Eye Catching Calves
The calf is an essential muscle vital for all types of lower body activity such as walking and running. Therefore it’s surprising that that many people neglect to train them.
There are 2 types of calf muscle the Gastrocnemius and the Soleus. The Soleus is positioned underneath the Gastrocnemius. When these muscle groups are worked-out consistently the overall strength of the leg improves and the lower leg becomes very eye catching as you can see separation between the upper and lower muscles (remember Arnie in Twins).
To build strong calf muscles start with the standard calf raise:
Stand straight under the calf raise machine’s pads so that they rest on your shoulders. Look straight ahead. Rest the soles of your feet on the footplate and make sure they are lined up with one another and are a hip width apart. Lift your heels to lift the weight and lower them to return the weight. This exercise puts most emphasis on the Gastrocnemius rather than the Soleus so it’s important to incorporate the seated leg press into your routine to achieve a balanced defined look.
To achieve even greater gains try a single leg calf raise:
Grip a heavy dumbbell in one hand and hold it by your side then stand on a ledge at least 6 inchs off the floor. Hold on to a support rail with your free hand. Look forward and keep your upper body fairly rigid. Balance the sole of the foot of the leg to be worked (i.e. the leg on the same side as the dumbbell you are holding) on the edge of the ledge. Place the non working leg behind the working leg. Concentrate on balance and lift your heel to lift the weight and lower it to return the weight. Try and hold the movement for a couple of seconds when your heel is at maximum height. Try not to bend or lean and it’s probably a good idea to practice your form with a light dumbbell before moving onto the full exercise.
If you are somebody who has overlooked the calves in the past then you should see and feel improvements fairly quickly. I found the squat and the leg press easier after I put more effort into the calves.
