mountaindog1 I have a question I go to failure roughly 10 to 11 reps yet I don’t feel the burn but I do feel the stretch and the contraction so instead of the burn I feel more of a cramp starting up is that good or?
I’m going to do this . I have the typical high calve . Lots of cycling didn’t help. I’ve been doing calves 3 days a week and I see some growth, but damnit I haven’t seen much definition or growth. My thighs get huge though. I’m going to do this 5 days a week exactly as you just said. Once a week I’ll do 50-70 reps and smash them. One thing I have not done all this time is do valves with locked out knees. This makes a ton of sense. Here’s what I’ll do. Standing raise . 1-2 warm up sets. Follows by 3 sets of reps to failure. I won’t go too heavy and will go for a burn and pump. I’ll follow this up with the toe workout you showed: forgot name of that front of calve muscle again. I’ll do this 3 sets to failure. I’ll report back here in a month. Setting reminder now :)
Question, you mentioned that you do calve raises five days a week and do one workout for each day, do you think doing standing calve raises and seated calve raises on the same day for five days good as well? Is it better?
Here is tip 21. I guarantee this works! I've been a trainer for over 25 years and a couple years ago another trainer told me to think about moving FORWARD not up when you do standing raises. As you plantarflex think about leaning forward towards the machine, sort of like when you propel yourself forward at the beginning of a sprint. You will instantly feel the difference. Harder contraction! Try it out!
Size don't matter when youre fat. I can be a fat ass and have a 20 inches calves too. I am shredded and my calves are only 15 inches but they look decent
I used to do tibialis raises already back in 2015 when I got certified as a trainer, other people from my class used to laugh at this. I knew I was right 👍
Lmao whenever one of the fitness gods aka John, Jeff athleanx.com, jeff nipples release a video like this I always try to spot other followers in the gym
Agreed. I am just now, after the 2 years he's been gone, able to watch his vids without tearing up every time (although it still happens now and again). I miss him so.
@@solomonstello it really is, i haven't been affected like this before by somebody i didn't know. selfishly a lot of it is that i wanted more videos from john because he was the best at what he did. but also knowing his young boys are gonna be without a father really sucks, it's so heartbreaking for them!
@@maxyule2655 the channel is run by his family/friends. I think he filmed a lot of stuff in advance and they are slowly releasing it as the months go by
Am I the only one who respects and appreciates how professional and reputable Mountain Dog is? Just saying I don’t need my fitness youtubers dropping more F bombs and self bragging remarks than actual advice. This channel is truly great. Btw, I’ve found that speed rope with a weight vest on gives my shins a crazy stretch and I believe it’s improved my speed.
Tip 21: Do calf raises while waiting in line for rides at the amusement park! Loved walking around SixFlags, Hershey, etc. with shorts and pumped calves and always bored to tears waiting forever in lines so this technique was born and worked well! If you have small children, throw ‘em on your shoulders for added resistance!😉
21 Reasons You Don't Have Big Calves "Trigger MASSIVE Growth" 1.) Don’t blame genetics 2.) Your workouts are pathetic 3.) You are not stretching at the bottom 4.) Not holding the stretch for 1 second 5.) Your Bouncing 6.) Not training your tibia 7.) Your legs aren’t straight when you do standing raises 8.) Too heavy on standing raises 9.) Frequency is to low 10.) You have no pain tolerance 11.) Not going to failure 12.) Volume is to high 13.) You aren’t using high intensity techniques 14.) Doing too much cardio 15.) Stop the nonsense of toes in toes out 16.) Stretch post training 17.) Occasionally do high reps 18.) Not doing explosive work 19.) Prioritizing first in your workouts 20.) Walk around on your tiptoes 21.) You tell me
this is without a doubt the best calf training video you will ever find, my calves have gotten way better since implementing this stuff. thanks john. we already miss you so much man, RIP brother!
Seriously, there is a guy at my gym who has THE MOST HUMUNGOUS CALVES I’ve ever seen, and when I asked him about it, he said he used to be kinda insecure about his height so he spent most of his life walking around on his toes just like you said! Can confirm it worked!
@@danielmont6544 last year or so, for a simple exercise a trainer recommended for building those obliques hidden by a beer belly and fat (standing up, body straight, arms along the body, a kettlebell in one hand and you incline your body on the side), I almost annoyed him telling I didn't feel a thing until I picked one of the heaviest kettlebell available... Fact is that was almost the same movement I've been doing weekly for 15 years walking home for 5mn to 10mn with a heavy bag of groceries ranging from 7 to 12kg...
Man I’ve been binging these 21 reason videos and actually taking notes. Imagine how much knowledge and critique you’d get out of this guy with just one workout with him.
I think we need to be honest with ourselves when we train calves. Your calves in your 20s were impressive! I've trained my calves on and off for years, and you tend to lose motivation due to the lack of growth. I would train until I was almost in tears because the burn was so intense. My calves will never be big due to genetics, my only hope is minimal growth, with high definition. Genetics due play a part in what you have to work with. Great video my man!
I'm on board with almost all of it, but if I walk around like that, then guys on the job start calling me twinkle toes, and I have to knock em out, who posts my bail? all I need to know.
Looks unnoticeable if you do it walking up stairs. Only use your front half of the feet on the stairs, get a bit of a stretch then step up with a calf raise follow through as the knee straightens.
Thé best calf video I have ever seen. My calves are high and tiny, that’s 💯 genetics. My dad, his brother and my grandma all have small calves. I work my calves 3 times a week but the look like they never walked a day in their lives. But now I am going to implement what I have learned from this god and make my calves proud !!!!! How I only came across this guy 2-3 weeks ago is a mystery to me, because I have researched high and low and never saw him. You RIP sir !
Sick content! I love hitting my calves. To be honest, once you get used to that “pain” it becomes familiar and You embrace it. My calves grew from 16.5 to 17” within a year. Reality is *You have to treat your calves as a priority and NOT an afterthought.*
Thank you so much. I should have watched this video some years back. In fact it's not too late. I'm in the early thirties. I think nutrition also contributes a lot for massive calves.
The best dam calf video, I have seen in this Era, of 2020, Mountain dog love you man you made me tear up my calf routine and print your Calf routine, on Golden certificate paper and laminated it.added it to training through the years Journal, keep them coming Mountain dog, need a killer forearm Routine, from the one and only Mountain dog.
I remember you mentioned doing tibia raises immediately after calf raises in a previous leg video maybe 6-12 months ago. I've been doing that ever since. Definite improvement happened!
I know this video is three years old, but I still religiously go back and study John's videos all the time so I can pick up every little detail. What I miss most of all after John's passing was as soon as he released a new video, I could go to my gym and see all the young (and older) people trying out whatever technique John had shown that day. When he released this video, I swear, I've never seen so many people doing banded tibialis raises that week! The gym owner had to order more bands at the end of that first week. LOL! John, you influenced so many people because of your knowledge, skills, and attitude, but I really think that it was your love for bodybuilding and people in general that separated you from all the other UA-cam influencers out there. I KNOW I'll see you again on the other side my friend and I can't wait!
@@immunegarden5104 Only 240 lbs at 5'10? Lmao youre delusional idiot. 240 lbs at that height is either an obese mofo or a pro bodybuilder when they are lean.
People with big calves who don’t train them tend to 1: be on the heavier side, 2: work a manual job or at least spend a lot of time on their feet, and/or 3: naturally subconsciously push off their toes a lot when they walk. You’re very rarely going to find a 130lb desk-jockey office worker with massive calves.
I'm sad to see you go. I'd regularly watch your videos to look up for help. May your family overcome your passing. You'll always be remembered. Rest In Peace.
My calves grew the best after I tore both Achilles. I was so afraid of rupturing then again I changed my style. Slow reps up and down but hold and squeeze for 2 to 4 seconds per rep. Do 40 reps like that your calves will get pumped like biceps and mine are also 20" like you and I'll be 46 in 2 months. Also lay a plate on your toes and just lift. Great for tibia. I do that once a month.
I cannot thank you enough John, all this free knowledge. My physique has improved massively, specially calves after I’ve train them hard (RPE 10-12) and can’t walk after. All the programs are so well detailed, smart Methodology and there’s no way you could mess your gains while running them if done as specified.
I've been training my tibia for the last few months because I've heard it can help with knee pain from squatting and everything else. I lean up against a wall, with my butt on the wall, put my feet out 2 feet from the wall and do tibia raises, feels good man
Tip no #21: squeegeeing calves TWICE while doing standing /seated calves raies ,first a little squeeze and then the actually contraction at top for 1 second . Thankx for the video Dear John you promised me weeks back that u actually gonna make 21 reasons for claves growth video, Truely you’re the man of your words
Another tremendous video. Had no clue that calves could be trained so often. Can't wait to implement this excellent advice once the gym opens back up. Thanks John. Your training knowledge is mind blowing!
Tip 21: People say they train them but they just DON'T! Great content, John. Love your 21 tips series. I personally train my calves 2-3 times a week in between sets of other body parts (instead of a rest period|).
This is such a fantastic video! I changed my mindset when training my calves. Focused on the stretch and do lots of reps in one workout and less reps and heavier weight in another workout. My calves improved tremendously over a year! Got a lot of good tips from here and will implement those in my calve training. Seriously! If you train your calves until you get a burn, calves will grow and look much better. Specially train them more frequently just like John said. I train my calves five times a week! One tip: Do your sets to failure and finish with 2 sets of 100 double unders or penguin jumps. Oh boy! Thank you John!
I believe you!!! Genetically my family has very skinny calves and we all start off with small calves but i noticed that the people in my family who gained a significant amount of weight have beautiful calves..the only muscle on their bodies that developed😐...THANK YOU!!!for the tip.!!!I think my legs will look so much better in heels with nice shapely calves.....so ive been running in barefoot shoes lately (2 1/2 miles max) and my calves have been in such "good"pain !!!more like on fire!!! Cant walk right for days
2 things that apparently help me: Jump rope as part of my warm-up routine, and weighted carries. Front loaded carries, like sandbags, and in particular. Another thing that might contribute is performing split squats. Either front or back foot elevated.
Tip 21: As someone who rarely trained calves in my life, many have commented that I do have well developed calves. I thought about how I could have developed them over the years and then I remembered I used to do a lot of skipping back in the day. In the course of a 2-3min round, I could easily land on my calves approximately 250-400 times. I would skip for approximately 3-5 rounds (consisting of 2-3mins each with the last 30seconds picking up the tempo) and I would skip 3days a week. Time wise, if I was doing 5 x 2min rounds, thats only 10min of calf workout with 30sec rests in between or 5 x 3min rounds, 15mins with 30sec - 1min rest in between. Skipping is such an underated calf workout but its what helped me to develop very defined calves over the years. All the best training yours
Nice to see a rare calf workout video. So many ignore calves. I’ve always trained calves hard and made my clients train them hard which they hated because yes, it’s painful. Also, nice to see the mention of “tiptoe” walks. I’ve been doing these for years as a final burn by grabbing a couple 45 lb plates at end of calf workout and walk around until you can’t stand on your calves anymore. Brutal.
I think you’re out of touch with what “pathetic” calves are lol. The picture you showed of “pathetic” looks like a great set of calves for 90% of people
John doesn't fall into that 90% of people category he's a beast he is obviously saying that in comparison to the rest of his insane physique such as his upper legs where his hamstrings literally hang from his legs
Okay, this is something I really needed in my life, calves are the hardest things to grow. I’ve also heard that it provides ankle stability, so it’s actually beneficial to get strong calves.
Wow incredible workout from incredible info, I did some of the exercise tips while watching your video and my calves already exploded. Been wanting to get 20 inch calves for the longest thank you mountain dog
Love doing calves , every second day hit calves really squeeze at the top , stretch at the bottom and boom calves worth showing , great Info John , class tee shirt 🍀
@@alexxxender1258 I wouldn't say easy no muscle is easy to grow, but with full range of motion streche and squeeze, intensity and constancy they will respond
CAUTION! if you are a beginner and go really hard on them, you will not be able to stand up the next couple of days without feeling like you are ripping the muscle off of your bone. It was the most painful DOMS out of any muscle I hit if I hadn't hit them in a long time. After the initial couple times working them, then I could really start hammering on them
Oh yeah. I've learned from that mistake many years ago and multiple times. LOL. I stopped being arrogant about lifting when I got back into weight lifting. Literally can't even walk for the next day or 2 if you hit them that hard when starting out.
Tip 21.) On seated or standing calf raises drive through your heel down into the ground or air depending which movement you are doing and raise your toes to do a tibia raise and hold for 1-2 seconds attacking both the tibia and calf at the same time. Continue to burn and repeat for each set.
Very informative!!! Really very helpful information. Dont think anybody else post videos like this. They don’t tell people why things don’t grow they don’t show how to do the stuff properly either. And another thing not as humble as you are. Thanks again!
Right now I train mine like this: Start with moderate weight 20 reps, drop the weight a bit and do another 20, drop again and do another 20, then go back to the original weight and do a 60 sec hold at the top, and maybe even a 60 sec at full stretch. Only rest is whatever time you need to change the weight. And do this 5x a week.. It's quick but very intense
I know it's bodybuilding, not sure the need to focus on neck training for that...but I like to train neck. Wondering if you could do a video on strengthening/training neck. Thanks for all the great content!!
My tip would be to go hiking, especially up and down inclines. I used to hike a lot and do some speed rope too for extra conditioning and fast twitch work and my calves were huge back then.
you are so right about tibia rises...back in a day ( im about your age ) when i played basketball and football those muscles were so strong and made my calves so much easier to develop...
I watched this video the day it dropped. I took the "prioritize your calves" advice to heart and hit them first every single day I lifted. Crazy growth. Rest In Peace John!
1. Not training them directly 2. Not getting a pump 3. Not treating them as a priority 4. Not doing all the exercises and having a minimal exercise repertoire 5. Primarily training the flexors and not extensors 6. No neutral grip wrist training 7. Not using good form. Bouncing the barbell etc 8. Not being lean enough to see vascularity in your forearms despite having decent circumference forearms. 9. Using straps. Not necessarily true, just in the case of forearms, direct work is required. 10. Using weight that is too heavy or too light 11. Not getting enough time under tension 12. Not doing enough sets per workout. 1 long set is not enough, at least to make progress 13. Not logging your progress, not taking measurements, no progressive overload objectively 14. Not doing forearm work outside the gym 15. Not using grip trainers, not squeezing random objects for fun 16. Not training your fingers with bands 17. Having weak arms in general. For example, doing bicep curls will still possibly improve your forearms to a degree 18. Not using supersets, dropsets, not doing farmers walk's (isometrics for forearms in this case) 19. Having poor wrist mobility, using straight bars when for an individual, it might be better to use e-z bars 20. Not hitting forearms first or early on in the work out, so they are fatigued already when you do hit them, so you don't get the maximal effort you need to create stimulus for growth 21. Not masturbating with each hand equally, not enough time under tension 23. Not having a job that requires the use of forearms to some degree. Dish washing has maintained my forearms well, just a personal example
I always had big powerful legs but small calves (relative to my size). I have completely flat feet so never utilized my calves walking. I had perfect form and varied weight but weight lifting wasn't doing it. Finally, I went back to my football training days and started doing stair sprints and high intensity sprinting on the stair master with full plantarflexion and both my calves and quads blew up. That's a tip I give to anyone looking for quad or calve development
John you forgot the most important outside of training. EATTTTTTTTTTTT Also if you just want to hit all three just make the legs straight. What I do for the tibia is this. When sitting down on the calf machine, I place my feet at the tip and let go of the lever and let the weight fall on the tibia while raising up. It is the best way that still applies weight on them.
Man. I literally thought there was no legend out there training the tibia. I really struggle with figuring out how. I attempted to raise with dumbbells on the ground but that band tip is way better. Thank you. You're great!
For the rest of the videos in this 21 reason series checkout this playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLNAUreWTt_ShncAtG7PHnk3ZxlRMzeJg6.html
So train calves 5 days a week for growth you feel is best? ? ?
mountaindog1 I have a question I go to failure roughly 10 to 11 reps yet I don’t feel the burn but I do feel the stretch and the contraction so instead of the burn I feel more of a cramp starting up is that good or?
Great video but I have just one thing to say. Tibia is the bone itself and the muscle is called tibialis.
I’m going to do this .
I have the typical high calve . Lots of cycling didn’t help. I’ve been doing calves 3 days a week and I see some growth, but damnit I haven’t seen much definition or growth.
My thighs get huge though.
I’m going to do this 5 days a week exactly as you just said. Once a week I’ll do 50-70 reps and smash them.
One thing I have not done all this time is do valves with locked out knees. This makes a ton of sense.
Here’s what I’ll do.
Standing raise . 1-2 warm up sets. Follows by 3 sets of reps to failure. I won’t go too heavy and will go for a burn and pump.
I’ll follow this up with the toe workout you showed: forgot name of that front of calve muscle again. I’ll do this 3 sets to failure.
I’ll report back here in a month. Setting reminder now :)
Question, you mentioned that you do calve raises five days a week and do one workout for each day, do you think doing standing calve raises and seated calve raises on the same day for five days good as well? Is it better?
"16 inches calves, they were pathetic."
* Pause the video, go measure my own calves *
-14 inches.
Well, shit.
my biceps arent even 16
That hurt 😅 same with the endurance runner notes true but ouch. Anyways wanted to say Jesus loves you
don’t worry mine are only 14inches with a pump
Haha same..15 1/4"
That picture is beyond my goal🤣
Here is tip 21. I guarantee this works! I've been a trainer for over 25 years and a couple years ago another trainer told me to think about moving FORWARD not up when you do standing raises. As you plantarflex think about leaning forward towards the machine, sort of like when you propel yourself forward at the beginning of a sprint. You will instantly feel the difference. Harder contraction! Try it out!
I'll try it
Tried it and it works as you said! thanks man!
@@luckat0nic 👍
Amazing tip. thank you!
Awesome tip
16 inches are called "pathetic"
ouch that hurt
Mine are 14 inches lol; I dont train them though
Mine were only 14.25 before I trained em. Mine aren t even 15 yet. I'm hope to get to 16.5 to 17 within a year
15s 😭 im offended lol 😂
Size don't matter when youre fat. I can be a fat ass and have a 20 inches calves too. I am shredded and my calves are only 15 inches but they look decent
felt. :(
Tip 21: Your calves aren’t growing cause you don’t have a full body mirror and too busy checking out your chest with your half mirror.
Hahahah Funny 😂 yes i think that too
@Old school Offic .... The Super man build.
Hahahahhaa
Ohhh yes most definitely
Yooooooo that's so true 😂😂😂😂😂
If I see anyone doing Tibia raises in the gym tomorrow I’ll know they watched this video
I used to do tibialis raises already back in 2015 when I got certified as a trainer, other people from my class used to laugh at this. I knew I was right 👍
I started doing tibia raises back in 2010 after I got shin splints. It did help
Lmao whenever one of the fitness gods aka John, Jeff athleanx.com, jeff nipples release a video like this I always try to spot other followers in the gym
I did some today because of this video, lol! Crazy burn!
I've been doing tibia since day one. It's pretty obvious, your foot goes 2 ways ? Lol
He's left such a huge impact. I'm still learning new things from him daily and I know im not alone in that. Fly high legend
What happened?
@@dardam2868 He passed away last summer. His family is still uploading the tons of unposted videos he filmed
Agreed. I am just now, after the 2 years he's been gone, able to watch his vids without tearing up every time (although it still happens now and again). I miss him so.
I agree what an amazing man! I have learned so much from him. Rest in peace, my brother.
The reason for so many failed marriages, small calves.
Unacceptable.
deal breaker for sure!
size matters
It appears this is the primary reason in South East Asia indeed.
Always some idiot in the comment section, never fails.
Rest in peace man, I’ll use your tips tomorrow in the gym and think of you :-)
Seeing him go is hard. 😓
@@solomonstello it really is, i haven't been affected like this before by somebody i didn't know. selfishly a lot of it is that i wanted more videos from john because he was the best at what he did. but also knowing his young boys are gonna be without a father really sucks, it's so heartbreaking for them!
@@MrCAHRLIE22 He had serious health problems. He passed away very recently.
@@pennylan6466 he just uploaded tho?
@@maxyule2655 the channel is run by his family/friends. I think he filmed a lot of stuff in advance and they are slowly releasing it as the months go by
20+ years of morbid obesity got me free calves your method seems healthier
Am I the only one who respects and appreciates how professional and reputable Mountain Dog is? Just saying I don’t need my fitness youtubers dropping more F bombs and self bragging remarks than actual advice. This channel is truly great.
Btw, I’ve found that speed rope with a weight vest on gives my shins a crazy stretch and I believe it’s improved my speed.
thank you very much
Agreed ! Great guy with an old scool approach !
@@mountaindog1 miss you John.
Thanks for uploading that tribute video.
It was really inspiring.
You are not the only one.
He is highly respected,
Reputable,
& Humble,
...speed rope sounds
HORRIBLE
Respect&Levity
Goal achieved.
First class man here!!
Here here!!!
*Omarisuf has entered the chat*
My god I am going to miss this man. His advice about form and injury prevention is priceless. Especially for us older guys.
"Gold Jerry. Solid gold."
He's alive
@@luigisaxluigisax2568nah, he dead
Reason 21: I never train them...
Tip 21:
Do calf raises while waiting in line for rides at the amusement park! Loved walking around SixFlags, Hershey, etc. with shorts and pumped calves and always bored to tears waiting forever in lines so this technique was born and worked well! If you have small children, throw ‘em on your shoulders for added resistance!😉
21 Reasons You Don't Have Big Calves "Trigger MASSIVE Growth"
1.) Don’t blame genetics
2.) Your workouts are pathetic
3.) You are not stretching at the bottom
4.) Not holding the stretch for 1 second
5.) Your Bouncing
6.) Not training your tibia
7.) Your legs aren’t straight when you do standing raises
8.) Too heavy on standing raises
9.) Frequency is to low
10.) You have no pain tolerance
11.) Not going to failure
12.) Volume is to high
13.) You aren’t using high intensity techniques
14.) Doing too much cardio
15.) Stop the nonsense of toes in toes out
16.) Stretch post training
17.) Occasionally do high reps
18.) Not doing explosive work
19.) Prioritizing first in your workouts
20.) Walk around on your tiptoes
21.) You tell me
22.) Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself
I don't have a medal to give you but here's a puppy🐶
@@5065ca thaks bro
Thx man
@@musclegaining2058 welcome bro
this is without a doubt the best calf training video you will ever find, my calves have gotten way better since implementing this stuff. thanks john. we already miss you so much man, RIP brother!
I can’t believe this is free
Maxed out incline on the treadmill and walk like you’re doing calf raises until you can’t anymore. Best I’ve found
I’m gonna try that! 😄
Me too!!! That sounds like a crazy burn!!! I may even try it on the Stairmaster!
That sounds like a wicked burn!
Seriously, there is a guy at my gym who has THE MOST HUMUNGOUS CALVES I’ve ever seen, and when I asked him about it, he said he used to be kinda insecure about his height so he spent most of his life walking around on his toes just like you said! Can confirm it worked!
seanissomething similar to my traps being huge from doing the walk home with my hands filled with heavy groceries when I was a child helping my mother
seanissomething yup, I always had very large forearms because I constantly had to grip onto very heavy things for a few minutes.
@@danielmont6544 last year or so, for a simple exercise a trainer recommended for building those obliques hidden by a beer belly and fat (standing up, body straight, arms along the body, a kettlebell in one hand and you incline your body on the side), I almost annoyed him telling I didn't feel a thing until I picked one of the heaviest kettlebell available... Fact is that was almost the same movement I've been doing weekly for 15 years walking home for 5mn to 10mn with a heavy bag of groceries ranging from 7 to 12kg...
High weights calf sets never did much for me, but I seem to be seeing some results doing walks up on the balls of my feet.
DUDE. I'M DYING XD
Man I’ve been binging these 21 reason videos and actually taking notes. Imagine how much knowledge and critique you’d get out of this guy with just one workout with him.
18:40 from now on this is how I will walk around the gym from machine to machine 🚶🏻♂️(the John Meadows walk)
I think we need to be honest with ourselves when we train calves. Your calves in your 20s were impressive! I've trained my calves on and off for years, and you tend to lose motivation due to the lack of growth. I would train until I was almost in tears because the burn was so intense. My calves will never be big due to genetics, my only hope is minimal growth, with high definition. Genetics due play a part in what you have to work with. Great video my man!
I'm on board with almost all of it, but if I walk around like that, then guys on the job start calling me twinkle toes, and I have to knock em out, who posts my bail? all I need to know.
i got your back
Looks unnoticeable if you do it walking up stairs. Only use your front half of the feet on the stairs, get a bit of a stretch then step up with a calf raise follow through as the knee straightens.
@@iggytse if u slip u lose ya teeth 😂
Haha haha
I would pay it. Just make sure u get it on video. 😂
Thé best calf video I have ever seen. My calves are high and tiny, that’s 💯 genetics. My dad, his brother and my grandma all have small calves.
I work my calves 3 times a week but the look like they never walked a day in their lives. But now I am going to implement what I have learned from this god and make my calves proud !!!!! How I only came across this guy 2-3 weeks ago is a mystery to me, because I have researched high and low and never saw him.
You RIP sir !
Sick content! I love hitting my calves. To be honest, once you get used to that “pain” it becomes familiar and You embrace it. My calves grew from 16.5 to 17” within a year. Reality is *You have to treat your calves as a priority and NOT an afterthought.*
My calves grew from 9 inches to 22 inches in 1 hour
Thank you so much. I should have watched this video some years back. In fact it's not too late. I'm in the early thirties. I think nutrition also contributes a lot for massive calves.
The best dam calf video, I have seen in this Era, of 2020, Mountain dog love you man you made me tear up my calf routine and print your Calf routine, on Golden certificate paper and laminated it.added it to training through the years Journal, keep them coming Mountain dog, need a killer forearm Routine, from the one and only Mountain dog.
U are missed!!! Your knowledge was incredible. RIP!!
What Happened to him///
@@waltford8353 embolism. Passed away in his sleep. He had a clotting disorder.
I remember you mentioned doing tibia raises immediately after calf raises in a previous leg video maybe 6-12 months ago. I've been doing that ever since. Definite improvement happened!
I know this video is three years old, but I still religiously go back and study John's videos all the time so I can pick up every little detail. What I miss most of all after John's passing was as soon as he released a new video, I could go to my gym and see all the young (and older) people trying out whatever technique John had shown that day. When he released this video, I swear, I've never seen so many people doing banded tibialis raises that week! The gym owner had to order more bands at the end of that first week. LOL! John, you influenced so many people because of your knowledge, skills, and attitude, but I really think that it was your love for bodybuilding and people in general that separated you from all the other UA-cam influencers out there. I KNOW I'll see you again on the other side my friend and I can't wait!
Love the Groot Flex shirt. Working calves have a unique pain that I love.
Next video do 21 reasons why my friend that doesnt train has big calves
Lucas Rufino a buddy at my gym has 20” calves, veined out and everything. Has never worked calves in his life. Lol 🤦♂️
@@bigmarv333
20" calves and NEVER worked them? Seems suspect to me 🤔
I know a guy only 5ft10 240 lbs that doesn't train calves that measure 22 inches . insane!
@@immunegarden5104 Only 240 lbs at 5'10? Lmao youre delusional idiot. 240 lbs at that height is either an obese mofo or a pro bodybuilder when they are lean.
People with big calves who don’t train them tend to 1: be on the heavier side, 2: work a manual job or at least spend a lot of time on their feet, and/or 3: naturally subconsciously push off their toes a lot when they walk. You’re very rarely going to find a 130lb desk-jockey office worker with massive calves.
I'm sad to see you go. I'd regularly watch your videos to look up for help. May your family overcome your passing. You'll always be remembered. Rest In Peace.
I feel like this video was a direct attack at me, whether John know me or not...hahaha
haha!!!
Rip John we all miss you brother! Thanks for all the knowledge
My calves grew the best after I tore both Achilles. I was so afraid of rupturing then again I changed my style. Slow reps up and down but hold and squeeze for 2 to 4 seconds per rep. Do 40 reps like that your calves will get pumped like biceps and mine are also 20" like you and I'll be 46 in 2 months. Also lay a plate on your toes and just lift. Great for tibia. I do that once a month.
Word. Yeah the plate thing works.
You tore off both achilles tendon? how are you still able to walk
Ruptures on the other leg are extremely common, I forgot the literature now but it’s as high as 35%. Scary shit. Fellow torn Achilles here
Going to Train My Calves, tomorrow. 👍🏼
I cannot thank you enough John, all this free knowledge. My physique has improved massively, specially calves after I’ve train them hard (RPE 10-12) and can’t walk after. All the programs are so well detailed, smart Methodology and there’s no way you could mess your gains while running them if done as specified.
thank you so much
That one guy walking on his toes around the gym from exercise to exercise 🤣🤭
Love this video thank you
I've been training my tibia for the last few months because I've heard it can help with knee pain from squatting and everything else. I lean up against a wall, with my butt on the wall, put my feet out 2 feet from the wall and do tibia raises, feels good man
Tip no #21: squeegeeing calves TWICE while doing standing /seated calves raies ,first a little squeeze and then the actually contraction at top for 1 second .
Thankx for the video Dear John you promised me weeks back that u actually gonna make 21 reasons for claves growth video, Truely you’re the man of your words
I am going to grow my calves this year
Let's do it
Let's goooooooooo!
Psyched already did a few sets
GET SOME
How'd it go
John Meadows is the absolute undisputed top trainer on UA-cam. Thank you for what you do💪🏼
If you can still walk from your bed the next morning, without leaning against the wall for support, then you’re not training calves hard enough.
One of my favorites coaches; because you are an honest, 100% field educated, and kind person, all respect coach.
Another tremendous video. Had no clue that calves could be trained so often. Can't wait to implement this excellent advice once the gym opens back up. Thanks John. Your training knowledge is mind blowing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This brothers knowledge in weight lifting was on another level. Thanks my guy. Your truly missed.
Tip 21: People say they train them but they just DON'T! Great content, John. Love your 21 tips series. I personally train my calves 2-3 times a week in between sets of other body parts (instead of a rest period|).
RIP, sir. You taught me so much, thank you.
Rest in peace legend. You taught me a lot. You are the best.
Did he die???
@@MichelLedig yeah man
@@mohitthareja8419 wtf where can i get this info??? this channel has a lot of recent vids
@@MichelLedig it's all over the internet brother. Check out Jeff nippard's latest video.
RIP man , thanks for the tips .
YES JOHN I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE!!!
Fabio Pereira and I have commented for this one for So long
¡Gracias!
This is such a fantastic video! I changed my mindset when training my calves. Focused on the stretch and do lots of reps in one workout and less reps and heavier weight in another workout. My calves improved tremendously over a year!
Got a lot of good tips from here and will implement those in my calve training. Seriously! If you train your calves until you get a burn, calves will grow and look much better. Specially train them more frequently just like John said. I train my calves five times a week!
One tip: Do your sets to failure and finish with 2 sets of 100 double unders or penguin jumps. Oh boy!
Thank you John!
Love this video , that BURN in your calves is NO JOKE. I’d say calves , quads , and tricep burns are TOP for me and my training. ITS INTENSE !
Hi John, I always love your content but I have to say... this is the best information on training calves I have ever seen, read or heard!
I believe you!!! Genetically my family has very skinny calves and we all start off with small calves but i noticed that the people in my family who gained a significant amount of weight have beautiful calves..the only muscle on their bodies that developed😐...THANK YOU!!!for the tip.!!!I think my legs will look so much better in heels with nice shapely calves.....so ive been running in barefoot shoes lately (2 1/2 miles max) and my calves have been in such "good"pain !!!more like on fire!!! Cant walk right for days
Damn. John said my set started when it burns....😢
I hope his subs keep climbing. Guy is greatly missed. A big legacy
2 things that apparently help me:
Jump rope as part of my warm-up routine, and weighted carries. Front loaded carries, like sandbags, and in particular. Another thing that might contribute is performing split squats. Either front or back foot elevated.
I’ll never understand why people hit thumbs down on such a badass sharing his wisdom and experience 🤷🏽
Thank you! Finally you respond it to my request but also to the all of us.
Still learning from you John. Can't skip at least a few of you videos before a workout. Always humble, always honest, always loved.
Imagine Buff Luke Skywalker pulling up on your squat rack, walking on his toes like that.
Hi John, you are the master of explanation, who ever wants to build and know about bodybuildings they just have to listen to your tips and knowledge
Glad to help
Tip 21: As someone who rarely trained calves in my life, many have commented that I do have well developed calves. I thought about how I could have developed them over the years and then I remembered I used to do a lot of skipping back in the day. In the course of a 2-3min round, I could easily land on my calves approximately 250-400 times. I would skip for approximately 3-5 rounds (consisting of 2-3mins each with the last 30seconds picking up the tempo) and I would skip 3days a week.
Time wise, if I was doing 5 x 2min rounds, thats only 10min of calf workout with 30sec rests in between or 5 x 3min rounds, 15mins with 30sec - 1min rest in between. Skipping is such an underated calf workout but its what helped me to develop very defined calves over the years. All the best training yours
Nice to see a rare calf workout video. So many ignore calves. I’ve always trained calves hard and made my clients train them hard which they hated because yes, it’s painful. Also, nice to see the mention of “tiptoe” walks. I’ve been doing these for years as a final burn by grabbing a couple 45 lb plates at end of calf workout and walk around until you can’t stand on your calves anymore. Brutal.
I think you’re out of touch with what “pathetic” calves are lol. The picture you showed of “pathetic” looks like a great set of calves for 90% of people
Frr
John doesn't fall into that 90% of people category he's a beast he is obviously saying that in comparison to the rest of his insane physique such as his upper legs where his hamstrings literally hang from his legs
I agree 😊 my neck is 16 and half inch and my calfes are no where near that LOL
First off, luv the t-shirt boss! Second, I work my calves, thanks for sharing this detail…
GF: "Why are you walking on your toes like a fairy?"
Me: John Meadows told me to, talk to him...
Only guy i really watch anymore. Thanks for taking the time John. 💎
Okay, this is something I really needed in my life, calves are the hardest things to grow. I’ve also heard that it provides ankle stability, so it’s actually beneficial to get strong calves.
Wow incredible workout from incredible info, I did some of the exercise tips while watching your video and my calves already exploded. Been wanting to get 20 inch calves for the longest thank you mountain dog
Love doing calves , every second day hit calves really squeeze at the top , stretch at the bottom and boom calves worth showing , great Info John , class tee shirt 🍀
Do you find them easy to grow?
@@alexxxender1258 I wouldn't say easy no muscle is easy to grow, but with full range of motion streche and squeeze, intensity and constancy they will respond
Okay I trained using your method. Its been 5 days since i trained. My calves are still so sore that I can't walk properly. Works!
Keep it up
You’re my favorite to watch and lean from. Thank you for being a humble and knowledgeable teacher.
Thank you for your tips man rest in peace ✌🏼🕊️
CAUTION! if you are a beginner and go really hard on them, you will not be able to stand up the next couple of days without feeling like you are ripping the muscle off of your bone. It was the most painful DOMS out of any muscle I hit if I hadn't hit them in a long time. After the initial couple times working them, then I could really start hammering on them
Oh yeah. I've learned from that mistake many years ago and multiple times. LOL. I stopped being arrogant about lifting when I got back into weight lifting. Literally can't even walk for the next day or 2 if you hit them that hard when starting out.
Thanks for all the invaluable knowledge that's been shared and is still being shared
Tip 21.) On seated or standing calf raises drive through your heel down into the ground or air depending which movement you are doing and raise your toes to do a tibia raise and hold for 1-2 seconds attacking both the tibia and calf at the same time. Continue to burn and repeat for each set.
Still the most helpful workout video I have ever seen.
John's calves may be his best bodypart. I have a tibia machine at home and seldom use it. Guess that will change now! Thanks John.
You have a tibia machine 😳
Very informative!!! Really very helpful information. Dont think anybody else post videos like this. They don’t tell people why things don’t grow they don’t show how to do the stuff properly either. And another thing not as humble as you are. Thanks again!
I appreciate that!
Right now I train mine like this: Start with moderate weight 20 reps, drop the weight a bit and do another 20, drop again and do another 20, then go back to the original weight and do a 60 sec hold at the top, and maybe even a 60 sec at full stretch. Only rest is whatever time you need to change the weight. And do this 5x a week.. It's quick but very intense
Thank you for this video !!! First time I watched it was like 6 months ago My calves are now visible from the front just here for a second reminder.
I know it's bodybuilding, not sure the need to focus on neck training for that...but I like to train neck. Wondering if you could do a video on strengthening/training neck. Thanks for all the great content!!
leather neck harness. get one.
@@vladimirciric519 kinky
The best video I have ever seen on calves. I think you can name it as mini-encylopedia on building big wheels! Thank you John.
My tip would be to go hiking, especially up and down inclines. I used to hike a lot and do some speed rope too for extra conditioning and fast twitch work and my calves were huge back then.
you are so right about tibia rises...back in a day ( im about your age ) when i played basketball and football those muscles were so strong and made my calves so much easier to develop...
John: *posts his old pathetic calves*
Me: *looks at own calves and cries*
LOL
😆
I watched this video the day it dropped. I took the "prioritize your calves" advice to heart and hit them first every single day I lifted. Crazy growth. Rest In Peace John!
Please do a 21 reasons you don’t have big forearms!
1. Not training them directly
2. Not getting a pump
3. Not treating them as a priority
4. Not doing all the exercises and having a minimal exercise repertoire
5. Primarily training the flexors and not extensors
6. No neutral grip wrist training
7. Not using good form. Bouncing the barbell etc
8. Not being lean enough to see vascularity in your forearms despite having decent circumference forearms.
9. Using straps. Not necessarily true, just in the case of forearms, direct work is required.
10. Using weight that is too heavy or too light
11. Not getting enough time under tension
12. Not doing enough sets per workout. 1 long set is not enough, at least to make progress
13. Not logging your progress, not taking measurements, no progressive overload objectively
14. Not doing forearm work outside the gym
15. Not using grip trainers, not squeezing random objects for fun
16. Not training your fingers with bands
17. Having weak arms in general. For example, doing bicep curls will still possibly improve your forearms to a degree
18. Not using supersets, dropsets, not doing farmers walk's (isometrics for forearms in this case)
19. Having poor wrist mobility, using straight bars when for an individual, it might be better to use e-z bars
20. Not hitting forearms first or early on in the work out, so they are fatigued already when you do hit them, so you don't get the maximal effort you need to create stimulus for growth
21. Not masturbating with each hand equally, not enough time under tension
23. Not having a job that requires the use of forearms to some degree. Dish washing has maintained my forearms well, just a personal example
BEST CALVES VIDEO EVER!!! Hands down!!! Thank you man!!!!! You are a beast!!!
I always had big powerful legs but small calves (relative to my size). I have completely flat feet so never utilized my calves walking. I had perfect form and varied weight but weight lifting wasn't doing it. Finally, I went back to my football training days and started doing stair sprints and high intensity sprinting on the stair master with full plantarflexion and both my calves and quads blew up. That's a tip I give to anyone looking for quad or calve development
He didn’t miss a thing, pure training gold. Thank you Jon, glad we still get to see you, and hopefully see you again some day
"Don't be so obsessed with going heavy till you master that form."
Best calf video I’ve ever seen. I hope these tips change me when I start implementing them today
John you forgot the most important outside of training. EATTTTTTTTTTTT
Also if you just want to hit all three just make the legs straight. What I do for the tibia is this.
When sitting down on the calf machine, I place my feet at the tip and let go of the lever and let the weight fall on the tibia while raising up. It is the best way that still applies weight on them.
Thats a good idea
Man. I literally thought there was no legend out there training the tibia. I really struggle with figuring out how. I attempted to raise with dumbbells on the ground but that band tip is way better. Thank you. You're great!
Who the He$$ dislikes this video??? ... His stuff is GOLD!!!