg curls complemented with stiff-leg deadlifts, and the calves need one exercise each for the gastrocnemius and soleus. Here are some examples of how these might evolve over time.
Beginner hamstring workout (under one year of training)
Lying leg curl
4 x 8-12
Stiff-leg deadlift
4 x 8-12
Intermediate hams (one to three years of training)
Stiff-leg deadlift
4 x 8-12
Seated leg curl
4 x 8-12
Lying leg curl
4 x 8-12
Advanced hams (four or more years of training)
Dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift
4 x 8-12
Single-leg curl
4 x 8-12
Seated leg curl
4 x 8-12
Beginner calf workout (under one year of training)
Standing calf raise
3 x 8-12
Seated calf raise
3 x 15-20
Intermediate calves (one to three years of training)
Leg press calf raise
4 x 8-12
Seated calf raise
4 x 15-20
Advanced calves (four or more years of training)
Standing calf raise
4 x 8-12
Seated calf raise
4 x 15, 20, 30, 50
Donkey calf raise
Drop set – 8, 8, 8, 8 reps (done 3 times)
Stretching for extra growth
I was fortunate enough to be introduced to John Parrillo and his unique ideas regarding training and nutrition more than 25 years ago. One that I have applied to hamstring and calf training with enormous success has been fascial stretching, an aggressive stretching technique meant to break up the tough connective tissue surrounding the muscle. This both enhances your range of motion, and allows the muscle to expand. John believes that the fascia is so constricting that it actually limits growth, but with regular stretching, this limitation can be overcome. After each set of hamstrings, when the muscle is pumped, you stretch it out and hold the stretch for about five to 10 seconds. You can do these easily by putting your heel up on anything at or above waist level, straightening out the leg, and leaning forward from the hip. Or, use any hamstring stretch you like – those of you with sports backgrounds should know a few to choose from. You do the same for calves, lowering into a deep stretch position, optimally alternating all your bodyweight on each calf. The soreness you will feel the next day lets you know that stretching wasn’t just something to do for added flexibility. It actually enhances the workout and lets you work the muscle harder.
How often should hams and calves be trained?
Hamstrings can be trained twice a week in most cases, but if you opt for that frequency, you should be training them along with quads on one of those days (before quads, as we went over). The reason is that due to the overlap of certain compound movements for the quads, you could potentially wind up working them three times a week – and that’s overdoing it for anybody. Squats, leg presses and lunges all involve the hamstrings, so always keep that in mind when determining when you are going to train hams. You don’t want to work hams the day before or after quads, for instance.
Calves are another matter. Many bodybuilders have gotten great results training them as often as every other day, and it seems that they do need to be worked at least twice a week to grow. The muscle tissue in the calves is far more dense than nearly all the other muscle groups in the body, and it seems to recover remarkably fast in comparison to areas like the chest or quads, for example. This is most likely because they work hard day in and day out supporting our bodies as we walk, run, climb stairs, etc. I do happen to think that you can overtrain the calves. Some have advocated working them every day, and a few decades ago some of the old-time bodybuilders had a quick-fix routine in which you did a set of calf raises every waking hour! But that’s taking things too far, in my book. Two or three times a week of hard work on the calves should be plenty sufficient to stimulate growth while allowing for full recovery and repair.
Good form and mind-muscle connection for the hams and calves
Good form and a strong mind-muscle connection can literally make or break your hamstring and calf development. In the case of both muscle groups, many trainers have the horrible habit of performing rapid-fire reps with an incomplete range of motion. Earlier we alluded to thinking of the hamstrings as being “leg biceps.” Get that image in your head and hold it there. The key to getting the most out of leg curls, which are the basic mass-builder for the hams, is to treat them just as you would a strict curl for the biceps. That is, slowly curl the weight up all the way to a full contraction, forcefully squeeze the hams for a second, and slowly lower it down, feeling a satisfying stretch as the muscles elongate. How many lifters do their leg curls like this? I dare say probably less than 5 percent. This may be because you would have to use about 30-50 percent less weight, heaven forbid! Personally, I would rather have better hamstrings, but that’s just me.
With calf training I also see an awful lot of short, bouncy reps that barely put any tension on the muscle. Again, slow, controlled reps that emphasize the three main components of the rep – contract, flex, stretch – will build a hell of a lot more calf muscle. It never ceases to amaze me to see how many plates people load up on seated calf raises, then proceed to do little stutter reps where they rise up maybe an inch on their toes and don’t stretch their heels down at all on the negatives. Almost always, these types have horrible calves. If cannibals had to subsist on such meager calves, they would surely starve. I rarely use more than two or three 45s on this exercise, but I do it the right way. My calves aren’t quite up to Matarazzo’s, but they are pretty damn good. The point is, you are always better off using better form and feeling the muscle work, regardless of the amount of weight you use.
The Exercises
The following is a list of what I feel are the most effective exercises for training the hamstrings and calves. As you will see, these muscle groups are among the most simple to train in terms of anatomical function, especially in relation to more complex muscle groups like the back.
HAMSTRINGS
Lying leg curl
The primary function of the hamstrings is leg flexion, or bringing the heels toward your butt. This is exactly the motion mimicked in the lying leg curl. If you had to pick just one exercise for the hams, this should be it. Every gym should have at least one model to choose from, if not several. Find the one that suits your particular structure best.
Performance pointers:
The edges of your knees should be just over the edge of the pad, with your heels firmly nestled under the roller pads. Adjust the machine until you get this correct position. Usually it’s the roller pad that moves forward or backward for shorter or longer legs. Be sure to also adjust the machine so that you are able to get a full stretch at the bottom of each rep. Leg curl machines tend to be the most complicated to adjust in the gym, but don’t give up.
Seated leg curl
Once you begin to get a real handle on the mind-muscle connection with your hamstrings, you’ll notice that while lying leg curls give you a great stretch in the bottom position, they aren’t so effective for holding the rep at the end of each rep and squeezing the muscles. That’s where seated leg curl machines, in which you sit upright like a chair, really prove their worth. With the seated version, you can focus more intently on the contraction. That’s why once you pass the intermediate stage, I feel you should always do both the lying and seated leg curl in the same workouts, making the most of what each has to offer and getting a very complete thrashing of the hams.
Performance pointers:
Don’t worry as much about getting a full stretch here, just concentrate on that righteous flexing of the hams as you crunch them into a tight knot and hold it briefly.
Single leg curl
Yet another leg curl option is the various machines that allow you to work one leg at a time. Usually, these are standing units, but you will also see some types in which you kneel. With those, you sometimes have to swivel the movement arm and lock it into either the left or right leg positions.
Performance pointers:
Take care to keep your torso straight and avoid twisting into the working leg as a subconscious form of cheating when the reps get tough. If you have a machine with which you can alternate legs, one killer technique to try is to start with a weight you can get about six to eight reps with, then immediately switch to the other leg. You keep going back and forth without rest until neither leg is capable of a single rep. This is particularly useful if you are short on time and want to hit the hams fast and furious.
Stiff-leg deadlift
The perfect exercise to round out your hamstring routines is the stiff-leg deadlift, although whether or not this movement actually builds mass is an object of debate. It definitely stretches the muscle out and forces it to work in a different manner than the leg curl. Some bodybuilders use it merely to stretch and don’t go heavier than 95 pounds, while others consider it a bulker for the hams and will use as much as 315 or even 405 pounds. It should be noted that going extremely heavy on stiff-legs puts you at a high risk of injuring either your lower back or hamstrings, so proceed with caution.
Performance pointers:
Over my two years as a personal trainer in Pasadena, California in the late ‘90s, I found this to be the absolute toughest movement to teach correct form on. Not to sound discouraging, but some clients just never “got it.” The key lies in not rounding the lower back, but maintaining an arch in it at all times. Those with tremendous flexibility could in fact do the exercise with stiff legs, or knees locked, while others need to keep a slight bend in the knees. The easiest way to describe proper form is that you are holding a barbell or a pair of dumbbells, and bowing deeply to someone directly in front of you, keeping eye contact with them throughout. Where the bar ends up depends on the aforementioned flexibility, as well as the relative length of your legs. Some trainers will be able to touch the insteps of their shoes with the bar, while others will feel a full stretch when the bar isn’t much lower than the kneecaps.
CALVES
Standing calf raise
This is the bread-and-butter exercise for the gastrocnemius, the larger and more well-known of the two main calf muscles. Usually the shoulder pads adjust for height. Make sure you are able to both rise up on your tiptoes and stretch down so that your heels are below the level of the foot platform.
Performance pointers:
Slow reps with a full range of motion and a strong contraction will get the job done right. You can finish sets with partial-range, rapid “burns,” but only when no more reps in good form are possible.
Leg press calf raise
My personal favorite calf exercise is the leg press calf raise, also known as “toe presses.” The angle of it is nearly identical to that of the donkey calf raise, an awesome machine that has all but disappeared from modern gyms. It’s great because your back is fully supported and you can really pile on some weight if your calves can handle it. Trust me – if you get to the point where you can use close to the amount of weight here that you can leg press, your calves will be too big to fit into straight-leg jeans.
Performance pointers:
For safety’s sake, don’t unrack the carriage as you would when performing leg presses. There is no need, as you won’t need to lower it too far anyway. Adjust the seat almost all the way forward to get the right angle between your torso and legs, and set just the balls of your feet on the platform.
Donkey calf raise
As I said, donkey calf raises are pure gold for building the calves, but for some inexplicable reason, almost no equipment manufacturers produce them anymore. If your gym does have one, by all means use it. If not, you can improvise with a block and something sturdy to lean on, by having a training partner or partners climb on your back for resistance. You have probably all seen the old Artie Zeller photo of Arnold with Franco and a couple more of the ‘70s champs on his back, clowning around as he did these.
Performance pointers:
When the reps become difficult to complete, it’s easy to start unknowingly enlisting the help of the legs by doing almost imperceptible little knee bends. Don’t rob your calves of the full benefits the donkey raise can offer – keep the knees locked.
Smith machine calf raise
One rarely seen but highly effective riff on the standing calf raise is to do it inside the Smith machine. You set the bar on your back as if you were doing squats, while standing with the balls of your heel on a block.
Performance pointers:
Balancing can be a little tricky on this one, so be sure to start light until you get the hang of it.
Freehand calf raise off block or step
Of course, you really don’t need a machine to work your gastrocnemius. If you have something high enough to stand on, such as a step or a wooden block, and a dumbbell or iron plate to hold for resistance, you’re in business. Or, if your calves aren’t so strong, you own bodyweight on just one calf might even be enough to get a good growth jolt.
Performance pointers:
One piece of gym equipment that lends itself to this exercise is the assisted chin/dip machine, since it has both steps and handrails to hold on to for balance and stability. As with the single leg curl, a reliable calf shocker is to alternate back and forth with each leg until no more reps are possible. You can then extend the set further by dropping the weight and continuing with your own bodyweight.
Seated calf raise
The soleus is a very simple muscle, and all it needs to grow are a few good sets of seated calf raises. Don’t give into the temptation to pile on a big stack of plates just to impress your fellow gym rats.
Performance pointers:
I can’t stress enough how critical a full range of motion and a controlled rep speed are here. If you fall short in those two areas, this exercise will be nothing but a waste of time.
Specialization for the hams and calves to deliver faster gains
Of all the muscle groups, the hamstrings and calves are the ones where specialization for a limited period is the least important. It’s far more important that they be trained fresh, rather than after quads, and with correct form. But I can’t leave you hanging like that! You can still make accelerated gains by working each twice a week, although as we mentioned previously, the calves should always be trained at least twice a week.
Here is the body part split you’ll be using, along with the workouts. Remember to warm up thoroughly with a few minutes on the stationary bike or treadmill, and always do at least two higher-rep sets on all exercises before launching into the work sets indicated, unless the work sets are to be for 2o or more reps.
Training Split: Twice Per Week
Monday:
Hams and calves
Tuesday:
Chest and arms
Thursday:
Hams and calves
Friday:
Back and shoulders
Saturday:
Quads
Routine A - Weeks 1 and 2
Monday:
Lying leg curls
4 sets x 6-10 reps
Seated leg curls
4 sets x 8-10 reps
Stiff-leg deadlifts*
4 sets x 10 reps
Standing calf raise
4 sets x 8-12 reps
Seated calf raise
4 sets x 15-25 reps
Thursday:
Stiff-leg deadlifts
4 sets x 10 reps
Seated leg curls
4 sets x 8-10 reps
Single leg curls
4 sets x 10 reps each leg
Seated calf raise
4 sets x 15-25 reps
Leg press calf raise
4 sets x 12 reps
*You may use either a barbell or dumbbells, or alternate from workout to workout
Routine B – Weeks 3 and 4
Monday:
Seated leg curls
3 sets x 8-10 reps
Stiff-leg deadlifts
6 sets x 12 reps
Lying leg curls
3 sets x 6-10 reps
Calf raise off block
6 sets x 8-12 reps each leg
Thursday:
Single leg curls
5 sets x 6-8 reps each leg
Seated leg curls
5 sets x 8-10 reps
Seated calf raise
4 sets x 30-50 reps
Routine C – Weeks 5 and 6
Monday:
Stiff-leg deadlifts
4 sets x 12 reps
Lying leg curls
3 sets x 6-10 reps
Seated leg curls
3 sets x 8-10 reps
Standing calf raise
4 sets x 8-12 reps
Seated calf raise
4 sets x 15-20 reps
Thursday:
Smith machine calf raise
6 sets x 10 reps
Lying leg curls
6 sets x 8-12 reps
Stiff leg deadlifts
4 sets x 12 reps
Seated leg curls
4 sets x 8-10 reps
Routine D – Weeks 7 and 8
Monday:
Lying leg curls
4 sets x 15 reps
Seated leg curls
4 sets x 15 reps
Donkey calf raise
4 sets x 15 reps
Seated calf raise
4 sets x 15 reps
Thursday:
Stiff-leg deadlifts
4 sets x 12 reps
Seated leg curls
4 sets x 15 reps
Single leg curls
4 sets x 8 reps each leg
Leg press calf raise
6 sets x 12 reps
Follow this diligently for eight weeks, get enough sleep and plenty of quality protein, complex carbs and essential fats, and watch your hamstrings and calves begin to transform from run-of-the-mill to marvelous.
Ron Harris got his start in the bodybuilding industry during the eight years he worked in Los Angeles as Associate Producer for ESPN’s “American Muscle Magazine” show in the 1990s. Since 1992 he has published nearly 5,000 articles in bodybuilding and fitness magazines, making him the most prolific bodybuilding writer ever. Ron has been training since the age of 14 and competing as a bodybuilder since 1989. He lives with his wife and two children in the Boston area.
Follow Ron on Instagram @ronharrismuscle
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