The calves perform only one main function, to plantar flex the ankles. Ankle plantar flexion means to point the toes, such as when rising onto the balls of your feet for a calf raise. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles on the rear of the lower leg both perform plantar flexion. Since the muscles only manipulate one main joint in one direction, there are few choices for exercises compared to other muscles. This makes designing workouts relatively easy. The trick is to know the correct acute variables of program design for the goal of building mass.
Reps and Sets
To increase mass, train for hypertrophy. For a hypertrophy exercise goal, repetitions of eight to 12 work best. Use a weight that fatigues your calves on your last repetition. If the calves do not tire, the weight was likely too little to make a difference and build mass. You also must complete three to four sets of your calf workouts if you want to see your muscles grow.
Frequency
Although beginners may only do strength training workouts twice a week with one exercise per body part, bodybuilders wanting to bulk up are better off training six days a week. This does not mean that you should train the calves nearly every day. Split workouts between body parts so that you work the calves twice a week but with two to four calf exercises per session. You can simply break this up as one to two gastrocnemius exercises and one to two soleus exercises.
Gastrocnemius Exercises
The gastrocnemius is the larger of the two main muscles of lower leg. This muscle works more than the soleus to plantar flex the ankle when the legs are straight. Examples of gastrocenius exercises include rocking barbell calf raises, single leg calf raises, hack machine calf raises and calf raises holding free weights like dumbbells, kettle bells and barbells. Another way to work this muscle is to perform a calf press on a machine such as a leg press, or sled, machine. The gastrocnemius also assists with bending the knee, but the larger hamstring muscles of the thigh do most of the work for knee flexion.
Soleus Exercises
The soleus muscle is smaller than the gastrocnemius and lower down on the leg, closer to the ankle. This muscle activates more during bent-knee exercises with plantar flexion. Exercises include seated calf raises, seated machine calf raises, seated calf raises with free weights and bent-knee calf extensions on calf extension machines.
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