The Science of Calf Growth — Are They Different From Other Muscles?

Strong calf muscles help maintain balance, enhance running performance, support explosive jumping, and promote upright posture. Developing the calves prevents lopsided, upper-body-heavy aesthetics with disproportionately smaller legs.

Some believe calves are more challenging to grow than other muscle groups. However, multiple studies challenge that notion, suggesting calves can grow like other muscle groups when undergoing relatively equivalent stimuli.

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[Related: Training Fasted vs. Fed — Which Makes You Stronger?]

Lower Leg Protein Synthesis

The calves are composed of the gastrocnemius and the soleus muscles. The gastrocnemius has two parts: lateral and medial heads. A 2004 study that suggests calves are particularly challenging to grow observed that, after nine sets of calf raises, the increase in soleus muscle protein synthesis was significantly lower than typically seen in larger muscle groups like the quads. (1)

The researchers proposed two main reasons for this:

1. Frequent Activation: Calves are heavily engaged in daily activities such as standing and walking. This constant use makes them “chronically trained,” even in individuals who don’t exercise, potentially reducing their growth capacity.
2. Muscle Fiber Composition: The soleus is predominantly made up of slow-twitch fibers, which are generally considered less prone to growth than fast-twitch fibers. While slow-twitch fibers don’t grow as rapidly, they can substantially experience hypertrophy under proper training. (2)

Interpreting these findings as proof of limited calf growth can be misleading. Muscle protein synthesis doesn’t always directly translate to muscle growth.

While the soleus contains mostly slow-twitch fibers, this doesn’t necessarily mean its growth potential is inherently lower. The gastrocnemius has a more balanced mix of slow- and fast-twitch fibers, suggesting that its growth capacity may differ from the soleus.

Data on Calf Growth

Muscle growth can be measured in two ways: absolute and relative. Absolute growth refers to the raw increase in muscle size, such as the rise in centimeters when measuring muscle thickness. Relative growth represents the percentage increase in size.

Several studies on calf hypertrophy offer insights into how much the calves can grow:

Study 1

A Japanese research group found that calf size increased by 2% to 6%, notably less than the growth observed in the triceps and hamstrings. However, when analyzing specific regions of the calves, the soleus muscle grew less compared to other areas.

Growth in the lateral and medial gastrocnemius was comparable to gains seen in the hamstring heads in absolute and relative terms. (3) 

Study 2

A study conducted in the USA involved participants performing straight-leg calf raises and leg extensions, targeting the calves and quadriceps. The results showed that the gastrocnemius and quadriceps experienced similar growth, with consistent relative changes supporting this finding. (4)

Study 3

Brazilian researchers observed significant growth in the soleus muscle through straight-leg calf raises, highlighting its potential for hypertrophy with proper training. (5)

Study 4 

A Norwegian study focused on the gastrocnemius muscle, noting growth resulting from straight-leg calf raises. (6)

Study 5 

German researchers found that the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles increased in size when trained with straight-leg calf raises. (7)

These studies suggest that while calf growth may sometimes appear slightly lower than other muscle groups, the differences aren’t dramatic. Calves generally grow within a range of 6% to 20%, similar to other muscles, demonstrating their potential for substantial hypertrophy with appropriate training.

Highly Trained Individuals Calf Research 

Two studies on calf growth in highly trained individuals found the following:

Study 1

The first study involved an athlete with over a decade of calf training experience. Over six weeks, the participant performed three weekly sets of straight-leg calf raises.

One leg was trained using a full range of motion; the other alternated between lengthened and shortened partial ranges in each session. The results showed that the leg trained with a full range of motion experienced 4.14% more growth in the medial gastrocnemius than the partially trained leg. (8)

Study 2

The second study followed a competitive bodybuilder with 18 years of training experience. The participant completed four sets of straight-leg calf raises five times per week, paired with one hour of intense calf stretching six times per week for twelve weeks. This regimen resulted in significant gains in calf thickness across various regions, ranging from 7% to 23%. (9)

Does the gastrocnemius or the soleus grow faster? Research offers mixed findings. Some studies suggest greater growth in the soleus, while others indicate that the gastrocnemius responds more robustly.

A general consensus emerges: with proper training, the calves demonstrate a strong capacity for growth, making them a worthwhile focus for anyone looking to enhance their development.

More In Research

References

1. Trappe, T. A., Raue, U., & Tesch, P. A. (2004). Human soleus muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise. Acta physiologica Scandinavica, 182(2), 189–196. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-201X.2004.01348.x
2. Morton, R. W., Oikawa, S. Y., Wavell, C. G., Mazara, N., McGlory, C., Quadrilatero, J., Baechler, B. L., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2016). Neither load nor systemic hormones determine resistance training-mediated hypertrophy or strength gains in resistance-trained young men. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 121(1), 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00154.2016
3. Kinoshita M, Maeo S, Kobayashi Y, Eihara Y, Ono M, Sato M, Sugiyama T, Kanehisa H and Isaka T (2023) Triceps surae muscle hypertrophy is greater after standing versus seated calf-raise training. Front. Physiol. 14:1272106. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1272106
4. Burke, R., Piñero, A., Mohan, A.E. et al. Exercise Selection Differentially Influences Lower Body Regional Muscle Development. J. of SCI. IN SPORT AND EXERCISE (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-024-00299-4
5. Kassiano, W., Costa, B. D. V., Kunevaliki, G., Lisboa, F., Tricoli, I., Francsuel, J., Lima, L., Stavinski, N., & Cyrino, E. S. (2024). Bigger Calves from Doing Higher Resistance Training Volume?. International journal of sports medicine, 45(10), 739–747. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2316-7885
6. Larsen, S., Swinton, P.A., Sandberg, N.Ø., Kristiansen, B.S., Fredriksen, A.B., Falch, H.N., van den Tillaar, R., Wolf, M. (2024). Resistance training beyond momentarily failure: The effects of lengthened supersets on muscle hypertrophy in the gastrocnemius. SportRχiv.
7. Warneke, K., Wirth, K., Keiner, M., Lohmann, L. H., Hillebrecht, M., Brinkmann, A., Wohlann, T., & Schiemann, S. (2023). Comparison of the effects of long-lasting static stretching and hypertrophy training on maximal strength, muscle thickness and flexibility in the plantar flexors. European journal of applied physiology, 123(8), 1773–1787. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-023-05184-6
8. Bischoff, A. B. G., Rigo, M. E. C., Wenzel, V. I., Laporta, L., & Pedrosa, G. F. (2024). Effects of Six Weeks of Training at Different Ranges of Motion on Gastrocnemius Hypertrophy and Strength: A Case Study. Journal of Physical Fitness, Medicine & Treatment in Sports, 10(5-May 2024). https://doi.org/10.19080/JPFMTS.2024.10.555799
9. Homer, K. A., Helms, E. R., & Spence, A. J. (2025). The effect of a combined long-duration static stretching and resistance training regimen on a competitive bodybuilder: A case study. Physiological reports, 13(2), e70156. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70156

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