Dorian Yates was known as “The Shadow,” and certainly, the silhouette that he cut on the Olympia stage earned the iconic British bodybuilder six consecutive titles, but despite his reputation for building an enormous chest, shoulders, and arms, Yates was all about impressing his judges with the finer details too. So, all the way down to his calves, Dorian Yates built himself a phenomenal physique and thankfully, he’s shared the process so that others can follow.
The 2 Calf Exercises Dorian Yates Swore By for Bigger Lower Legs
Taking to Instagram with a series of informative posts, Dorian Yates revealed that his preferred calf exercises were the standing calf raise and the seated calf raise. While these are staple moves, they are often neglected in the gym in favor of more glamorous lifts like the leg press. Calf raises are an efficient move, however, because they target the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, the two main muscles in the calf.
How Standing Calf Raises Build Thick Diamond-Shaped Calves
Dorian Yates often encouraged giving it your all on one set, rather than leaving reps on the table, and he applied the same ethos here, going to failure on his standing calf raises. Calf raises are crucial because the gastrocnemius muscle is worked when the toes are pointed down and the ankle is flexed. Then, the soleus is taxed in order to provide stabilization. By exercising both muscles, you build those much-heralded diamond shaped calves.
While The Shadow lifted an epic 1,500 pounds his during a working set, you can build quality muscle by aiming for a weight that you’ll fail at, or get close to failure with, between the 8 and 12 rep range. “I stepped in and drove up, pretty much on my tip toes with a huge squeeze and (then went) right the way down,” Yates explained to his 2-million IG followers. “Each rep being performed exactly the same, until failure was reached, where I’d sometimes do partial reps to squeeze everything out.”
Why Seated Calf Raises Target the Soleus for More Leg Mass
“Since the knees are bent, it targets the soleus,” explained the big man, noting the subtle difference in mechanics between the standing and seated calf raise. The seated calf raise is also a great follow up, because it removes the recruitment of the upper body. “I did over 220lbs on this exercise from what I remember,” reflected Yates. “Usually failing around 8 reps, plus it’s a little easier to do forced reps on this rather than on standing calf raises, which we did.”
So, there you have it. Calves can be difficult to build, and genetics plays a role, but neglecting the very exercises that will add vascularity to your lower legs is a muscle wasting mistake. “Train your calves with real intention,” enthused the bodybuilding legend. “Real focus, full range of motion, down to your heels and up on your toes!”
