A lot of people see calf exercises as a vanity workout, but they’re actually good for strengthening your calves and making them look better in the process. Consider that these exercises are actually a form of signaling – they can tell other guys at the gym that you’re an expert on fitness.
The calf muscle has more to it than just “jumping on a ball.” Calves can do more than simply indicate the strength of your legs – they can also be an indicator of lower levels of plaque build-up in the arteries and healthier resting heart rates. That’s reason enough for us.
Best Calf Exercises and Workouts
Whether you’re going for a fit, toned physique, looking to impress the other members of your tribe, or simply making your lower body more aesthetically pleasing – it’s always a good idea to devote some time each week for calf exercises. As with most exercises, the reps and sets will change depending on the exercise.
For example, for double-leg calf raises – do 1 set of 20 reps on your first session and increase by 1 rep per set each successive week. Here are some calf workouts and training exercises to help grow your calves!
Here are 5 of the best calf exercises:
1. Seal Jumps
This is a great alternative to standard jumping jacks. Here’s how to do it:
- Stand with your right foot in front of the left, holding your hands in the “touch down” position. Jump into the air (to form a board shape).
- When you jump, try spreading your arms to the side of your body instead of going behind you.
- Jump and clap your hands in front of you.
- Distance: 20-25 reps per set Number of sets: 3-5 Recovery: 45-60 seconds between each set
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2. Single-Leg Calf Raise
While calf workouts may seem easy, the single-leg raise proves otherwise. The exercise includes:
- Stand on an elevated surface like a block, rail, or step.
- Raise one leg, rest your weight on the ball of the other foot, and then do a squat.
- Start by stretching your calf towards the ceiling and planting your raised leg on the ground while lowering yourself to stretch.
- For a moment, hold the ball of your foot and work up the back of your heel. This technique helps avoid ankle sprains.
- Hold at the top before returning to the starting position
- Repeat
Reps: 15-20 reps per set Sets: 3-5 Rest: 45 seconds between each set
3. Lateral Lunge to Curtsy
The calf is a powerful muscle group, so it needs to be trained with intensity. This exercise is also not for the faint of heart (that list includes me) because you need a lot of lower body control. It can be done with a weight – such as a plate or a dumbbell – or without anything. Here’s how:
- Stand up straight and hold a weight plate, dumbbell, or kettlebell in your hands.
- Step your right foot to the side while bending at the hips.
- Push off the right foot and rise upward to the standing position, simultaneously bringing your right leg into a curtsy lunge
- Switch legs for a full rep
- Repeat
Reps: 10-12 reps per set Sets: 2-3 Rest: 45-60 seconds between each set
4. Bosu Ball Squat
As you can see from the pictures below, you can use a Bosu ball for this.
- Place the Bosu ball on the ground, dome-side up
- Stand on the ball to keep your balance.
- Bend your knees and try to lower them while maintaining your balance.
- Stand and repeat
Reps: 10-12 reps per set Sets: 3-5 Rest: 45-60 seconds between each set
5. Static Neutral Hold
This isometric exercise works the calf muscles, hamstrings, and improves ankle flexibility. This can be done on a box or similar elevated surface. Do the following:
- Place your feet flat on the foot block, take support of it and make sure that you are stable.
- Position most of your weight on the ball of your foot.
- Straighten your ankles and flex your calves
- Hold for 30-60 seconds
Reps: 30-60 seconds Sets: 3-4 Rest: 45-60 seconds between each set
Is it OK to train calves every day?
Some people believe that it is alright to train calves every day. They believe that this will help the calves develop muscle and grow faster. However, others think this is not a good idea because calves may become stressed out and exhausted. The truth is, there has not been enough research done on this topic to know for sure if training calves every day is harmful or not. While it’s important to stretch your calves on a regular basis, you don’t want to overwork this muscle group. Start with 3 calf workouts per week and see how it goes.
Injury Prevention and Treatment Tips for Inflexible Calves
When it comes to injury prevention, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you have inflexible calf muscles, you should stretch them out before running. It is also important to strengthen these muscles by performing calf raises and walking lunges.
Injury prevention for runners with tight calves can be difficult because these injuries often happen in the middle of a run. The best way to prevent this is by stretching your calves before starting your run and strengthening them as well.In order to prevent injuries from happening, runners should stretch their calves before running and strengthen them as well.
The Bottom Line on Calf Exercises for Runners
The bottom line is that calf exercises are a must-do for any serious runner’s workout routine. If you want to stay healthy and prevent injury, it is worth your time to make sure you include some calf exercises in your weekly workouts. Runners should focus on exercises for their calves to prevent running injuries.
They should do calf-strengthening exercises at least twice a week, and make sure they’re doing them correctly. Calf exercises are an important part of any runner’s workout routine. Runners often neglect their calves because they are not as visible as other muscles in the body and runners don’t feel them working when they run. However, calf muscles play a vital role in stabilizing the ankle and preventing injury.
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