Although exercises like calf raises will tone your calves, they won't shed fat. Slim your calves with calorie-burning exercises such as jumping jacks that use the calf muscles and get the best of both worlds. The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the calves control the action of ankle plantarflexion. Plantarflexion is the movement you make when you point your toes, such as when you push your heels of the ground to initiate jumping jacks. Couple cardio with calf exercises for toned, tight calves.
Cardio
Twenty minutes of cardio-burning exercise that involve plantarflexion of the ankle will get you slimmer calves. Jumping jacks, jumping on a trampoline, sprinting, cycling and jumping rope are all examples of cardio exercise that use your calves.
Calf Raises on a Block
Calf raises are a classic calf exercise, though you don't really raise your calves so much as use your calf muscles to raise your entire body. A calf block or aerobic step should be used to facilitate the greatest range of motion. Begin the exercise with only the balls of your feet on a block. Stand up straight and lower your heels as far as you can to assume the starting position. The hands may be placed on your hips or you may place your hands on a wall to maintain your balance. Lift onto your toes and then lower your body back to the starting position. Do not collapse your arches or allow your feet to roll onto their outer edges. The toes should point straight ahead while doing calf raises.
Self-Assisted, Single-Leg Calf Raise
Doing calf raises one leg at a time ensures a balanced workout for each of your calves. Lifting your body with just one calf muscle may prove difficult for some people. Using your hands and arms to assist you with the exercise may make it possible to do so a single-leg calf raise. Do the exercise by standing on a block with one knee bent. The hands are placed on a support like a sturdy chair or the bar of a Smith machine. Then, raise up onto the ball of your foot and use your arms to assist you push yourself up and lower back down with control. Perform an equal number of reps on both legs, even if one is weaker than the other.
Seated Calf Raise
A seated calf raise done sitting in a chair or on a bench requires you to only lift the weight of your legs. Sit in a chair with your feet hip-width apart and then rise onto the balls of your feet. Next, lower your heels back to the floor. Even though the exercise targets your legs, you should still sit up tall and squeeze your abs to promote good posture.
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