Features of the calf muscles
The structure of the lower leg muscles is simple. On the visible part lie the two heads of the gastrocnemius muscle, and below them the soleus muscle. It is slightly visible with pronounced muscle development.
The gastrocnemius is responsible for almost all movements in the ankle joint. The main ones are movements of the foot toward and away from you (raising your toes from any starting position).
The calf muscles work a lot in everyday life. They are dominated by slow (red) muscle fibers.
Some studies have shown the presence of up to 90% slow fibers in the gastrocnemius.
If the shins are large and massive from birth, it means they have more fast (white) fibers.
It is known that slow fibers are difficult to hypertrophy (increase in muscle volume). It is also taken into account that the calf muscles are very durable.
All this imposes specifics on their training.
Calf complex in the gym
The key to success in any business is patience and willpower. To achieve better results, classes must be clearly thought out. It is advisable to draw up a competent training plan for the month.
It must be taken into account that muscles quickly adapt to loads. The growth of muscle tissue is possible only with constant progress. Initially, it is better for girls to exercise under the supervision of a fitness trainer.
During training, it is important to follow certain principles:
- ü adhere to the lesson schedule;
- ü keep a food diary;
- ü Strength training should be supplemented with cardio and aerobic exercise.
There are more opportunities to achieve your goal in the gym. You can effectively pump up your calves using special exercise machines.
One complex per shin, can combine up to three options:
- in a sitting position in a design with a horizontal frame;
- standing in the exercise machine;
- bench press
Seated calf raise
It is performed using equipment with a special platform.
Technique:
- Select and install the required weight on the machine.
- Sit on a cushion, rest your toes on the supports.
- Place the bolsters on your knees.
- Hold the levers in your palms.
- Push your legs up using your toes.
- Lower your legs until your heels touch the floor.
Be sure to read: Deadlift: technique of execution, who needs it, how to do it correctly, options
At the bottom point, you need to stretch your ankle as much as possible. Perform 2 sets of 10 times.
Standing Raises
To perform the exercise, a design with support on the shoulder joint is used. This position creates additional stress on the legs, which allows you to better work the calf area.
Correct execution requires:
- Adjust the exercise machine to your figure.
- Position yourself vertically in the structure, so that your toes rest against the lower support, and your shoulders against the upper one.
- The body is straight, hands are held on special tripods.
- The body, resting on its toes, rises up, pushing out the shoulder platform.
- Slow descent, keeping your heels as low as possible towards the floor.
- Number of repetitions – 12, sets – 2.
Toe press
Performed from a lying position in the simulator. For beginners, it is not recommended to immediately start bench presses with heavy weights. Without prior practice and experience, it is easy to get sprained or injured.
How to perform a leg press correctly:
- Sit on the seat in the structure.
- Stretch your legs, rest your toes on the bottom of the platform.
- Press up on the platform with your toes, heels pointing down.
- Push the support to the maximum stretch in the calf area.
- Do 2 sets of 10 times.
The exercise should be performed carefully, without making sudden jerks.
Training program
First, let's look at how to pump up a girl's calves at home. There's nothing complicated about it.
For beginners, 1 exercise in 2-3 approaches, 15-30 repetitions, is suitable. This could be a standing calf raise or a similar movement on one leg.
Start with lower ranges of sets and reps and gradually increase the load.
For the intermediate level , 2 exercises are already used, with the same number of approaches and repetitions.
First, perform a calf raise on one leg (with additional weight), and then “finish off” the muscles with movements on both legs at the same time.
In all exercises, the starting position is with your toes elevated, your heels not touching the floor (in weight). Movement occurs only at the ankle, on straight legs.
The gym has a larger arsenal of exercises.
Option 1:
- Seated calf raises - 3 sets of 20-30 reps
- Standing calf raises in the machine - 2-3 sets of 20-30 repetitions
Option 2:
- Toe press in the machine with each leg alternately - 3 sets of 20-30 repetitions
- Smith machine calf raises - 3 sets of 20-30 reps
Exercises for losing weight in calves at home
Content:
- — A set of exercises for losing weight in calves
- — Pistol squats
- — Jumping rope
- - Standing one-leg calf raise
- — Standing calf raise
- — Calf raises while sitting on a chair
Are you looking for an effective workout program for losing weight on your calves at home? Here! The set of exercises is designed with an emphasis on correcting the shape of the calves. This will help make them more fit and attractive. To achieve the desired effect, follow the prepared training program.
A set of exercises for losing weight in calves for girls and women
Exercises | Sets | Repetitions/Time |
Pistol Squats | 3 | 10 |
Jumping rope | 1 | 5-30 minutes |
Standing single leg calf raise | 4-5 | 15 |
Standing calf raises | 4 | 15-30 |
Calf raises while sitting on a chair | 4 | 12 |
General tips on how to reduce calves on your legs at home:
- Warm up your muscles before training. Warm up your legs for 3-5 minutes.
- At the beginning of exercises and between approaches, it is recommended to stretch the calf muscles. While sitting or lying down, pull your feet towards you with your toes.
- At the end of the workout, self-massage your calves: rub and stretch the muscles, you can use a special massage glove.
Pistol Squats
If you manage to squat 10 times, you will intensively work the muscles of almost your entire body. The advantage of these squats over others is that the exercise requires significant effort. It can replace barbell exercises in the gym. In addition, in the process of its implementation, flexibility and coordination develop. Despite all the advantages, you should be careful with such squats: the load on the knee joints is high.
Execution technique.
- Place your legs slightly bent at shoulder width.
- Squat on one, and bring the other straight forward.
- Return to the original position when your straight leg is parallel to the surface.
- For a full workout, do not forget to repeat the exercise, changing the supporting leg. If necessary, you can grab a fixed object with your hand.
Don't forget about your posture. Perform repetitions with minimal time intervals.
Number of repetitions:
try to do as much as possible.
We recommend reading: Effective exercises with dumbbells at home for men
Jumping rope
The main load is directed to the lower leg muscles. However, a bonus when performing jumps will be training the cardiovascular system and improving the functioning of the respiratory organs. By exercising, you increase your body tone and improve your metabolism!
Execution technique.
- Jump evenly, having previously determined the desired pace for yourself.
- In the starting position, stand on your toes and push off from a flat surface. Jumps should be “soft”.
Number of repetitions:
perform for 5 minutes. Gradually increase the time a little. And later the exercise should take up to 30 minutes.
Standing single leg calf raise
It differs from the previous one in that it allows you to work each calf muscle most intensively.
Execution technique.
Calculate your ideal sports weight!
- Place the toe on a support approximately 7 cm high. The rest of the leg remains without fixation.
- Make it more difficult for yourself: use the dumbbell on the side that corresponds to the leg you are training. For the other hand, find a fixed support.
- Bend your free leg, pressing it towards the other. Inhaling, rise onto your toes so that your muscles tense. Hold this position for a moment.
- Exhaling, return to the starting position. Try to touch your heel to the floor for greater muscle stretch. Stay in this position for as long as you can. Don't forget to do the same for the other leg.
It is important not to bend the leg, because this will take the load off the part being trained. And keep your back straight so as not to fall.
How many:
4-5 times, 15 repetitions on each leg.
Standing calf raises
A universal, basic exercise for training calves. It is relevant for both beginners and professional athletes.
Execution technique.
- Feet shoulder width apart.
- Rise up onto your toes and stay in this position for a few seconds.
- Shift your weight to your foot and then repeat the upward movement.
Use support if necessary. Try to go as high as possible with each repetition to effectively tense the muscles. After the exercise, pay attention to stretching.
How many:
4 times 15-30 repetitions.
Calf raises while sitting on a chair
You can do this exercise even while sitting in the office.
Execution technique.
- Sit on the edge of the chair. If desired, place something on your knees for additional weight.
- Lift your heels off the surface as high as possible. Watch your posture. It should be done slowly.
How many:
4 times 10 repetitions.
There is no misconception that the gym is the only way to get in shape. Some people find it easier to exercise at home. Remember, the best program for you will be the one you do regularly.
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General principles of calf training
The calf muscles are considered “stubborn” and difficult to grow.
Most techniques for stimulating muscle growth do not work for them. In other words, training requires a special approach.
In bodybuilding, there are two opposing schools in this area:
- High rep training regimen
Adherents of this technique claim that the lower leg is an endurance muscle. You can reach it only by doing many sets and repetitions with light weights.
Here the norm is 50-100 repetitions in one approach. Usually 2-3 approaches are performed.
But there are also schemes where they do 5-10 approaches. True, there are fewer repetitions - 20-30 times.
- Low repetition mode
They are convinced that light weights and a lot of repetitions will not make your calves grow, because they experience such loads every day.
To stimulate muscle growth, the calves need the opposite load. Namely, training with weights four times your own body weight!
That is, if you weigh 50 kg, then the working weights in the simulators will be 200 kg! At the same time, the repetition range is lower - 10-12 times per approach.
There is logic in each of these methods and both have the right to life. But still, the “golden” mean is more common.
Training is carried out with average weights and a repetition range of 20-30 times per approach .
For girls, the appropriate frequency of classes is 3 times a week. The calves are hardy and recover quickly.
But you shouldn’t download them more than 3 times a week either. After all, muscles grow during rest between workouts, and too frequent exercise will slow down progress.
Workout #2
Barbell calf raise (plate)
- 5 sets of 15-20 reps
- Body part: Calves Equipment: Barbell
Smith machine heel raises (plate)
- 5 sets of 15-20 reps
- Body part: Calves Equipment: Exercise
Seated calf raise with dumbbells
- 5 sets of 15-20 reps
- Body part: Calves Equipment: Dumbbells
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If you want to lose weight, take your leg training seriously. Lower body exercises always require maximum energy, which means they burn fat more effectively. To complete the look of a slender figure with graceful and toned calves, do this workout.
How long does it take to achieve results?
How long it takes to achieve the desired result depends on the individual characteristics of a particular person.
Usually, in the first months of training, girls’ calves grow quite well. Not quickly, but confidently.
As a rule, in the first month it is possible to increase the volume of the legs by 0.5-1 cm. Then their growth slows down to 3-5 mm per month.
As a result, after 3 months of regular training, girls’ calves increase by an average of 1-1.5 cm. In most cases, this growth is enough for them to create balance in the overall development of their legs.
How to pump up sexy calves? Technique No. 2
Girls can get toned calves by constantly playing sports. Fortunately, there are a huge number of exercises, so every workout will be fun and varied. Now we’ll talk about another effective complex for pumped-up calves in girls:
- Warm up. As we have already said, it should always be there. Here you can do various lunges, swings and bends.
- Main part. The first exercise is performed in 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Starting position: standing, back straight, abdominal muscles and buttocks tense, bar behind head. Next, you need to smoothly rise onto your toes, holding the upper position for a few seconds. Afterwards you need to return to the starting point and repeat the steps 14 more times. The second exercise is known to many, it is called oblique lunges, performed in 3 sets of 20 times on each leg. Starting position: standing, hands on the waist, all muscles of the body tense. Now you need to take a step forward, lower your leg to an angle of 90 degrees, while moving your back leg in the opposite direction. After this, you can return to the starting position. - Hitch. For complete relaxation and healthy legs, this part cannot be skipped; various yoga poses are very suitable here.
What to do if calves don't grow
There are situations when the calf muscles do not want to grow from standard load patterns.
First of all, in such a situation, it is important not to give up your arms (or in this case, your legs) and continue to pump them. Non-standard muscles require non-standard solutions.
Try alternating (lasting a month) high-rep and low-rep load regimens.
Experiment with different training load parameters - training frequency, number of exercises, sets and repetitions, rest period between sets.
Carefully monitor the reaction of the muscles and you will soon find a suitable scheme. It is quite possible that you will develop your own technique that will give results only to you.
Perfect thighs, calves and butt
Unfortunately, it is difficult to work out a certain part of the body in isolation, because in most cases several muscle groups will be involved. Now we will get acquainted with the best complex for beautiful legs:
- Warm up.
- Main part. So, let's start with squats, the exercise is repeated in 3 sets of 15-20 times.
Starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, without arching in the lower back. Now we smoothly sit down to an angle of 90 degrees, spring back, make sure that our knees do not go beyond our toes, and return to the starting position. The next exercise is called plie squats, it must be performed in 3 sets of 20 times. The starting position is the same, only the legs are placed wider. Next, we smoothly sit down to an angle of 90 degrees, making sure that our knees follow our toes. The next exercise is back swings. It is performed in 4 sets of 20 times on each leg. Initial exercise: standing, back straight, hand resting on a wall or chair. Then we sharply move our leg back and hold for a few seconds, returning to the starting position. At the end, you can do lying swings, which are performed in 3 sets of 30 repetitions on each leg. Starting position: lying on one side, body straight, resting on the elbow. We raise the upper leg, spring it a little, and lower it without touching the other limb or the floor. - Hitch.