Calf Exercises for Mass

Building up strong, toned calf muscles will require lifting moderate to heavy amounts of weights three days a week. You can do calf-targeted exercises like calf raises or strengthen your calves dynamically with jump-squats. Perform eight to 12 reps of exercises and one to three sets to build muscle mass in your calves, as recommended by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Smith Standing Calf Raises

A Smith machine is a gym standard that is used for upper-body and lower-body training alike. It is great for mass-building exercises because it holds the Smith bar in place along rails so you can lift heavy weights in a stable position. You can raise and lower the bar without worrying about balancing it because the machine has it locked in place. It can only go up and down.

Stand up tall with the bar across your shoulders. Hold the bar in place with your hands spaced greater than shoulder-width apart on the bar. Your elbows are bent at your sides with your palms facing forward. Rise onto the balls of your feet to lift your body weight and the weight from the Smith machine. Lower your feet back to the floor slowly.

Jump-Squats

Jump-squats can be done with or without free weights. You should attempt them without weights first so you can learn the correct technique and test how challenging it will be for your calves just to lift your body weight. If you do add dumbbells, hold your arms straight at your sides with a dumbbell in each hand.

Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart. Incline your torso forward slightly with your back straight. Look forward. Bend your knees and reach back with your hips into a squat position. Jump into the air as high as you can and point your toes as you push off the ground. Land softly in the same squat position that you jumped from.

Calf Raises on a Leg Press Machine

In a pinch, you can use a leg press machine to build up your calf muscles. Some gyms have calf-specific machines and some won't, but almost any gym has a leg press or leg sled machine that will work just as well.

Sit on the machine and place your feet on the platform. Straighten your legs and hang the arches and heels of your feet off the bottom edge. Point your toes to push the platform away from you with your calf muscles. Flex your feet back to the starting position. This is one repetition.