Women often fail to train their calves because they do not understand why it is necessary. The lower legs rarely hold excess fat, unlike the hips and abdomen, so women might not consider the calves to be a problem area. But women need to work their calves, especially bodybuilders. Although some women may want to slim their calves and thus avoid strength training this area, bodybuilders should work out hard to build mass in their calves.
Benefits of Calf Training for Women
If you do not train your calves, then your upper legs become huge in comparison to your lower legs. Large calves make your thighs look smaller and in proportion. One of the criteria judges of bodybuilding contests look for is proportion. Even if you do not compete, you will still look better if you train your calves and have stronger legs.
Calf Exercises
There are not a lot of calf exercises so it is important to know as many as possible so that you can switch up your routine. Never give your body a chance to adapt to one set routine. Examples of calf exercises include seated and standing calf raises, machine calf raises, single leg calf raises, machine calf press and donkey calf raises. You can choose to do seated and standing calf raises without weight, holding dumbbells against your sides or with a barbell across your upper back. The calves also activate when doing deadlifts and squats, but they are not the prime movers.
Frequency of Calf Workouts for Women
Women should do leg workouts three days a week. Use a routine such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday so that your calves get a day to recover between workouts. An example of a workout for a day is performing three sets of 20 calf raises, three sets of 12 deadlifts and five sets of 10 to 15 squats. The calf raises target lower legs, and the squats and deadlifts give them additional work while toning your thighs, too. You can also add three sets of 12 hamstring leg curls. Hamstring leg curls with your toes pointing up work the calves, too. The main action of the calves is pointing the toes, so any time you rise onto the balls of your feet, like during a calf raise, or point your toes you work the calves.
Tips to Build Big Calves
You should be aware that there are two calf muscles, the gastrocnemius and soleus. Exercises where you are standing emphasize the gastrocnemius, but seated exercises hit the soleus. Use both in your training, but not every workout.
Also, if you are having trouble activating your calves with exercises that place your body in an upright position, try bending over. A donkey calf raise machine works by placing your upper body in a bent-over position that makes a 90-degree angle to your legs. From there, you rise onto your toes like any other calf raise.
Member Comments