Even if you know how to measure your calf size to inflate the measurement as much as possible (i.e., pumped and flexed), it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have anywhere close to 21 inch calves.
And yet, there are people out there who, through a combination of consistent training and top-tier calf genetics, have managed to sculpt 21 and even 22 inch calves.
See How Your Calves Compare:
Is it possible to build 21 inch calves naturally?
Although many lifters have to fight tooth and nail to get their calves to grow at all, it’s technically possible for genetically gifted bodybuilders to build 21″ calves.
First off, you’d need pretty large ankles to get your calves even remotely close to 21 inches. The reason being is that bigger bones (i.e., larger ankles) can support greater amounts of muscle mass than smaller bones.
Additionally, you’d need to eat in a calorie surplus so that your body has plenty of energy to create new muscle tissue.
Similarly, you’d need to maintain a higher body fat level to bulk up your circumference measurement; you just don’t see many lean individuals besides pro bodybuilders with 21 inch calves or 22 inch calves.
Importantly, you’d also need decades of training experience and good genetics. While you can certainly make your calves grow rapidly during the initial stages of their development, calf growth slows down dramatically once your lower legs hit the 18-inch mark.
21 inch calf case studies
See what real-life 21 in calves look like.
Case study 1: Michael Hughson
You probably haven’t heard of Michael Hughson unless you’ve ever searched YouTube for “21 inch calves”.
Anyway, this fella has legitimate 21 in calves and, based on some of his other videos, is also very strong.
It’s doubtful that this guy is a competitive bodybuilder, and yet, he has significantly bigger calves than many bodybuilders and professional strongmen!
Are his calves genetically blessed?
Most likely, yes. But according to the comments, his calves are incredibly strong and are capable of lifting 500 lbs. So it just goes to show that if you have the genetic backing and are willing to put in the gym time, there’s a decent chance that you can build 21″ calves.
Case study 2: bogeyace
The person behind the YouTube channel bogeyace posted a video of some colossal 21 inch calves (presumably not his own), which were verified by tape measure.
This old and grainy video might not appeal to the modern YouTube viewer. However, it does prove the point that not only can you build 21 inch calves, but you can get them without direct training if you have the right genetics.
You can hear the guy in the background saying that the man in question—Mike—had never trained his calves before. So it just shows that genetics are arguably more important than training when it comes to calf development (or at least when it comes to building truly massive calves).
The verdict: Can you build 21 inch calves with hard work alone?
While consistent, progressive calf training goes a long way to beefing up your lower legs, there comes the point when your calves simply stop growing. For most natural lifters, that’s well before their calves reach 21 inches.
Still, that doesn’t mean that some lifters can’t build 21 inch calves because, as you saw in the case studies above, some people are genetically blessed with killer calf development.
For the rest of us, though, we’ll need to be satisfied with calves that are well below the 21-inch mark.
That’s not to say, of course, that you can’t still build muscular and aesthetic calves despite them not being 21 inches because you most certainly can if you work them with weights on a consistent basis.
References
- Eyal, A. (2021, July 21). How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day? Bodybuilding.Com. https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutcal.htm
- Contreras, B. (2019, August 18). 8 Laws of Strength Training. T NATION. https://www.t-nation.com/training/8-laws-of-strength-training/