Your calves consist of two separate muscles—your gastrocnemius and your soleus. Your gastrocnemius is the upper, larger of the two and crosses both your knee and ankle joint. Your soleus, smaller and below the gastrocnemius, only crosses your ankle joint. Both muscles work together in pointing your ankle, a movement called plantar flexion. Strong, muscular calves are important for ankle stability, sporting performance and aesthetics. You can build your calf strength by performing two main exercises.
Seated Calf Raises
Step 1
Position yourself on the seated calf raise machine. Place the balls of your feet on the foot rest and your knees beneath the leg restraint.
Step 2
Release the catching mechanism so that the load is now supported by your calf muscles.
Step 3
Lower your heels as far below your toes as possible. The degree of ankle flexion you can achieve will be dependent on your level of flexibility.
Step 4
Point your toes and rise up as high as you can on to the balls of your feet. Hold this top position for one to two seconds.
Step 5
Lower your heels back down to the starting position and repeat.
Standing Calf Raises
Step 1
Position your shoulders against the shoulder pads and place your feet on the foot rests.
Step 2
Extend your knees to lift the weight into the starting position. Keep your knees straight throughout the exercise.
Step 3
Lower your heels below your toes. Stretch as far down as is comfortable. Hold this position for one to two seconds.
Step 4
Push up as high as possible onto your tip-toes. Hold this position for one to two seconds.
Step 5
Slowly lower and repeat.
Tips and Warnings
- Always warm up before performing these exercises to minimize your risk of injury. Calf raises are most effective when performed barefoot, although many gyms will prohibit this. If you do not have access to a seated and standing calf raise machine, both of these exercises can be performed using an aerobic step and free weights.
- Start with a light weight and increase gradually as you get stronger. Too much weight too soon will lead to severe muscles soreness and possible injury.
Things You'll Need
- Seated calf raise machine
- Standing calf raise machine
References
- "Pro-Style Bodybuilding"; Tom Platz and Bill Reynolds; 1985
- "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding"; Bill Dobbins and Arnold Schwarzenegger; 1999
- "Designing Resistance Training Programs"; Steven Fleck and William Kraemer; 2003
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