Get calves like Kai Greene.
There’s no question, massive calf muscles are a must for any bodybuilder seeking to compete on the grand stage. Sure, having massive biceps, shredded abs, monstrous quads, and a defined back are essential for any athlete. But bodybuilding is as much about symmetry as anything else. Those massive arms will mean nothing if you have wimpy calves that can’t make the cut.
Kai Greene may no longer compete – but to many he is still one of the greatest bodybuilders alive today. Known for his massive and defined legs, Kai is dedicated to making his strong points even more impressive. Kai’s calf muscle are exceptionally muscled and second to none. Here are some of the vaunted calf exercises Kai uses to keep the other contenders at bay.
The calves in general are a big weak point for many bodybuilders. With so much emphasis being put into having the biggest back, the most capped shoulders, bulging biceps, it’s easy to see how calves can become neglected. Nevertheless, they are a major factor in winning bodybuilding competitions at the highest levels.
But what if you simply want to add size and strength for other purposes outside of competition? Is there a reason to have well built calves if you’re not looking to be become the next Mr. Olympia?
The short answer to that questions is Hell Yeah!
But what are the reasons that one would work on their calf development?
Athletic Performance
Believe it or not, your calf development has a great deal to do with your athletic capability. Whether you’re running for cardio or looking to make a jump shot, your calves are going to have a lot to do with your ability to explode into certain movements. For non-bodybuilding example, Manny Pacqiuao was now for his ridiculous powerful and explosive movements. A great deal of that explosive movement came from his massively muscled calves that were able to propel him forward in order to land lighting fast combinations on his opponent’s chin.
Aesthetics
The obvious reason to develop calves from a bodybuilding perspective is simply aesthetics. Sure, you can build up you quads and hamstrings for some great leg development, but if your calves aren’t built along with them it can throw the look of the lower half off. But you should also consider that building a strong foundation will ultimately bring together the entire package, which leads us to the next big reason to make solid calf development…
Stabilization
While aesthetics may be a great reason to develop the calves, their importance go far beyond that. Just as the calves help with athletic performance and explosion, they also are important in stabilization while standing, running, or jumping. If your calves are weak you can bet your posture isn’t going to be all that steady and strong. Building strong calves means building sturdy stabilizing muscles. If you ever had knee problems, strengthen the calves could go a long way in aiding knee stabilization.
Rehabilitating and Strengthening Achilles Tendon
If you’ve ever had damaged Achilles tendons then you know that it can throw off everything. Not only can damaged Achilles tendons hinder you leg development, but it can essentially compromise your athletic performance. In order to avoid this, training calves can translate over to strengthen your Achilles tendon before injury can become a problem.
Kai Greene may not be a boxer, a sprinter, or a basketball player, but he does know how to strengthen the calves which can translate over to other athletic activities besides bodybuilding. Take a look at the calf workout he uses to build his massively powerful calves.
Kai’s Killer Calf Workout
Calf Raises On Leg Press: 2-4 sets of 30 reps
Seated calf raises: 4 set of 8-20 reps
Superset with Standing calf raises: 4 sets of 8-20 reps
Donkey calf raises: 4 sets of 8-15 reps
Superset with Tibialis raises: 4 sets of 8-15 reps
Kai Greene has put in considerable work in the gym to build up his calf muscles. Kai uses an alternative method to train his entire calf. “I alternate my heels [heels in or heels out] during sets of calf raises to focus on either the inner or outer parts of my calves.”
Below are some of the methods Kai Greene uses to develop his lower half, including his monstrous calves.
Be sure that when you perform these exercises you should also look to stretch the calves to keep blood flow strong and regular.
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Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
