Your calf muscle complex, which is located along the back of your lower leg and comprised of the larger gastrocnemius and the smaller soleus muscles, helps stabilize and support your body. The primary function of your calves is to raise your heels. Your calves power you up a flight of stairs, and are also essential for walking, running, cycling and explosive jumps, or Plyometrics. To build bigger calves, perform single-leg, jumping and calf-specific exercises.
Step-ups
A step treadmill is a cardio machine that tones and sculpts your legs, especially your calves, while providing you with a heart-pumping workout. Get a similar calf workout with a simple step bench. Stand in front of the bench with your feet about hip-width apart. For the basic step-up, step your right foot onto the step followed by your left, landing both feet fully. Return your right foot, followed by your left, to the floor. Use your arms to help you balance. Alternate your lead foot with each step-up. To make the exercise more calf-intensive, use a higher step, hold a pair of dumbbells or a combination of both.
Weighted Heel Raises
Heel raises are the quintessential calf exercise. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold free weights or a single weighted bar in your hands with an overhand grip, keeping your hands in front of your thighs. Draw your abdominal muscles in and activate your glutes. Engage your calves to lift your heels and the arches of your feet off of the floor, until your body weight is centered over your toes and the balls of your feet. Lower your heels back down with control. To increase intensity, hold heavier weights, perform single-leg heel raises, move slowly as you raise and release, or don’t rest your heels fully on the floor between each raise.
Single-leg Squat
Regularly practicing single-leg squats is one way to build fully defined legs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your hands on your hips. Pick up one foot, holding it a couple of inches above the floor. Slowly sit your hips back and down, as if you’re going to sit in an imaginary chair. Lower your hips as far as you can without losing your balance or compromising the integrity of your knees and ankles. A typical single-leg squat is about half as deep as a traditional squat. Pause before using your glutes, hamstrings and calves to press your body back up. Because single-leg squats demand excellent form to avoid injury, you shouldn’t perform them with dumbbells until you’ve perfected them without added weight.
Lateral Jumps
Your calf muscles provide you with the explosive power you need to perform jumps, or Plyometrics, which are advanced-level exercises. Jump vertically while staying in the same spot, forward and back, or from side to side, or laterally. Any type of Plyometric movement helps you build bigger, stronger calves. To jump laterally, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands at your sides. Bend your knees as you shift your hips back to load the jump. Without pausing, explode your body upward and to the side, drawing your feet up while keeping them parallel to the floor. Land softly on both feet at the same time, shifting your hips back with bent knees. Pause momentarily before loading the next jump. To increase the challenge, jump over a set of obstacles, such as cones.
References
- “Optimum Performance Training for the Health and Fitness Professional”; National Academy of Sports Medicine; 2004
- American Council on Exercise: Lower Leg Exercises
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