When it comes to working out, it’s almost too easy to make jokes about how many guys skip leg day.
Leg day can be one of the most challenging muscle groups for some because they just don’t get the same attention as chest and abs. However, you’re going to end up incredibly lopsided if you go to the gym and obsess over your abs and chest while neglecting your lower body. Check out this incredible calf workout from German bodybuilder Jo Lindner — a.k.a. @Joesthetics on Instagram — that will help catapult you to the enormous calves of your dreams.
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Be forewarned: this calf workout is not for the faint of heart. “High frequency is needed for making progress with calves,” Lindner explains of his progress. “In order to get these big ass calves you have to have different stances.” One useful tip that Lindner provides is that calves are finicky muscles and need to be constantly exercised in different ways and with different degrees of intensity.
The calf raise machine is probably the first piece of gym equipment most guys gravitate towards when they’re looking for a serious calf workout. For obvious reasons — it’s in the name. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to be using the calf raise machine to develop your calves. “It’s very important that you don’t lean back when you use the calf raise machine,” Lindner explains mid-workout. If you do, although you might feel exhausted after a long workout, you’re not actually working out your calves; you’re working out your lower back.
It appears Lindner’s intense approach to calf workouts is working given the size of his calves. Lindner shared an update with fans on Instagram lately that showed his calves had ballooned to an impressive 47 cm (18.5 in) in diameter. This is a size that rivals many IFBB-pro athletes. Don’t believe us? Check out the post in full below.
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Another critical point Joe Lindner brings up about calf workouts is that your stance plays a huge role in your gains. Making sure your legs are positioned appropriately apart and facing directly forward is probably one of the best things you can do for your workout goals. If you are standing pigeon-toed or with your legs otherwise at an angle, again, you are not working out your calves. The muscle groups in use when you do that will mostly be located in your lower back and thighs. The key here is to concentrate the “burn feeling” you get from working out in your calves by forcing them to do the lifting. Trust your body to tell you where the flow of energy is directed — if you feel the burn in your thighs or lower back, you know that you’re not doing it like you should and it’s time to course correct. Narrowing in on the calves can be tricky business, but once you figure it out it’s smooth sailing; you never forget, just like riding a bike.
