What you’ve Heard is All Wrong! Learn the Exercises that Really Train your Calves!
Knowing the Anatomy is Very Important for Calf Exercises
There are 2 primary calf muscles. The best calf exercises involve both lower leg muscles. While the gastrocnemius and soleus are indeed 2 separate muscles they work together to perform the same movement of plantar flexion.Plantar flexion is the movement of pushing your toes away from your body such as the movement of your feet while you stand on the balls of your feet.
Which muscle works more to plantar flex the foot depends on the angle of the knee joint as well as the activity.
Gastrocnemius
The gastrocnemius is the largest and outermost calf muscle. It is composed of a medial (inside) and lateral (outside) head. The gastrocnemius acts on the ankle joint as well as the knee joint because both heads originate on the femur.
You will learn later why this plays a role in exercise selection. The gastrocnemius inserts to the Achilles tendon along with the other major calf muscle the soleus.
The gastrocnemius usually contains a larger proportion of type II fast twitch muscle fibers. Type II fast twitch muscle fibers have an anaerobic metabolism and create short bursts of strength and are prone to rapid fatigue.
SoleusThe soleus is the smaller muscle which originates on part of the tibia and fibula and inserts to the Achilles tendon.
The soleus consists of primarily of type I slow twitch muscle fibers. Type I slow twitch muscle fibers are capable of producing less force than fast twitch muscle fibers, but are highly resistant to fatigue.
The soleus is a postural muscle which must be contracted for long duration of time such as standing. Without the constant tension of the soleus, you would fall forward and not be able to stand.
The Anatomy and Muscle Fiber Type of Gastrocnemius and Soleus Play a Key Role in Exercise Selection
What Exercises are Effected by Calf Anatomy ?
Calf Anatomy Really comes into play with Gym Machines
Seated Calf RaisesThe position of the knee joint during seated calf raises does not allow the gastrocnemius to contract. The origin of the gastrocnemius plays an important role in exercise selection because it makes the gastrocnemius almost completely inactive when the legs are at 90 degrees.
Seated calf raises almost exclusively work the smaller soleus. The soleus which is composed of primarily type I slow twitch muscle fibers is best trained with high rep range and long time under tension. You can read about time under tension on the page dedicated to weight training volume.
Standing Calf Raises
Standing calf raises work the gastrocnemius as well as the soleus. Standing calf raises can be done on a gym machine (right) or anywhere on a step. Since the gastrocnemius muscles are composed primarily of type II fast twitch muscle fibers, they respond best to more intense (heavier) lower repetition training.
An important thing to note with standing calf raises is the muscle activation during each phase of motion. During the concentric (upward) phase, the soleus is activated more than the gastrocnemius. During the eccentric (downward) phase, the gastrocnemius is activated.
If you spend more time on the downward phase with heavy resistance, you would get the most work out of your gastrocnemius muscle and help build your calves the most effectively for gym machines.
Gym Machines are Not Best Calf Exercises and Not the best way to Build the Calves
What are the Best Calf Exercises ?
The Best Calf Exercises for you Depend on your Individual Goal
Common goals for the best calf exercises are to build the calves, tone the calves and develop explosive jumping power. A combination of different kinds of calf exercises is the best way to build the calves.Building bigger calves is an uphill battle for many. Many people including experts think that calf size is largely genetic. Most people will not be able to jump like Michael Jordan with training either.
There is Absolutely no Correlation with Calf size and Jumping Ability
Calves are one of the most difficult difficult body part to hypertrophy (increase size) but developing explosive jumping power is relatively easily obtained with proper training.
Follow the SAID principle, Specific Adaptations for Imposed Demands and you can see how the muscle fiber type (type II fast twitch) of the gastrocnemius, and (type I slow twitch) of the soleus will dictate which exercises are most effective.
The Following Exercises are Most Effective for Building Explosive Power and Size in the Calves
Plyometrics
Plyometrics are exercises which train the nervous system to contract quicker. As far as the best calf exercises you can think of plyometrics as jumping and hopping exercises.
Plyometric exercises are based on the principle of muscle elasticity and help your body increase explosive power due to improved neurological response.
Due to the high content of type II muscle fibers in the gastrocnemius, plyometric exercises cause your body to increase the number of gastrocnemius muscle fibers recruited.
Plyometrics are the best calf exercises for building the muscles as well as developing explosive strength.
Plyometric exercises are not for beginners. In order to get results from a complete plyometric exercise program a certain level of training needs to be achieved beforehand.
Movements with Vertical Components
Any time you move your body vertically you will have to use your calves. Gravity is your friend for the best calf exercises.Each step you take during activities with vertical components your calves, both gastrocnemius and soleus will have to contract under greater tension.
The resistance loaded on the calv muscles during hiking and climbing can equal several times your body weight.
Here are Some of the Best Vertical Activities to Build the Calves
- Hiking
- Climbing Stairs
- Running Uphill
Sports
All kinds of sports which involve sprinting and changing direction are great for building the calves. Other sports such as golf, which do not have any sprinting are not the best calf exercises.Sprinting is a great way to build your calves because the maximal contraction is great for recruiting the type II fast twitch muscle fibers of the gastrocnemius.
Here are Some of the Best Sports for Building the Calves
- Track & Field
- Olympic Weight Lifting
- American Football
- Soccer
- Tennis
Cycling
Especially at high pedaling speeds, bicycling is a great way to help you build your calf muscles.Bicycling with clipless bicycle shoes which are hooked onto the pedals allows the bicyclist to use the gastrocnemius as well as the soleus for long periods of time.
Climbing hills is an especially good workout for the calves because a bicyclist must focus on pulling the pedals up which involves the gastrocnemius as well as the hamstrings as well as the soleus during plantar flexion of the ankle.
Unlike most other activities, during cycling the gastrocnemius are active for a long duration of time which can help hypertrophy the muscles with proper diet.
Are there any Secrets to Building Bigger Calves ?
Any Secret in Health & Fitness is an Unproven Theory
First of all, nothing is absolute in fitness. Different people are built different ways and live different lifestyles. As far as the increasing the size of the calves go, consider nature versus nurture.Nature: Do you have the genetics for big calves? Look at your parents and siblings.
Nurture: Look at your exercise program and diet. Do you eat enough calories and perform all the different types of exercises above to help build your calves?
If you have tried everything, did it correctly and not achieved success, lack of flexibility and blood flow may be the reason why the best calf exercises have not helped you build the calves you desire.
Tight calves are one of the chronic muscle imbalances which can cause tissue, bone and joint problems. When a muscle is tight, it cannot contract properly. Blood flow is also lessened which can lead to atrophy of the muscles.
Since SMFR increases blood flow and decreases muscle tightness and static stretching increases flexibility and blood flow, they should help the calves contract properly and allow the calves to hypertrophy more efficiently.
Perform a few Minutes of the Follow Flexibility Exercises before and After Each Calf Workout
Calves SMFR
Start: Lie on the floor and place your feet out in front of you with your calves on a foam roller. Relax your feet and do not tense up your calves.Begin the stretch: Put one leg on top of the other.
Slowly move your calf up and down and rotate side to side to get the peroneals.
Variation: If it hurts a lot, you can put both calves on the roller at the same time.
Calves Static Stretch
Start: It is best to take your shoes off. Find a wall or something sturdy to lean against.
Lean forward and put one leg back. Make sure your back toe points straight ahead.
Begin the stretch: Push your back heel all the way down to the floor. Isometrically contract every leg muscle except for your calves. Hold the stretch 30-45 seconds.
Variations: If your calves are pretty flexible to begin with, you may increase the range of motion if you place your toes on an elevated surface such as a weight plate.
Remember to perform your SMFR before your static stretching before and after you perform the best calf exercises to improve their effectiveness.
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