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Calf raises, a seated calf raise and calf exercises all round, let’s see how you could strengthen your calf muscles now
Walking, running, sprinting, jumping… okay, most of us don’t jump but for the others your calves are important. Runners especially know the burning sensation of a long rung on the back of your lower leg, but calf muscle strain doesn’t just affect the calves.
The balls of your feet and your Achilles tendon have been noted as being connected here, so if you want to strengthen your chances of proximity muscle conditioning then you should probably train your calves.
We’ll be taking a quick look at a few simple exercises to lift your spirits, as well as your calf strength. If you want to learn simple lessons then this is the place for it. All you need to do is take a simple 2-minute read to support your body in great ways for the rest of your life.
Let’s jump into it.
Calf raises
Calf raises are the most used calf-building exercises around. With a simple starting position of standing near a wall for balance (stand facing whichever way you want), placing your feet flat and hip-width apart and making sure you’re standing upright and straight. You want to drive the action straight up and so need your ankles, knees and hips in vertical alignment.
Next, simply, you need to press on the balls of your feet, edging up towards your tiptoes, and then back down again periodically. Repeat this action as many times as you deem fit. You should start to feel the burn on this pretty soon in but don’t stop just because of this – your calves are pretty durable and take a lot of reps without any weight.
Which brings me to my next point.
If you want to spice it up a little bit then add some weight to your routine. Two calf muscles can take a fair bit but go for what feels right. Make sure to pay special focus to keep your knees straight and use those strong calf muscles to move up and down. You can use a seated calf raise machine in the gym as an alternative but this classic calf-building exercise is more than enough to build ample muscle in a broad way.
Naturally, you can use a single raise to add variation. This increases the intensity as your body is now placed solely on one leg, and can give a better range of motion depending on your build.
Conclusion
A brief insight into the small world of calf building. Just because that world is small (low routine variation) doesn’t mean it won’t make your calves big – calf strengthening exercises may be few but that’s almost a good thing; you don’t need to worry about time and energy being put into planning a routine, just pop them on the end of a leg day or do them as and when to feel the effect.
