The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that all Americans include at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise into their weekly routine. With these 150 minutes, the CDC also recommends getting at least two days of strength training exercise for the major muscle groups of the body, including the calves of your legs. Although it's important to focus on other muscle groups as well, some pieces of aerobic exercise equipment can achieve both strength training of your calves and aerobic benefits at the same time -- without even...
Making your muscles bigger is a process called hypertrophy. Hypertrophy requires you to perform a moderate to high volume of exercise using a weight that allows between six and 12 repetitions per set. One of the best exercises ...
It consists of two heads -- a medial and lateral head -- and the muscle's primary function is in ankle and knee flexion. You don't need specialized gym equipment to get an effective calf workout. Many of the most effective calf...
You have two major calf muscles, the soleus and gastrocnemius, which both attach to your Achilles tendon. Calf raise machines allow you to work these muscles against resistance, through a set range of motion. The guided range o...
According to the American Council on Exercise, the calf raise primarily works the gastrocnemius muscle while the soleus muscle is a secondary muscle worked. Variations of standing calf raises include machine versions and a bent...
Strong calves help you prevent problems like shin splints and contribute to your running and jumping power. Your calf muscles also help you endure long periods of walking or standing.
These muscles work in tandem to produce plantar flexion of your foot -- the motion used to press a gas pedal in a car, for example. A wide array of exercise machines can be used to train your calf muscles and increase their siz...
The seated calf raise machine is designed specifically for working your soleus; the bent-knee position forces your gastrocnemius to relax, allowing the soleus to take more of the load. You can also do seated calf raises on a le...
These exercises also increase strength and coordination which will reduce the chances of other types of injuries. There are a variety of strength machines which effectively work the calf muscles in the lower legs, and squat ma...
A seated calf machine is made of steel and it has multiple features. Weight plates are slid onto a circular tube, there is a foot rest to place the balls of your feet and an upper thigh pad to push against when you do calf rais...
He asks you to think of what happens when you run. With every step, one calf springs your entire bodyweight forward. While it does so, it twists and turns and compensates for uneven ground. So it's no wonder it's difficult ...
Standing machine calf raises work both the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in your calf. Any motion that gets you up on your toes will make use of these muscles; whether you are dancing, playing football or standing on your ti...
Machines offer you the ability to use large amounts of weight to build up muscle mass. Even if you are just starting to exercise your calves and do not need large amounts of weight now, your calf muscles will soon be stronger, ...