Training Calf muscles at Home.

[BEEF]

Hi,
I'm currently training at home, as I'm a poor poor student and can't afford a monthly gym membership lol 

How can I effectively train calfs at home? A mate was telling me the other day how he had been to his gym and blasted his calfs on the smith machine with a re-inforced step so they could go below parrallel. How could I effectively train at home? I could stand on weights but is this known to be stable enough? and is it a lot better to go below parallel?

What rep range and set range would you recommend for training and weight increses etc. I've neglected my calfs a little as I've never been too sure how to train them properly.

Thanks

[Wozzer]

You can use stairs with a dumbell to do one-legged calf raises below parallel.  I have to admit I don't know how going below parallel will change the look of the calf muscle. 

[p.s.]

You can use stairs with a dumbell to do one-legged calf raises below parallel.  I have to admit I don't know how going below parallel will change the look of the calf muscle. 

Going below parallel is just taking the muscle (calf in this case) through it's full range of motion, but make sure that the motion is slow and strict with a hard contraction at the top. If I were you Beef I would do standing calf raises with a bar on my shoulders and just use the floor, and then do raises on the stairs to get that extra stretch.

In QODs opinion to develope great calves it's all about keeping the muscle contracted for as long as possible, and if one looks at women who wear heals all the time you'll see that for the most part they have very solid calves.

[Bad Bob]

You can also try a seated calf raise type of movement. You need something solid to hang onto and blocks to place the balls of your feet.
Now, squat down, as if sitting on a.... er, low toilet, hanging onto whatever you found to hang onto, now, you are in the seated calf position. Keeping your body low, commence stretching and raising,