Calf myth busted: Dorian Yates reveals how he gained 6 inches with just two sets

When it comes to bodybuilding, there is one universally accepted "fact": you either have calves or you don't. They are considered the most stubborn muscle part, which is genetically determined and almost impossible to improve. People will tell you that you have to train them daily, with high repetition counts, because "they're used to walking".

But then there's Dorian Yates. The man nicknamed "The Shadow", a six-time Mr. Olympia winner who was the epitome of muscle density and "granite" hardness. And this man says it's all nonsense.

Yates is living proof that even the most rebellious calves can explode. He has managed to increase the circumference of his calves by a whopping 6 inches (over 15 cm) - from 16.5 inches to a whopping 22.5 inches.

And what was his secret recipe? It was the exact opposite of what everyone else was doing.

Brutal simplicity: less is more

While others in the gym were spending hours a week shredding their calves, Yates' approach was minimalist but incredibly intense.

So what did his "secret" workout look like?

• Frequency: He only trained his calves once every 6 days.
• Exercises: He used only two exercises.
• Volume: He performed a total of two work sets from each exercise to absolute failure.

Yes, you read that correctly. Only two total work sets for the entire calf workout.

Why it works: Stop "walking" in the gym

Yates' philosophy is simple: stop treating your calves as some special, distinct part.

"I've heard it a hundred times: 'You have to exercise your calves every day because you walk on them all the time,'" Yates shared. "Okay, but then why would you duplicate the same kind of low-intensity stimulation in the gym, like walking, only with a high rep count? That doesn't make sense."

His advice is clear

"Train your calves like any other muscle. Train them hard, with maximum intensity."

Many people, he says, make the mistake of blowing the calves off at the end of a workout with a few "lukewarm" sets. But Dorian approached them with the same seriousness as squats or bench-presses. Each set was taken past the point of pain, to the point where the muscle absolutely failed.

This 6-inch increase is proof that you don't necessarily need huge volume or daily frequency to grow muscle. You need the right stimulus. And in Dorian Yates' case, that stimulus was pure, unadulterated, brutally intense training to the limit.

Source:FitnessVolt