The calf muscles are the basis of our sports. When we watch football matches, we often find that football players have to withdraw from the game due to injuries to the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the calf. This shows the importance of these two muscles. We must also exercise the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles every day. So how do you think you can train your soleus and gastrocnemius muscles? Let’s go take a look below!

The soleus muscle cannot be trained alone, mainly because it interacts with the surrounding muscles. The gastrocnemius muscles are linked, so they can only be trained together. If your exercise intensity is intense, just ordinary running, the training effect may not be very good, and equipment is needed to achieve the enhanced effect.

Donkey calf raise

Action description: Choose a reasonable weight and then enter the equipment, leaning forward at an angle of 90°-135°. Place your toes on the edge of the pedal and let your heels hang in the air. At this time, your heels should be as low as possible below your toes to get the maximum stretch length. Adjust your body position to apply resistance to your pelvis. (Remember not to affect the spine and waist). Exhale, activate your calf muscles, and use your toes to push the weight as high as possible. Feel the peak contraction at the very top, hold for 1-2 seconds, inhale and slowly return to the starting position along the original path.

Tips: Your legs should not be fully straightened, especially when starting to stretch your calf muscles.

Standing Heel Raise

Action instructions: Choose a suitable weight and enter the equipment, place your toes on the edge of the pedal, and let your heels hang in the air. The heel should be as low as possible below the toes for maximum stretch. Exhale, use your calf muscles to actively exert force, and use your toes to push the weight as high as possible. Feel the peak contraction at the very top, hold for 1-2 seconds, inhale and slowly return to the starting position along the original path.

Tips: The head should be kept straight, or you can look up slightly, but avoid looking at the ground, and your legs should not be too straight. This will prevent your body from rocking back and forth as much as possible while bending down. It is best to keep your feet straight at all times, so that the strength of the calf muscles is maximized and the exercise effect is best. Of course we can do exercises that change the distance between the feet, or do unilateral exercises.

Sitting calf raise

Action instructions: Adjust the reasonable weight, enter the equipment, place the toes on the edge of the pedal, let the heels hang in the air, and clamp the knees under the shelf, exhale and actively exert force on the calf muscles, using the power of the toes Push the weight as high as possible. Feel the peak contraction at the very top, hold for 1-2 seconds, inhale and slowly return to the starting position along the original path.

Tips: In order to lift the toes higher, at the end of the exercise, you can use the toes from big to small to exert force a second time to maximize the degree of movement.