In The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger says that when he originally started bodybuilding, every muscle in his body grew except for his calves. He would frequently pose for photographs while standing in water because he was so ashamed of his calf development. Finally, he cut the bottom of the legs off of all of his training pants, so that his poor calf development could be seen by the entire gym, and set about developing one of the toughest muscle groups in the body. He explains that for total calf strength and development, you need to hit every calf head hard and strategically.
Standing Calf Raise
The standing calf raise strengthens the gastrocnemius muscles, which are the large bulges of muscle at the tops of your calves. Stand at a calf machine with the pads resting on your shoulders. Lower your heels as far as you can, and then press up, raising up onto the balls of your feet and contracting your calves hard. Hold for a moment, then return to the starting position. You can also perform this exercise at a Smith machine with a calf block. Because the calves are so tough from carrying your entire body weight all day, you may need to perform higher reps than usual to build muscle. Perform sets of 10 to 20 reps.
Leg Press Calf Raise
One of Schwarzenegger's favorite calf exercises was the donkey calf raise, where he would bend at the waist and perform calf raises with his friends sitting on his back. This, unfortunately, is both impractical and a bit silly looking. Luckily, performing calf raises on a leg press puts your body in the same position, simulating the donkey calf raise. When performing a calf raise while bent at the waist, the gastrocnemius muscle is very stretched, which increases the intensity when it is flexed. Sit on a leg press, and hold the sled up with the toes and balls of the feet. Lower the sled by flexing at only the ankle, and then press the weight back up. Repeat in sets of 10 to 20.
Seated Calf Raise
In "Strength Training Anatomy," Frederic Delavier explains that the calf is made up of three heads. The previous exercises work the upper two heads, the gastrocnemius lateral head and medial head. The soleus muscle runs from the heel, under the gastrocnemius and all the way to the head of the fibula. In order to work the soleus, the gastrocnemius must be relaxed, which is achieved in a seated position. To perform a seated calf raise, sit at a seated calf raise machine and place your knees under the pads. Drop your heels as far as you can, then press the weight back up and contract your calves. Repeat in sets of 10 to 20.
Jump Squats
The previous three exercises build slow power in the calves, but the jump squat develops explosive strength, rounding out your calf workout. Hold a pair of dumbbells down by your thighs with your palms in. Squat down until your legs are parallel to the ground, then explode up, jumping at the top of the movement. Land with soft knees and begin the next rep. This exercise will not only build your calf strength but will also get your heart pumping. Perform sets of 10 to 20.
References
- "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding"; Arnold Schwarzenegger; 1998
- "Strength Training Anatomy 3rd Ed." Frederic Delavier; 2010
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