How to Strengthen Your Calf Muscles? Try These Killer Exercises [Top 10]

Get Killer Calves With These Simple Exercises!

If you have stiff ankles/calves and mobility issues, it’s high time you incorporate calf muscle exercises.

For most people, leg days are all about hamstrings, glutes, and quads. Calf muscle exercises are often overlooked in the entire strength training.

Nevertheless, if you want powerful and attractive-looking legs, ignoring good calf muscle exercises could be a mistake.

If you’re also making this blunder, make sure you add some best calf muscle exercises to your routine.

But first, know what are calf muscles and where it is located.

What are Calf Muscles?

Calf muscles include two superficial muscles namely: Gastrocnemius and Soleus.

These are located on the back of your lower leg.

The gastrocnemius is derived from the Latin word gaster means belly and knḗmē means leg. So basically, calf muscles are the belly of your leg because of how well-developed the muscles are.

It’s the bigger part of the muscle and has an inner and outer head. Moreover, this muscle is vital for major movements like sprinting and changing directions.

The soleus, on the other hand, is the smaller part of the calf muscles. It lies behind the gastrocnemius.

Notably, many people aren’t aware of why are calf muscles important.

Calf muscles, particularly strong calf muscles are crucial in maintaining ankle strength and mobility. Calf strength is also beneficial in preventing future and improving existing injuries.

So, how to make your calf muscles stronger?

The best way to build strong calves is to add some best calf muscle exercises to your workout routine.

On that note, let’s see calf exercises for beginners as well as pros.

10 Best Calf Muscle Exercises to Build Stronger Calves

If you are an athlete, a bodybuilder, or simply a workout enthusiast, stronger calves can enhance your performance. It can boost your speed and also strengthen your balance.

There are a lot of exercises for calf muscles that you can do with and without equipment. These exercises strengthen both Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles.

Here are the 10 best moves to target such muscles.

Top 5 Calf Muscle Exercises Without Equipment

Best calf muscle exercises with equipment are:

 #1. Agility Ladder Drill

The agility ladder drill is a perfect way to start athletic and even non-athletic training. It’s an excellent way to target the entire body including your cardiovascular system.

Notably, the Agility ladder drill strengthens your ligaments, tendons, and joints.

How To Do Agility Ladder Drill:

• Stand on any end of the ladder and start moving sideways. Put your leading foot in the closet box of the ladder.
•  Next, put the rear foot behind the side box.
•  As you move, keep switching your legs and maintain the movement of your hips.
• Try fast yet controlled motions with your feet.
•  As you reach the end, start moving back to the starting position.

#2. Cycling

Cycling is among the most effective inner calf muscle exercises. Notably, cross-fit and cardiovascular exercises like cycling target your glutes, thighs, and hamstrings as well.

Whether you do it outside or inside, toned calf muscles are the result of cycling.

Hence, if you are looking for calf and thigh muscle exercises stick to cycling.

How to do Cycling

• Be seated on your bike.
• Adjust the seat in a way that when you lean forward, you’re able to maintain a flat back.
• Now as you start peddling, make sure you engage your core to use your abdominals and back for better support.
• Start with the highest gear to warm up your muscles.
• After a few minutes, change the gear and use the resistance to make a contraction and tension in your calves.

#3. Jump Rope

Jump rope or skipping is mainly known as a cardiovascular exercise. Jumping rope engages your calves continuously. Hence, it also has tremendous benefits when it comes to building stronger calves.

Interestingly, skipping creates an eccentric load on calves. This as a result increases muscle endurance which is great for athletes. If you want to do calf muscle exercises at home, jump rope is a perfect fit.

How to Jump Rope

• Hold the handle of the skipping rope in each hand with the center of the rope falling behind you.
• Now rotate the wrist so the rope swings and falls right Infront of you.
• As the rope reaches your feet, jump over and land softly.
• Keep repeating this for only as long as you can.

#4. Single-Leg Heel-Raise

Single leg heel raise is great to improve the strength as well as the control of the ankles. It makes to the eccentric calf muscle exercises for Achilles tendinopathy. 

Moreover, improving the lower limb strength also increases the better control of the pelvis and hip area.

Notably, a single heel leg raise is great for runners to avoid any future injury.

How to do Single Leg Heel-Raise:

• Stand barefoot on the balls of your feet and make sure the heels are hanging out of the step.
• You can use the wall or doorway to maintain balance.
• Lift one leg above the ground and get to the single-leg heel-raise position.
• You can improvise the range of motion gradually to increase the intensity.
• Try to do at least 10 single-leg heel-raise with varied motions.

#5. Jump Squats

Jump squats are among the most effective and easy-to-do calf muscle exercises at home.

Not only does it build calf muscles but it also strengthens the ankle.

Notably, if you are a beginner at calf muscle exercises, it’s recommended to use your body weight. After mastering the bodyweight jump squats, you can add weights to increase the resistance.

How to do Jump Squats

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Go down to the squat position
• Now push through the front portion of your feet and jump as high as you can.
• Now carefully land on your feet.
• Keep doing it for only as long as you can.

These were some of the calf muscle exercises without equipment. Each of these exercises delivers great benefits to both beginners and pros.

Moving on, if you are already into workouts or are an athlete, you can do calf muscle exercises with dumbbells and other equipment.

Top 5 Calf Muscle Exercises with Equipment

There is a limited range of motion when it comes to training your calf muscles. Hence, adding weights can add resistance and augment the process of calf strengthening.

Here are some of the best calf muscle exercises to do with equipment.

#1. Leg Press Calf Raise

If you’re a gym-goer, you have options to expand the range of motions to make calf muscles powerful.

The leg press machine is among those options. Leg press machine intact your upper body position. As a result, you don’t lose your balance.

How to do Leg Press Calf Raise:

• Sit on a leg press machine with your feet on the plates shoulder-width apart.
• Use your feet to push the plate away from your body. As you do so, make sure your knees are not locked.
• Now, push your toes to a tip-toed position and hold them for a few seconds. After this, slowly lower back to flat feet.
• Repeat this 10-20 times and do at least 2 sets.

#2. Standing Dumbbell/Barbell Calf Raise

These calf muscle exercises particularly target your Gastrocnemius muscles. This form of exercise improves the vertical jump as well as balance as you try to build calf muscles.

Notably, using the barbell or dumbbell raises the pressure on the ankle and calves and helps strengthen them.

How to do Standing Dumbbell/Barbell Calf Raise:

• With your toes pointing forward, stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Carefully put the barbell on your upper back.
• By pressing the balls of the feet, lift your heel as high as you can.
• Now squeeze your calf muscles and pause for a moment.
• Get back to the starting position and repeat as much as you can.

 #3. Seated Band Pushes

It’s an excellent strained calf muscle exercise. Providing added resistance, it helps build great endurance in your calf muscles.

If you want powerful and attractive calf muscles with minimal effort, try this exercise for desired results.

How to do seated Band Pushes:

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
• Tie one end of the band around the balls of your feet.
• Hold the other end of the band and pull it towards yourself.
• As you pull the band, flex your calves and point your toes away from your body.
• Hold the position for a moment and then bring back the feet to a natural position.

#4. Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise

Seated dumbbell calf raise is for those looking for how to build calf muscles for skinny legs. 

It shifts the target to the Soleus muscles.

Notably, because of the external pressure on the thighs, it makes it to the list of calf and thigh muscle exercises. 

How to do seated Dumbbell Calf Raise:

• Sit on a bench with your feet lying flat on the floor. Make sure your knees are bent at 90 degrees.
• Next, hold the dumbbells on the top of your knees.
• Now use the balls of the feet to raise the heels.
• Hold it for a moment and then relax your heels back.
• Repeat it for 60 seconds and try to do 3 reps.

#5. Lateral Lunge to Curtsy

It’s an overall exercise for your calf muscles.

To clarify, doing a lateral lunge to curtsy increases strength, smoothens mobility, builds the calf muscles, and also improves grip and balance.

Notably, the lateral movements target both inner and outer calf muscles. Additionally, you can do it even without weights.

How to do Lateral Lunge to curtsy:

• Hold a plate or dumbbell and stand straight.
• Step your right foot out to your left side and as you do so, hinge your back and come to the lunge position.
• Now push and get back to a standing position.
• Immediately bring this right leg to the curtsy position behind your lunge.
• Alternate the legs and do 2 sets of 5 reps with each leg.

These were some of the best exercises for calf muscles.

If trying to build toned and strong calf muscles, you can try these exercises.

Moreover, since, calf muscles are not either known or performed by many, it’s obvious to have queries.

Keeping this in mind, we have come up with a set of the most frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the FAQs to help you know more about how to build calf muscles.

#1. Is it ok to train calves every day?

It is recommended to stretch your calves every day. However, when it comes to training your calves, it’s better to go slow. Start with 2-3 calf muscle exercises per week.

#2. Does walking make calve bigger?

The normal everyday walk will not have much effect on your calves. If you want bigger calves, you need to start calf muscle training.

#3. Can you actually grow your calves?

Yes. However, for that, you need to incorporate calf muscle exercises that specifically target that muscle.

#4. How long does it take to strengthen calf muscles?

It depends on you train your muscles. The type of exercise and the amount of time you give to train your calf muscles decides how long it takes to showcase the results.

#5. Can calf muscles cause knee pain?

Tight calf muscles may cause tight tendons and ligaments leading to pain in the knees.

#6. What to do when calf muscles are sore?

You can try stretching and pulled calf muscle exercises to treat sore calf muscles. Apart from this, you can also try cold ice compress.

#7. How do stop calf muscles from getting bigger?

To stop calf muscles from getting bigger, try to stay active as much as possible. You can also try HIIT and cardio exercises. Also, don’t skip stretching your calf muscles.

#8. Why do calf muscles hurt after running? 

Calf pain after running is happening because of the strain and tear in the muscles. After every stride, the calf muscles absorb the shock of body weight on landing. To get rid of it, you can try torn calf muscle exercises. 

Toned calves make your legs appear stronger and more attractive. Make sure next time you do a leg day; you work on your calves.

Final Words

Working on calf muscles with a varied range of motions can give you quick results.

If you are a beginner, try bodyweight calf muscle exercises first. However, if you are a gym-goer, you can add weight or include machines to enhance your calf muscles.

If you have managed to reach the end of this blog, you are now completely aware of some of the best exercises for calf muscles.

Implementing these exercises will give results similar to calf implants. Don’t get surprised when given a compliment.

Try these calf muscle exercises and do let us know about the improvements in the comment section below.

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