Start training SMARTER and overhaul your calf strategy. We all know the calf muscles are insanely stubborn and a pain to grow, which is why most people stop focusing on them altogether. It’s a valuable investment with an extremely high return to focus on training them regardless if the end result seeming to be a long journey away, and one that’s capable of completely transforming your lower body without doing much work whatsoever.
Devote 10 minutes of dedicated, progressive calf work onto the end of a long day and you’ll quickly start noticing lumps on the backside of your lower legs. Make sure you do this on a regular basis and you’ll gradually build mountainous calves.
1. Seated Calf Raises
Target Calf Muscle: Soleus
Seated Calf Raises are THE best exercise to hammer the soleus directly.
- Load a plate machine. Sit upright with a tight core.
- Powerfully contract your calves and press up as far as possible.
- Hold for 1 second and lower slowly all the way down to the bottom.
- You should feel a deep stretch through your calves.
- Hold for 1 second at the bottom and repeat the movement.
Alternatives: If you don’t have a plate-loaded calf machine, you can easily replicate the movement by placing two dumbbells on top of your quads (the front half).
2. Standing Barbell Calf Raises
Target Calf Muscle: Gastrocnemius
The Standing Barbell Calf Raise is an all-around calf killer that not only hits the gastrocnemius, but also works the core and cranks up the intensity.
- Load a barbell and place 2 plates together on the floor.
- Stand with your feet slightly more narrow than shoulder-width, with the balls of your feet on top of the plates.
- The plates help increase range of motion.
- Powerfully contract your calves and press up as far as possible.
- Hold for 1 second at the top and slowly return all the way down to the ground.
- Repeat.
Alternatives: You can also do these with dumbbells, a Smith machine, or a standing squat machine. Or use your bodyweight and do them with one leg.
3. 45 Degree Calf Raise
Target Calf Muscle: Gastrocnemius
- Load up a leg press machine and keep your legs straight.
- Place the balls of your feet on the platform with your heels hanging off.
- Powerfully contract your calves and press the platform up as far as possible.
- Hold for 1 second and release back as far as possible.
- Hold for 1 second at the bottom and repeat.