Calf Exercises Are Often Overlooked

Here Are Calf Exercises That Are Simple Yet Very Effective For Big Calf Muscles

Your calf muscles are no different than any other part of your physique. They must be given the proper attention.

Many people use the excuse that it's their genetics that is preventing them from developing great, muscular and big calf muscles.

Do not make this mistake and use genetics as an excuse to avoid doing calf exercises.

In fact, there is a lot you can do with various calf exercises to drastically improve the development of your big calf muscles.

The first thing however, is to eliminate the problems associated with many calf muscle exercises resulting and poor calf development.

"Calf Muscles Explained"

There are two main calf muscles that you should be concerned with when performing any calf muscle exercises.

They are the gastrocnemius and the soleus calf muscles. The soleus is a wide, flat muscle that lies beneath the gastrocnemius. The gastrocnemius muscle extends from your knee joint to your ankle joint.

Both muscles contract to extend the feet and toes, but the soleus can only fully contract when your leg is bent as with exercises such as the seated calf raise.

"Avoid These Mistakes When
Building Big Calf Muscles"

There are many things that people do during their calf exercises that prevent them from reaching their true potential.

These include:

• Using too many reps or not enough. It's been shown that when performing any calf muscle exercises like standing calf raises that primarily work your gastrocnemius you should only do enough reps that will allow you to complete a set in 20 seconds or so. This means heavy weight, low reps and a slow tempo.

  On the other hand any calf muscle exercises that primarily work the soleus part of your calf muscle should allow you to complete a set in more than 40 seconds. This means higher reps, lower weight and a slightly faster tempo;

• Insufficient range of motion. This prevents the calf muscles from stretching properly.

  Most people when performing any calf exercises will let their calf muscles bounce in the bottom position or will not let their muscles full stretch in the bottom position. A full range of motion is very important when performing any calf exercises;

• Failure to perform negatives. The lowering portion of a rep during calf exercises is called a negative;

• Bending your knees too much. During any straight leg calf exercises you are to keep your leg straight not bent. If you bend your legs during any straight leg calf muscle exercises you are basically cheating.

  When you bend your legs you are letting your quadriceps to get involved during the exercises.

"Calf Muscle Exercises Needed
For Big Calf Muscles"

If you have trouble developing your calves you can use the following calf exercises to your advantage.

It's very important to remember that when you do any calf muscle exercises you need to do them correctly. If you don't you will just be wasting your time.

Standing calf raise: This exercise is a basic one that works your gastrocnemius muscles.

Anytime you are performing standing calf raises you need to ensure that your legs stay locked at the knees.

If you can, try and use a standing calf raise machine for this exercise. If you can't, then you can do the it while holding a dumbbell in one hand and balancing yourself with the other.

Stand with your toes on the block of a standing calf raise machine and your heels hanging off the end of the platform. Hook your shoulders under the pads place your head between the shoulder pads and straighten your legs, lift the weight clear of the support.

Do not hunch but rather keep your body straight. Keeping your legs straight, lower your heels and the weight as far as possible toward the floor. Then rise up on your toes as far as possible until your calves are fully flexed.

Hold the contraction briefly, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.

Seated calf raise: Any calf muscle exercises that you perform in a seated position with your legs bent will target the soleus muscles. This is by far the best way to develop your soleus muscle.

Sit on a seated calf raise machine and place your toes on the bottom cross piece, locking your knees under the pads so that the pads rest on the lower part of your quads. And place your feet about shoulder width apart with your toes pointing forward.

Slowly lower your heels as far as possible towards the ground. Then press up on your toes until your calves are fully contracted. Flex hard at the top then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. And repeat

Try not to rock back and forth, but instead keep your calves working with a steady controlled motion.

Donkey calf raises: Donkey calf exercises are excellent for working your gastrocnemius muscles with some work being done by your soleus muscles.

With any calf muscle exercises like this, you will to use a donkey calf machine or you will need a partner to help you or a weight belt to attach extra resistance.

If you are using the machine begin by placing your middle back on the pad and the balls of your feet on the plate.

Now allow your heels to drop as far below your toes as possible, getting a full stretch in your calf muscles. Next slowly rise up as high as you can on to your toes until your calf muscles are fully flexed.

Hold this position for a second then slowly reverse the procedure to the start. Then repeat.

If you are performing this exercise with a partner stand with the balls of your feet on a block, with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend over and rest your hands on an exercise bench or something to keep your upper body parallel to the floor.

While keeping your legs straight have your training partner sit up on your hips and balance in place. From this point on the rest of the exercise is done the same way as if you were using a donkey calf machine.

Calf press with a leg press machine: To begin this exercise you need to begin by sitting in a leg press machine. Keep your back pressed firmly into the padded seat just as if you were doing a leg press.

Now position your toes on the plate at less than shoulder width apart then press the weight rack up as if you were going to do a leg press. The exception being that when you press the weight all the way up lock your knees and slide your feet down so that only the balls of your feet are on the plate.

While keeping your knees locked slowly press your toes as high up as you can. Contract your calves, hold this position for a second then slowly reverse the direction to the starting position and repeat.

"Summary Of Calf Exercises"

Big calf muscles like all other muscle groups need specific exercises for and adequate recovery.

You need to incorporate calf muscle exercises into your over-all body building and physique development program and dedicate the same effort to stimulate muscle growth and then let it recover.

Using the calf exercises above to develop big calf muscles will help to create a very positive visual effect that you can be proud of.

What Exercises Do You Use
In Your Fitness Routine?

Do you use any unique and effective exercises or in your fitness program? What was your experience with these exercises? What results did you notice? Do you have a good or a bad story to tell about your own experience with certain exercises? Or do you have some good information that we may have missed? Let others know!

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