There is no room for error in bodybuilding stage. Every angle of one’s physique must be pristine to capture gold; no muscle can be left untouched and neglected in the training room. The chest, armsand the quads are very important, but the smaller muscles like the traps, forearms and calves are.
And when talking about the highest level of bodybuilding, the shows can and have been boiled down to muscles like the calves, a part of the body that is notoriously difficult to grow. And what’s hard to come by is often appreciated the most, which is why fans and die-hard athletes adorn a perfect pair of calves on stage.
What follows is a list of 10 outspoken male competitors who have been and are considered to possess exceptionally impressive calf muscles.
arnold schwarzenegger
Early in his bodybuilding career, arnold schwarzenegger he was criticized for his lack of calf development. Instead of avoiding the problem, the Austrian competitor tackled it head-on. According to his book, The new encyclopedia of modern bodybuildingSchwarzenegger made sure to expose his calves by training in shorts and cutting off the bottom of his pants. This motivated him to train them harder.
One of his favorite exercises was standing calf raise, who would train with more than 1,000 pounds several times a week. I’d also include more calf training in your routine by doing staggered sets, where you follow a set of one exercise with a completely different set. Arnold would supposedly complete a set of calf raises after each chest movement, sneakily accumulating 20 sets of extra volume. after seven Mr. Olympia wins, it’s hard to argue against his methods.
Dorian Yachts
Dorian Yachts he took the Mr. Olympia title for himself in 1992 after Lee Haney’s retirement. His training methods were very different from those of his predecessors. followed a form of high intensity training (HIT) that required only one working set, but that set was performed to total failure (and usually beyond).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlomtk6N_Hc
Yates applied this philosophy to every major part of the body, including the calves. During his reign at the top of the sport, no one could match his condition and size of the lower body. Yates’ calves looked huge, even when he was standing in a relaxed position. His attention to detail and training every muscle to total failure is what he attributes to his success throughout his career.
Mike Matarazzo
Matarazzo was the 1991 NPC Heavyweight and Overall Champion before entering the IFBB Pro League. Unfortunately, he never tasted victory as a professional. The highlight of his career came when he placed ninth in the 1998 Mr. Olympia contest, which Ronnie Coleman livestock. However, he attracted the attention of fans due to his appearance and unique training philosophies.
“Mad Mazz” was most famous for the superior development of his calves, and he attributed three things to his strange steers: heavy weight trainingusing a full range of motion, and extension after each set. He was also not afraid of cheating on some occasions.
In 2001, Matarazzo placed 5th in the Night of Champions competition and then retired after finishing 21st at the Olympia. He died in 2014 at the age of 48.
jay cutler
jay cutler he had a similar motivation to raise his calves as Schwarzenegger did. He has told the story that his sister beat him up for lack of calf size and has been obsessed ever since. When he retired in 2013, his calves were among the largest in bodybuilding.
One trick Cutler implemented was the one and a half repetitions method. I would do a full rep on any calf raise, go down halfway, then curl my calves again before lowering the weight all the way down. This method produced two contractions per repetition, allowing Cutler to build up more tension for muscle development.
The strategy paid off for the four-time Mr. Olympia winner and three-time Arnold Classic winner. The results can be seen for yourself even now at 48 when he trains them on his YouTube channel.
ben pakulsky
Canadian bodybuilder Ben Pakulski competed from 2009 to 2016. Although his competitive career lasted only eight years, Pakulski competed 19 times (according to musclememory.com), with his only victory coming at the 2016 Vancouver Pro.
Finished as runner-up at the 2013 Arnold Classic to champion dexter jackson and competed in Mr. Olympia twice. It was ranked 11th in 2012 and 14th in 2016.
Two of his greatest assets were below the knee. Pakulski’s calves were the subject of many training magazine articles at the time. He could stand in any position, and his calves were prominent.
Today, Pakulski runs MI40 University on YouTube and owns the MI40 Gym in Tampa, FL.
erik fankhouser
Erik Fankhouser was one of the most popular bodybuilders in the early 2010s. Fankhouser was the 2007 North American Champion and is the only male from the state of West Virginia to compete on the Olympia (2010) stage. He finished tied for 16th place.
Google Fankhouser and “calves”, “calf training” and “calf measurement” are the top entries that appear next to his name. Supposedly, her calves were between 23 and 24 inches in diameter.
The House’s favorite calf exercise was the calf raise in the leg press machine because it allowed him to load more weight compared to other calf exercises. Fankhouser was also a proponent of high reps, doing up to 20 reps per set. Fankhouser retired from competition in 2012.
dallas mcarver
When Dallas McCarver burst onto the scene at the 2012 North American Championship, many fans and pundits saw him as the second coming of Ronnie Coleman. Each muscle group in your the physique was huge and round. Many people marveled at his arms, but his calves were just as striking. The development of his gastrocnemius muscles (the visible part of the calves) was so extensive that they protruded in his frontal poses.
McCarver tragically passed away in 2017 at the age of 26. Many felt that McCarver had great potential to be an Olympia winner.
kay green
When Kai Greene began competing as a teenager, he learned early on that the entire body must look superior to the opponents on stage. The judges look at everything, even below the knees.
Greene likes to use a lot of volume in his calf training. He used up to five exercises, including the classic raising donkey calves, which he considered a favourite. He occasionally went heavier with a 10-rep range, but stuck with 20-30 rep sets most of the time.
Greene also alternated the position of his heel in the movements. Sometimes the heels faced outwards and other times they were close together. Very few men can claim the honor of being three times Arnold Classic Champion and a three-time Olympia runner-up. He can.
branch warren
The one word that many people associate with branch warren is intensity. He gives everything he has to the gym. However, he was genetically gifted with significant offspring development. Therefore, he did not have to train them as often as other champions of his day.
When Branch focused on his calves, he would do a heavy set emphasizing full stretches and contractions. Warren won two Arnold Classics and finished second (2009) at the Olympia before retiring in 2016.
flex lewis
It’s not just heavyweights sporting huge calves; a man who has incredible lower leg development is James “Flex” Lewis. Lewis followed Yates’ lead and made calf training a priority. A client of former pro bodybuilder Neil Hill, the Welsh Dragon trains them with every rep scheme imaginable. Some days you’ll do as few as six reps with the heaviest weight possible. Other times, he could do as many as 50 in a set. The belief is that changing the routine often helps to minimize hitting a plateau.
The 38-year-old seven-time 212 Olympia champion is hoping to make them even bigger and better as he potentially plans to take the stage at Mr. Olympia 2022 as part of the open men’s lineup.
Featured Image (L to R): @jaycutler, @fankhouse, @flex_lewis on Instagram
