Introduction:
Calves there's something so impressive by looking at someones legs and seeing full strong looking calves And I think training them with resistance and allowing them to train in a full range of motion can be incredibly beneficial not only to sport but resiliency and aesthetically it doesn't look so bad either Exactly and training them I think is just something that gets people confused a little bit
because I think there are three camps so the people who dont think they need to train them at all and so they don't train them at all And then there are the people who train them because they think all of a sudden its gonna help you dunk a basketball Right eh Yeah laughing Not really
There are some better options there And then there are the people who train them and it is it is about like you said resiliency and it is about aesthetics So Eb and I chose four movements to show you guys today that we feel are significantly different We feel like youre gonna get a bit of a different response And if you focus on these four we do believe youre going to achieve well rounded calves But also most importantly functionality that were hopefully youre able to be resilient in your lower body ankles feet you know everything is healthy and youre able to live a long healthy functional life Eb Number four on our list first lets establish.
Exercise 4:
(1) our calves working independently and lets do that with a single leg calf raise on the leg press And dont expect to be using a lot of weight here right Yeah Cause the single leg motion the fact that our legs gonna be straight focusing a little bit more on that gastrocnemius and to train it at a full range of motion especially if youre getting started is gonna be a bit humbling I mean youre gonna be nowhere near where you would be doing this with two legs Its great for athletes right because Oh love it A lot of times if youre a leftfooted jumper on the basketball court you probably do have a little bit of calf imbalance that you dont even realize You may even have a little bit of calf mobility discrepancy And when youre on this singleleg leg press
(2) doing that calf raise youre gonna get a chance to uncover that and discover that and find ways to balance that so youre gonna understand your imbalances Thats what we love so much about unilateral training it really takes a lot of that cheat away and it becomes humbling because its gonna take that weaker area or that weaker side and its gonna expose it and its gonna force you to make a decision are you gonna cheat through it or are you gonna attack it and just say
(3) Listen Im gonna swallow this right now and deal with it and just try and take my time over the next couple months to allow it to catch up to the other side Exactly I like to think of like a one to two second hold at the top when Im at max plantar flexion that gives me a chance to really flex my calves and then a one to two second hold at the bottom when Im Don Dorsiflexion Yeah when I'm as dorsiflex as I can possibly be that's gonna help you one develop a little bit more mobility in that dorsiflexion if you dont have it because were trying to spend time in that bottom position And two understand your max out for this So take your time on this I like to think around three sets of 12 to 20 reps its okay to go high rep on this Love that going off that unilateral work youre gonna expose so much and train em Don't be afraid not to train it.
Exercise 3:
- Number three on our list for developing calves is probably not something you would think has to do with calf training and that's jumping rope And this is a little bit different from a calf perspective too because we talked about full range of motion youre not necessarily going to go through a full range of motion here but what we get is we get the repetitive bouncing action we get to be a little bit plyometric And so its a really good blend of explosive into a decel every single time on every single jump You're getting a heart rate response a cardiovascular response youre burning fat youre improving endurance all these great things are happening with this movement but its also helping us develop an area
- that I believe a lot of us still and Eb believes a lot of us still need to be focusing on a functionality standpoint I like to think of it as you know 30 seconds on 30 off for 3 to 4 rounds something like that It doesn't need to be a whole time It doesnt need to be crazy Yeah And you could start developing that you know the ability to increase that work capacity I think you could throw it in as you know a little bit of a warmup You could throw it in as a finisher where we want to maybe produce some type of cardio output while helping develop that level of elasticity and you know what Developing you know a little bit of hypertrophy in those calves its gonna help in developing you know aesthetically pleasing calves Eb So number two on our list.
Exercise 2:
(1) and as we seem to always do were starting to get into moves where we can go a little bit heavier the seated calf raise Im a huge fan I even bought one for my home gym here and you know why do I like it so much Because you know Im able to train in a bent leg position which becomes challenging most of the movements that were doing are gonna be straight leg But to train in a bent leg position which is gonna focus more on the soleus we almost need to be in that seated position But I also enjoy it because Im able to change foot positions Im able to load the ankle the toes the feet a little bit differently which I think is a very overlooked area of the body I mean were sitting here all the time wrapping up our toes and our feet which is supposed to be this healthy area
(2) of the body but were almost casting it up and then we start restricting our toes our level of dexterity we begin to start to lose and our toes stop moving and stretching and our ankles stop moving and stretching So the calves really give me the ability now to work on my feet work on my toes get into that dorsiflex position planter flex a bit and listen it just feels good
(3) Its something that I enjoy doing which is why I put a machine downstairs And I think the key thing on this is making sure that people still go through the full range of motion So you still want to take one to two seconds at the very top of the motion and you want to kind of get that out of it Three sets of say you know 8 to 15 reps to start I think thats a great starting point I think youll develop strength over time Do not rush the weight that youre adding to that If it took months and months and months to build up a full range of motion and youre slowly starting to increase that weight thats the way we believe you should go about doing it If I dont feel my calves flex if I dont feel that nice tension in them Im not doing the reps so thats why you want to make sure to feel that you will feel this one thats number two.
Exercise 1:
All right, now number one on our list of calf exercises is something that a lot of you would not expect. It's called a safety squat bar calf raise. We're gonna get into the safety squat bar, we're gonna hold onto the rack, we're gonna add some sort of a step or elevation, and we're gonna train through a full range of motion. - You're holding that safety bar, but you're also holding onto the rack, and that's gonna give you a little bit of help. So this is a little bit of an assisted movement to some extent, we can get a little bit of help
from our arms, that's not a bad thing in this situation as long as we're working through that full range of motion 'cause it's gonna let us load more. I think anytime we pick a move, and it is number one on our list it is because it opens the door for you to load aggressively when we're standing, and we have to create all of that stability above and all of that tension above, that means our calves have no choice, but to be the drivers of it and they're gonna work in a very mechanically natural position. They're working from the same position
- from which I would jump or do anything. - Calves are just that one body part where I see people cheat the most. - Yeah. - So guys, start conservatively with your weight. I would go, again, with that three sets of maybe that 10 to 15 rep range. I don't even want you going so low on the reps. I prefer you to take that up a little bit more, and allow yourself to get really, you know, into that dorsiflex position all the way into that plantar flex position
- which is gonna be on your toes, and just take your time, dropping down into position, holding it for a second or two, raising up on your toes, holding it for a second or two. A very light weight is gonna become incredibly humbling. Again, your three sets of about 10 to 15 repetitions. We know you guys are gonna love this one. - So attack that motion and attack all of these calf motions, and remember, when you're dealing with these stubborn body parts and when we're dealing with these very tiny accessory motions, we can do this multiple times a week.
- So if you really want to get your calves to grow, hit them four or five days in a week, mix in all of these exercises. They can all have a role in your workout. They all fit really, really well at the beginning, if we're thinking weak-point training, also really well at the end, but you gotta do them, it's what's gonna build your calves.
Calf Workouts for Strength:
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| Standing Calf Raises | Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, raise heels as high as possible, then lower back down. Use weights for added resistance. |
| Seated Calf Raises | Sit on a bench, place weight on thighs, raise heels as high as possible, then lower. Great for targeting soleus muscles. |
| Calf Raises on Leg Press Machine | Use a leg press machine, position toes at the bottom of the platform, push through heels to raise the weight. |
| Jump Rope | Jumping rope is a dynamic exercise that engages calf muscles. Perform various jumps to target different areas. |
| Box Jumps | Stand facing a box or platform, jump explosively onto it, landing softly. Step down and repeat for sets. |
| Single-Leg Calf Raises | Perform calf raises on one leg at a time, focusing on balance and control. |
| Donkey Calf Raises | Use a partner or a machine to perform calf raises with resistance placed on the hips while leaning forward. |
| Farmer's Walk | Holding heavy weights in each hand, walk for a distance, focusing on the contraction in the calf muscles while walking. |
Calf Workouts: Optimal Frequency FAQS:
Q1: What are some effective calf muscle exercises for constructing strength?
A1: Some powerful calf muscle exercises include calf raises, both status and seated variations, donkey calf raises, calf press on a leg press gadget, and leaping sports like container jumps or skipping.
Q2: How many sets and repetitions should I goal for while acting calf sports?
A2: Aim for 3-four units of 10-15 repetitions for calf sporting events. Adjust the burden or resistance to make certain the previous few reps of each set are difficult however nonetheless permit you to preserve proper shape.
Q3: Can variations in foot positioning decorate calf muscle development?
A3: Yes, variations in foot positioning in the course of calf exercises can goal specific regions of the calf muscles. For instance, a much broader stance might cognizance greater at the inner calf, whilst a slender stance may engage the outer calf.
Q4: Are there any precise suggestions to save you damage whilst education calf muscle tissues?
A4: Ensure a right warm-up earlier than starting calf sports, maintain proper shape for the duration of the motion, avoid overloading with excessive weights to begin with, and steadily boom intensity to prevent traces or accidents.
Q5: How often have to calf muscle workout routines be incorporated right into a weekly habitual for top-quality consequences?
A5: Including calf exercises 2-three instances a week with as a minimum one day of rest in among classes can help optimize muscle increase and power development whilst permitting enough healing time.
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Muscle Groups