If your calves aren’t getting larger, I’d suggest training them on a three-day cycle. Do a heavy workout the first day, a short pumping session the next and rest them completely the third day.
A pump day like this actually stimulates recovery, because it forces blood into the muscle and pushes waste products out.
Generally speaking, calves require more reps than any other muscle due to their greater number of muscle fibers. The biceps have about 40,000 muscle fibers, but the calf has more than 1.2 million fibers.
I’ve noticed that bodybuilders with great calves – such as Steve Reeves – would invariably get up on their toes like ballet dancers and would also stretch their heels well below their toes. I believe that you should be able to touch your heels to the floor when your toes are on a four-inch block.
And you should also be able to fully get up on your toes.
I see too many bodybuilders working their calves by doing partial reps while wearing shoes. You have to work the calves barefooted with your toes on a rubber pad that rests on the block. And you have to use an exaggerated range of motion on all of your movements.
That’s the only way to build your calves efficiently.