The calves are some of the body's more resilient muscles, as they are nearly always engaged when you are on your feet. Due to their resilience, you can dedicate several exercises to your calves to give them a full workout. Stretch your calves before, during and after exercising, to keep them from cramping or pulling a muscle.
Stretching
Spend about five minutes stretching your calves before you begin strength training them. Face a wall and place your hands flat against the wall at about shoulder height. Lean forward and step backward with your right leg to create a stretch in your calf muscle. Deepen the stretch leaning forward further or by stepping back further. Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, and then repeat with your left foot. Perform this and other calf stretches throughout your workout to keep your calves loose. Stretch the calves after a workout as well, both immediately and several hours later, as the calves can cramp long after they have been trained.
Standing Calf Raises
Position yourself on a calf raise machine with your shoulders underneath the padding on the lever and the toes and balls of your feet on the step platform. Grasp the handles on the lever to stabilize yourself and begin to press up through your toes to raise your body. Press until you are on tiptoes, fully contracting your calves. Hold for one count, then release and lower until your heels are below the step platform. Squeeze your calves again to raise your body back up. Exhale on the way up and inhale on the way down. Do three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
Stairs
Stand at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Run up the flight of stairs on only your toes. Aim to plant your toes near the edge of each stair and roll your body weight over the ball of the foot. Squeeze your calves as much as you can as you push off and power yourself upward to take the next step. Inhale as you take a step with your right foot and exhale as you take a step with your left foot. The stepping movement should be done rapidly. Slowly jog back down the flight of stairs. Repeat five times, and then rest for 60 seconds before repeating the sequence two more times.
Single Leg Calf Raise
You can perform this exercise either while standing on the floor or elevated on a block, stair or stepper. To help balance yourself, set up next to a sturdy object that you can hold onto, such as a railing or a barbell set in its wrack. Step onto the block with both feet, and then wrap your left foot behind your right ankle. Slowly lower yourself until the heel is below the toes. Contract your calf muscle and press down through your toes to raise your body. Lift until you are on tiptoes. Hold for one count, squeezing your calf as hard as you can, and then slowly lower yourself down until your heel falls below your toes again. Exhale on the way up and inhale on the way down. Do eight to 12 repetitions, then switch legs and repeat. Do two to three sets total.
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