Going past muscle burn for bigger calves
Resistance training beyond momentary failure: the effects of past-failure partials on muscle hypertrophy in the gastrocnemius
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Partial reps in the stretched position after failure led to *more* hypertrophy than stopping at full range.
Most lifters assume full reps to failure are optimal — and some avoid partials entirely, thinking they’re 'cheating.' But here, partials *after* full reps actually enhanced growth, contradicting traditional gym wisdom.
Practical Takeaways
After reaching failure on calf raises, keep doing small partial reps at the bottom (dorsiflexion) until you can’t move at all.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Partial reps in the stretched position after failure led to *more* hypertrophy than stopping at full range.
Most lifters assume full reps to failure are optimal — and some avoid partials entirely, thinking they’re 'cheating.' But here, partials *after* full reps actually enhanced growth, contradicting traditional gym wisdom.
Practical Takeaways
After reaching failure on calf raises, keep doing small partial reps at the bottom (dorsiflexion) until you can’t move at all.
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Psychology
Year
2025
Authors
Stian Larsen, P. Swinton, N. Ø. Sandberg, B. S. Kristiansen, A. B. Fredriksen, H. Falch, Roland van den Tillaar, Milo Wolf
Related Content
Claims (6)
If untrained guys keep doing partial calf raises after they can't do full ones on a Smith machine, they can nearly double their workout volume, which might help their muscles grow more.
If untrained guys keep doing little extra calf lifts after they can't do any more full ones on a Smith machine, they'll probably grow their calf muscles a bit more over 10 weeks.
If untrained guys do extra mini reps on calf raises after failure, pointing their toes upward, they gain more calf muscle than stopping when they can't do any more full reps with toes pointed down.
If new guys to lifting do calf raises on a Smith machine and finish each set with their toes pointed all the way up, they’ll gain about 6.7% more calf muscle thickness in 10 weeks with workouts twice a week.
If you keep doing partial calf raises after you can't do any more full ones, you might grow your calf muscles more.