Step Up Your Calf Game

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Be honest…if you’re like the rest of us, you’ve skipped leg day more than once. By no means is this a matter of life and death, but it does have a considerable and compounding effect on the shape our bodies take over time, especially our calves. Many people often wonder why their calves tread behind the rest of their bodies. Ideally, your calves should be be proportionate to your arm circumference – however, when you consider that (in the majority of training regiments) you’re utilizing your upper body approximately 3-5 days per week, and utilizing your legs only once per week, the imbalance becomes more apparent.

This leaves us with two solutions: either step up to the challenge and train legs 2-3 times/week, or incorporate a few quick accessory workouts at the end of each training session. Regardless, the first step in either route is understanding the five major muscles that comprise our calves – in particular, the Gastrocnemius (the “ball” of the calf) and the Soleus (the deeper muscle running vertically beneath the Gastroc).

So maybe you don’t want to incorporate two more leg days into your existing program just to see some improvement in your calves. Understandable. Instead, try experimenting with the exercises below in order to help bulk up your calves:

  • Flat Ground or Elevated Calf Raises
  • Jump Rope
  • Seated (Weighted) Calf Raises
  • (Leg Press Machine) Toe Press

 

Life-long health nuts and new-comers alike can do themselves a favor by incorporating such exercises into their current workouts and trying to be more mindful of their overall body symmetry. Aesthetically, of course it looks more appealing, but it is also a physical reminder for us to always take a holistic approach to our health and fitness. Remember, you cannot have true health without treating the whole person.

Todd Bauer