How to train your calves

The most undertrained muscle on most people's legs

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Anatomy

The calves consist of the gastrocnemius (the large, two-headed muscle that gives the calf its shape, crosses both the knee and ankle) and the soleus (the flatter muscle underneath, crosses only the ankle). The gastrocnemius is more active when the knee is straight; the soleus dominates when the knee is bent, as in a seated calf raise. Together they plantarflex the foot. They propel every step and absorb every landing. They also pump blood back up the leg toward the heart.

How to train it

Calves are notoriously stubborn and appear to benefit from higher frequencies and volumes than most muscles. Training them three to four times per week with two to four sets of 10–20 reps is a reasonable floor. Vary between standing raises (knee straight, gastrocnemius emphasis) and seated raises (knee bent, soleus emphasis). Full range of motion matters enormously: a stretched heel at the bottom, a full contraction at the top. The most common mistake: doing partial reps with the heel barely dropping, which trains only the top of the range and limits muscle development.

Coaching cues

• Pause at the bottom with a full heel stretch
• Rise to a true peak, not just away from the bottom
• Slow the descent. Calves love a long eccentric
• One leg at a time when you need more load

Staple calves exercises

All calves exercises (28)

• Ankle Circles
• Anterior Tibialis-SMR
• Balance Board
• Barbell Seated Calf Raise
• Calf Press
• Calf Press On The Leg Press Machine
• Calf Raise On A Dumbbell
• Calf Raises - With Bands
• Calf Stretch Elbows Against Wall
• Calf Stretch Hands Against Wall
• Calves-SMR
• Donkey Calf Raises
• Dumbbell Seated One-Leg Calf Raise
• Foot-SMR
• Knee Circles
• Peroneals Stretch
• Peroneals-SMR
• Posterior Tibialis Stretch
• Rocking Standing Calf Raise
• Seated Calf Raise
• Seated Calf Stretch
• Smith Machine Calf Raise
• Smith Machine Reverse Calf Raises
• Standing Barbell Calf Raise
• Standing Calf Raises
• Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise
• Standing Gastrocnemius Calf Stretch
• Standing Soleus And Achilles Stretch

Train it with MyoAmigo

MyoAmigo's MyoMap heatmap shows your calves volume against an evidence-based weekly band, so you can see at a glance whether you're under-training it. See also how many sets per muscle per week and the training guides.

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