6 Calf Exercises to Add to Your Workout Routine

Calf exercises can help tone and strengthen your calf muscles, located at the back of your lower leg, just below the knee. There are two connected muscles in the calf: the gastrocnemius and soleus. Connective tissue from the calf muscle merges with the Achilles tendon, which attaches to your heel. Your calf muscles help you move forward when walking, running, or jumping, support your lower body, and carry your entire body weight.

Adding calf exercises to your weekly gym or home workout routine can help increase your speed and endurance and prevent common injuries to the lower leg, including ankle sprain, plantar fasciitis, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, and shin splints. Calf workouts can also help strengthen leg muscles following those injuries.

Here are some tips to consider while working to grow your calf muscles:

1. 1. Add calf exercises to your workout: Adding two calf exercises per week to your workout regimen can produce results. Try one set of six to twelve repetitions with heavy weights to train your gastrocnemius, then a second set of twenty-five to forty reps with lighter weights for your soleus. Keep your knees straight for the first set and bend them slightly for the second.
2. 2. Start with a stretch: Stretch first if you feel tight before calf training. Stand up straight with the balls of your feet on the floor, bending your knees. Squeeze your calf muscles and lift your heels off the floor. Hold the position for twenty to thirty seconds, and repeat five times.
3. 3. Try the pointe technique: Ballerinas have strong calves because they have to stand on the tips of their toes—or en pointe—for extended periods during practices and performances. Stand near a wall or flat surface that you can use for support and see how long you can stand on your tip-toes. Discontinue the exercise immediately if you feel any pain or discomfort in your lower body.
4. 4. Go shoeless: Removing your shoes before performing calf exercises at home has a couple of potential benefits. Going shoeless can help increase your range of motion, and you’ll gain extra stability by adding slight pressure to your calf muscles.
   
5. 5. Seize the moment: Take a moment during your daily routine at home or work to perform a quick calf stretch, like a calf raise. These basic stretches are easy one-minute exercises that you can perform during downtime at work.

There are many calf-training workouts from which you can choose. Here are some of the best calf exercises:

1. 1. Calf raises: The calf raise, or standing calf raise, strengthens the muscle group in your calves and boosts ankle stability. To attempt a calf raise, stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Push into the balls of your feet and stand on your tip-toes. Return to a standing position and then repeat the movement. You can add kettlebells or dumbbells to standing calf raises for an extra challenge.
2. 2. Donkey calf raises: Donkey calf raises will grow your calves and activate your hamstrings more than standing calf raises. To try a donkey calf raise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and hinge your hips to bend your upper body forward. Activate your calf muscles by pushing into the balls of your feet and then standing on your tiptoes. Lower your heels and return to a standing position.
3. 3. Farmer’s walk: The farmer’s walk, or farmer’s carry, is a strength-training exercise that gives you a full-body workout. The exercise targets the leg muscles and lower body, including the quadriceps (quads), gluteus muscles (glutes), lower back muscles, and calves. To start the farmer’s walk, place dumbbells on the floor on either side of your body. Bending your knees and hips, use your upper body to reach down and bring up the dumbbells in deadlifts. Stand tall, with shoulders back and core tight, and then walk forward at least ten steps. Lower the dumbbells, rest, and then repeat.
4. 4. Jump rope: Jump rope is a great cardio exercise that also builds strong calf muscles. When jumping rope, try landing on the balls of your feet and lowering your heels to the ground before your next jump. Learn more about jump rope workouts.
5. 5. Seated calf raise: For this variation on the single-leg calf raise, sit tall in a chair or on a bench with your feet hip-width apart. Position your heels behind your knees, lift them in plantar flexion (point them towards your calves) and raise yourself off the seat. Hold the position for a few seconds and then return to the starting position. Hold a dumbbell on each knee or use a leg press machine for an added challenge.
6. 6. Single-leg calf raise: For improved balance and greater plantar flexion strength, try the single-leg calf raise. Hold a barbell in your right hand and step onto an elevated surface or calf block (an exercise prop for calf workouts) with your right foot. Steady yourself with your left hand, cross your left ankle behind your right leg, and lower your right foot toward the floor without touching it. Lift your right heel high, squeeze your calf muscle, return to the starting position, and switch legs.

If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program. Still, you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to recover from your workouts adequately. Rest for twenty-four to forty-eight hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.

Throw on some athleisure, fire up a MasterClass Annual Membership, and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and GQ fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time.