Calf Exercises for Women

Many women want to develop and tone their calf muscles, although this is a difficult area of the body to train. The calves can be a trouble area for bloating and fat accumulation as you age. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the calf respond best to high repetitions and heavy weight. You should not be afraid to push yourself and increase the weight whenever possible. Add these exercises to your leg training to develop strong, toned calves.

Leg Press Calf Raise

Calf raises on a leg press are the best exercise for a mid-range, maximum force stimulus on the gastrocnemius, the largest muscle in the calf, according to "The Ultimate Mass Workout." To perform this exercise, lift the leg press and position the balls of your feet on the edge of the platform with your knees bent. Press the weight upward slightly with your legs and then fully contract your calves by extending your toes as far forward as possible. Slowly lower the weight for a full stretch and repeat.

Standing Calf Raise

Most gyms have a standing calf raise machine where you position your shoulders under the pads and place your feet on the platform, allowing your heels to hang off slightly. To perform the standing calf raise, go up on your toes until you reach the fully contracted position. Lower slowly for a good stretch and repeat. If your gym does not have this machine, you can easily set one up with a Smith machine by placing a step aerobics apparatus under the bar of this machine. Secure your shoulders under the bar and twist it to unlock the resistance from the self-spotting hooks. Perform the calf raise exactly as you would on the calf raise machine.

Seated Calf Raise

The seated calf raise targets the other largest calf muscle--the soleus. To perform this exercise, sit on the seated calf raise machine with the pad resting comfortably on your thighs. Place the balls of your feet on the platform with your heels hanging off slightly. Lift the weight off of the support by going up on your toes, raising your heels to fully contract your calf muscles. The range of motion is small, but you should lower the weight slowly and perform each repetition without bouncing or momentum.

Incline Treadmill

The high-endurance calf muscle fibers develop from functional movements such as running, jumping and cycling, according to fitness experts Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman, who recommend walking on a treadmill set at an incline for 20 to 30 minutes to tone and develop your lower legs. As you build endurance, you can increase the incline. This exercise is perfect if you want to tone your calves without building a lot of muscle.