🔥 BUILD-A-CALF
✅ Lets dive into building a calf, just like any other muscle group they all take time. Even if the calf can be a stubborn body part for most.
✅ The calf is made up of two muscle groups the gastrocnemius and soleus. They can be broken down a bit further into other muscle groups but for simplistic sake the one that everyone cares about is the gastrocnemius (used for running and jump) and the soleus lies beneath the gastrocnemius (used for standing and walking).
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What makes the difference in targeting the two different muscle groups is whether the leg is in a straight position and our knees being in a bent position.
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✅ When the knee is bent, as when doing seated calf raises, the gastroc is unable to fully stretch and, therefore, unable to strongly contract. In these bent-leg movements, only the soleus is targeted. When the leg is fully straightened, however, the gastroc is brought back into the action. Straight-legged calf exercises like the standing calf raise and donkey calf raise work both the gastroc and soleus.
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Also don’t forget about working the angles on your calf raise, by having your foot position inward you can target more of the inner portion of the calf while having them outward will target more outside area of the calf muscle.
🔥 4 Best Exercises-to Reduce Women’s Calf Fat
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One of the most noticeable features of our legs is the calf muscle. The calf muscle, when toned and built, can actually help give off the appearance of a slimmer thigh.
Whether it’s time to rock skinny jeans or pull out your summer shorts, you need to make sure your calves look as tight as possible. The calves can be fickle foes when trying to get them into shape, as they need high-repetition exercises to push them past the rigors they endure on a daily basis.
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✅ Most Effective Calf Exercises for Women:
1. 🚨 Wide Squat With Calf Raise:
How to do:
- Stand with your feet about three to four feet apart, toes turned out.
- Bring your hands together in front of your chest, and squat down so your thighs are parallel with the floor, knees over the ankles.
- Raise your left heel off the floor, and begin to pulse the hips up and down, isolating the left calf.
- Continue pulsing for 30 seconds, and then switch sides to complete this exercise.
2. 🚨 Calf Raise:
How to do:
- Stand with your feet about three to four feet apart, toes turned out.
- Bring your hands together in front of your chest, and squat down so your thighs are parallel with the floor, knees over the ankles.
- Raise your left heel off the floor, and begin to pulse the hips up and down, isolating the left calf.
- Continue pulsing for 30 seconds, and then switch sides to complete this exercise.
3. 🚨 Single-Leg Touch and Hop:
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How to do:
- Begin standing with your weight on your left foot. Keeping your back long, bend your left knee to touch the floor with your right fingers.
- Swing your right leg and left arm forward to return to standing, hopping once the torso is upright.
- Land with control, then slowly lower your torso, and bend your knee to touch the floor again.
- Do two sets of 10 reps.
4. 🚨 Seated calf raises:
How to do:
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- Sit in a chair with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle, feet flat on the floor.
- Place a dumbbell in each hand (10 pounds or heavier; remember, your calves are strong enough to move your entire body’s weight around all day) and hold one on top of each knee.
- Slowly squeeze your calf muscles as you raise up onto the balls of your feet (avoid bouncing up and down). Pause and slowly lower back down, without resting.
- Repeat 15 or more times.