Exercise scientist Dr. Mike Israetel constantly gives out tips on bodybuilding and fitness. In his latest video, the bodybuilding coach explained an exercise that many people perform but don’t see any growth. Yes, you guessed it right. He’s talking about your calves! But not to worry. Israetel explained how making a single adjustment might help you grow your calves. 

In his short video, the exercise scientist pointed out several cues that people need to follow. While everyone performs some variation of the exercise, many complain their calves do grow. While it’s impossible to figure out what each individual does wrong, Israetel said his advice would lead to success in the gym.

Mike Isratel’s calf raise checklist

The exercise scientist explained that the first mistake people make is going too heavy. Instead, he advised gymgoers to go a “bit lighter.” While it might feel satisfying to lift heavy during every exercise, it’s not always optimal. Israetel explained that people should use a weight with which they’ll be able to perform around 20 reps.

However, performing the correct number of reps won’t matter if the technique is wrong. In fact, the technique is the main driver of growth in calf raises, and many people get it wrong. “You want to milk the painful deep stretch… Even pause at the bottom,” said the bodybuilding coach. The Rennaisance Periodization founder explained that people need to utilize their full range of motion.

While many people focus on pushing up on their toes, they ignore the downward motion. However, that’s where the growth happens. While performing the eccentric portion of each rep, one must lower their heel past their toes. They must perform it slowly to stretch out the calf muscle and pause at the most stretched position, before pushing upwards.

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While it might seem painful at first, the calf muscles need to be stretched to their full range to grow. The following tip was about rest time between sets. “You probably won’t walk for a week,” said Israetel for the first-timers. However, despite that they need to keep the rest periods minimal.

How to do more in less time

Mike Isratel also spoke about the exercise volume for calf raises. Since the technique adjustment might cause a lot of fatigue, the bodybuilding coach advises people to start with three sets. He said they would eventually work up to “seven or eight,” sets in a row. However, ego lifting on the first day might cause severe pain because Israetel recommended very short rest periods.

The fitness influencer recommended just 10 seconds of rest between sets. Resting for such a short period will ensure the lactic acid washes out of the muscle, but it doesn’t get much rest. Since the calves are built for endurance, low volume or long rest periods won’t result in growth.

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He also said that 10-second rest periods will also help save time, as the whole workout won’t last long. Will you follow the exercise scientist’s advice? Tell us in the comments.