Exercises for calf training

Do you think that the growth of your calves is impossible? Not at all! Most likely, it's not your shins that are bad, but your training. Work on the calves of most athletes consists of fast, shallow repetitions ... if they do anything for calves at all. To increase them, a loaded flexion and extension of the ankle is required. Most people miss this and, as a result, miss the equally important benefit of calf training: strong feet and ankles.However, it will not only develop your calves. The range of motion in a squat depends on the mobility of the hip and ankle equally. Although using a limited range of motion can allow you to lift more weight and increase muscle growth.

You need an excellent back flexion of the ankle joint so that the knees can move as intended with a deep squat. Otherwise, your knees will experience a disproportionate load, resulting in pain and injuries that will eventually interfere with leg training.

Here are a few exercises that will help strengthen your legs, improve ankle mobility, increase your calves, and protect the entire base of your lower body workout.

1 – stop during the leg press

If you're like most athletes, you've probably done a hell of a job training your Achilles tendons. Yes, this is what you achieve with these bouncy shallow reps.

The Achilles tendons are powerful elastic muscles that spring up your ankles as you quickly lift your calves. Athletes depend on this property when running and jumping.

If you allow this type of movement to prevail in calf training, you will reduce its effectiveness. Suspending the final range of motion when lifting on the calves limits the elasticity of the Achilles tendon and forces the calf muscles to do more work.

Pause at the top and bottom of the press for at least two seconds. Bend the ankle joint (pressing your toes against the Shin) and stretch the lower leg as far as possible without pain. Then press as high as possible on the pads of your feet and toes.

If you want to develop more strength and mobility in the end ranges, take the time to control movement in these end ranges under load. Your ankles and feet will get stronger if you get more control in these end ranges. This actually applies to squats, bench presses, or any other exercise.

Choose a load that you can control and push with full back flexion of the ankle, otherwise you will bounce by default. Apply the same approach to all variations of lifting on your toes.

What should I do if my calves don't stretch?

If your calves are tight and don't allow deep stretching in the lower part of the press, then alternate rolling on a foam roller for 10 rotations and static stretching for 20-30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times, then try to bend your ankles.

The combination of myofascial relaxation and stretching should temporarily loosen some of the neutral tone of your strained calves for enough time to train in a limited range of motion.

Change your REP range and train your calves more often. They are designed for walking all day, so 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions once a week will not cause muscle growth.

2 – walking on your toes with weights

Want massive calves? Get fat! In obese people, the calves become large because they need to absorb their weight and strengthen their steps. So let's apply the same logic to calf training without excess fat.

Grab weights and walk around the gym on tiptoe. Are you afraid to look stupid? Then continue to enjoy your skinny calves. Otherwise, take heavy dumbbells and walk on your toes.

Do this instead of using a seated exercise for the calves. This is ineffective for calf growth and a lazy way to think that you are training
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Walking on socks with weights that allow you to maintain full plantar flexion of the ankle joint. This strengthens your feet, develops control at the ankle level, and reduces the load on your calves.

3 – Moving a kettlebell from one hand to the other while standing on one leg

one of the best ways to strengthen your feet, calves, and ankles is to do more exercises on one leg. Single-leg squats, split-squat variations, and single-leg deadlifts make your foot and ankle muscles work harder when you balance on them.

You can solve a difficult task with this simple exercise to strengthen the muscles of the arch of the foot. This exercise is especially valuable for people with a fallen arch of the foot or flat feet.

Stand on one leg, holding a kettlebell in one hand. Slowly pass it in front of the body to the opposite hand, keeping your balance on only one leg.

Slowly move the weight to the opposite hip, then switch positions. Repeat 4-6 passes for 2-3 sets on each leg. Increasing the load is less important than improving control and balance.

Remember, when you do not strengthen and mobilize your feet and ankles, this will lead to long-term problems:

1. A weak arch of the foot can lead to the withdrawal of the ankle and knee joints inwards.

2. poor back flexion of the ankle joint can cause the knees to bend inward.

3. hallux Valgus will allow you to access more depth in the squat as the tibia bends inwards to circumvent the restriction in the ankle. This is compounded by poor external hip rotation and a weak mid-glute muscle.

4 – raising your feet on your toes in a squat position (heavy exercise)

Hold on to a pole or rigging and sit down. Lift your heels up and stand on your toes like a ballerina. You will feel an unpleasant contraction in your muscles. Then press your toes on the floor for 2 seconds and then slowly lower down, but do not touch the floor, maintaining muscle tone.

Lower yourself as low as your ankles allow.

This is a finishing exercise, so it's best to do it at the end of the workout. I recommend a high frequency, high volume, and high intensity approach.

Do 2-3 approaches to failure 3-6 times a week. Stretch your calves between sets if the spasms become too strong.