Skinny Calf Muscles? Run BACKWARDS!

[Dannyboy1]

I know it sounds crazy, but I think I may have stumbled upon a way to really work the calf muscles by mistake. The other day, I was teaching my boy how to ride his bike (with training wheels - he's only 3). At first, I couldn't even get him to sit on the bike. Finally, after getting him on, he wouldn't pedal unless I had my hand on the handlebars. This went on for weeks. Finally, I got him to pedal by himself by having him chase me while I screamed, "Oh no! Don't run over my foot!" I was psyched! I started my video recording on my phone and jogged backwards as I recorded. He doesn't really go that fast yet, so I felt absolutely no sense of it being hard work or anything. I work out hard every morning and do calf raises, but I rarely get sore. Well, let me tell you, the next day, my calves were REALLY sore. I couldn't believe it! I mean, I do heavy weight in the gym, but never get this sore. I know. I know. Different muscles... yada yada... Say what you want, but I know what it feels like to really work a muscle, and I'd be willing to bet if you did a regimen of jogging backwards every day, you'd see a vast improvement in your calf muscles. Now, if I can just figure out a way to do it without my son and without looking like a lunatic!

[Elrond]

Originally Posted by Dannyboy1

...and without looking like a lunatic!

Move to China.

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by Elrond

Move to China.

Are you just saying that because the water in the toilet bowl swirls the opposite way or do they really run backwards there?

[Elrond]

Walking backwards is a common sight in Chinese parks.

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by Elrond

Walking backwards is a common sight in Chinese parks.

It's hard to tell just from text if someone is kidding.

[Call me Boges]

In boxing we do drills circling the ring by skipping forwards, sliding from side to side and running backwards. I feel that all these different movements add up to strong, endurable muscles.

[993125002]

the reason is because when you do different exercises you recruit the SAME calf muscles DIFFERENTLY! ever wonder why new exercises make you sorer than the similar ones? this is why. Its kind of hard to explain but thats what i know. if you run backwards and stop lifting weights for a few months than once you start lifting weights again you will find that its makes you more sore than backwards walking.

[Dannyboy1]

Originally Posted by 993125002

the reason is because when you do different exercises you recruit the SAME calf muscles DIFFERENTLY! ever wonder why new exercises make you sorer than the similar ones? this is why. Its kind of hard to explain but thats what i know. if you run backwards and stop lifting weights for a few months than once you start lifting weights again you will find that its makes you more sore than backwards walking.

Of course it's working them differently. That's why I said I think it will help work the calf muscles more. I switch up my exercises every couple of weeks to confuse my muscles. That's how you avoid getting stuck on a plateau. I was bringing this whole thing up because it's a great exercise that's different that really works the muscles.

[rocketman]

any bodybuilder will tell you that calves are the most stubborn muscle in the body to trigger growth. it's because we're using them constantly when we walk, so they are very resistant to any normal workout.

i had this problem for years, suffering from some very embarrassing chicken legs. i did alot of reading on the topic, and saw that many pros suggested that the only way to build your calves is to exhaust the living hell out of them. you can't work them out like a normal muscle. for example, whereas you might normally do 9-12 sets on a given day for a particular muscle (in a standard routine), you have to do 20 or 30 sets for calves.

i tried this and have experienced SIGNIFICANT growth in my calves. they don't need the same recovery/rest period that other muscles require. so what i have done over the past year is literally 20 or 30 sets every day that i work out (so 3 times a week). i work them till i can't walk almost. that's what it takes to properly exhaust that muscle. it doesn't take too long either. i break it up and so in between my other exercises, i come and do a few sets of calves.

i highly recommend this approach.

[Zwynd]

I don't know why, but this whole thread made me giggle uncontrollably.

That said, I knew a girl who had AMAZING calf muscles. They were large and looked like sculpted marble.

She was a soccer player. No surprise there.