The calves are, without a doubt, the most difficult-to-train muscle groups of the human body. They are also the groups most exposed to everyday use and thus have phenomenal stamina and regeneration-rate. Judging by how the ancient Greeks used to portray their athletes on different art-works, the calves are also one of the most visually appealing elements of the human body.
The size of the calves should be equal to that of the upper arms - in theory - few but the most dedicated bodybuilders manage to achieve this, though.
There is a general myth, one can sometimes hear in gyms, that one is so genetically challenged in this sense that they simply cannot obtain any sort of reaction from this muscle-group, no matter how hard they try.
The truth is, that calves do react to training just like any other muscle does to overload. The only question is what counts as an overload for this muscle- group?
Certainly, what most other muscles would perceive as a crippling strain, the calves consider little more than part of their daily routine. In order to make them react, one needs to employ a whole array of different high-intensity shocking principles (like the ones presented in the ‘advanced principles’ section of this site), and use extremely heavy weights.
The muscles that the calves are built up of are: the soleus, the long thin-looking muscle down the outer side of the lover leg, the gastrocnemius, the two big, bulky chunks of muscle that are a key feature of the calves on the back of the lower leg, and which serve to flex the foot downwards. Last but not least, comes the tibialis anterior, the thin elongated muscle that serves to flex the foot upwards.
Bodybuilders renowned for their outstanding calf development are: Arnold Schwarzenegger (the master himself) and Tom Platz. (Tom is always someone to set as an example, in all matters connected to legs).
Let us now see the exercises that hit this muscle-group, and which combined with the above mentioned shocking-principles, can stimulate this reluctant area into growth.

1) Raises done while standing
2) Raises done on the leg press machine
3) Raises done while seated
4) Raises done on one leg (alternatively)