Like the site? Sign up for the FREE newsletter. I'll send a new article once or twice a month. Unsubscribe
anytime.

Email Address
Name

1. Seated Calf Raises

Starting Position:

• Begin by placing the desired weight on the appropriate racks.

• Sit and make sure the thigh pad is firmly placed and set.

• Grip handles and sit up tall.

• Be sure only first 1/4th of your front foot is on foot platform.

• Press up slightly with your toes and unlatching lever with weight.


Upward Phase:

• Plantar flex at the ankle so that you press off with your toes and your
  heel is raised away from platform.

• Be sure thighs stay in straight line and don’t assist by swaying.

• Don’t pull up with your hand grips.

• Movement is complete once you cannot plantar flex any more (as high
  as you can go).


Downward phase:

• Slowly lower the weight down in a controlled manner.

• Lower until heels go down as far as they can.

• This will most likely be below the starting position.

• Motion is complete once heels are slightly below starting point or you
  cannot lower anymore.

• When finished be sure to latch lever back before attempting to get out
  of seat.


Tips:

• Be sure not to bounce at the bottom as it is very tempting.

• Going down as far as you can is important to getting a full range of
  motion.

• Most people will have tight calfs and going down may feel like a
  stretch.

• Recommended that each rep go down slightly more to avoid cramps or
  injury if calfs really tight.

























2. Standing Calf Raises

Starting Position:

• Begin by finding a surface at least 2-3 inches off the ground for full
  range of motion.

• If balance is an issue, make sure you have a grip or support in front of
  you.

• Step at edge of platform with only 1/4th of the front of your foot
  actually on platform.

• Your heels should be resting and hanging down off platform.


Upward Phase:

• Drive your toes into the platform until you reach as high as you are
  able.

• Make sure to keep an upright posture and don’t lean forward,
  backwards, or to the side.

• Be sure to keep legs and feet straight throughout movement. Don’t
  point toes out or in.


Downward Phase:

• Slowly lower your body in a straight fashion until you cannot lower any
  further.

• Be sure not to lean forward or backward.


Tips:

• Try exercise without any upper body support for a balancing challenge!
  This will work out more stabilizer muscles as well.

• Try a wide and narrow stances on the platform to work the more outer
  head of the gastrocnemius (Calf) muscle and inner head respectively.

• If balancing is an issue try to lock your eyes into focus on an object in
  the room while performing the exercise.



























3. Dorsiflexor Exercise

Starting Position:

• Can be done on a platform or without.

• Stand upright with only 1/4th back part of foot (heels) on platform if
  using one.

• If standing simply lift toes off ground slightly into dorsiflexion (toes in
  air).


Upward Phase:

• Raise toes into air as high as you can while keeping heels planed in
  the ground.

• Be sure not to lose your balance and keep support nearby.


Downward Phase:

• Slowly lower your toes back down to the ground.

• Do not allow foot to slap down as this may cause injury.


Tips:

• Most people neglect to exercise your dorsiflexor (Extensors) muscles of
  the lower leg. If you start to cramp or get tight muscles, stop exercise.

• I recommend adding 3 sets of 10 onto your normal workouts to build
  yourself up.

• Try adding weight over your toes if you feel your body weight becomes
  to easy.


A video that demonstrates a seated form of dorsiflexion (you can do this slowly while standing)

























4. Calf Raises with Smith Machine

Starting Phase:

• Begin by placing a platform so that it lines up with the barbell on the
  smith machine.

• You can also do this exercise without a platform but is more efficient
  to use a platform.

• Begin by placing toes on platform while most of your foot hangs off the
  back end of the platform.

• Make sure barbell is at about shoulder level.

• Adjust the barbell behind your neck and resting over your shoulders.

• Bend at the knees so that your body is upright and under the barbell.

• Keep head forward or up if you prefer.

• Unlatch the barbell so that you are bearing the weight.


Upward Phase:

• Press up with your toes until your knees become straight.

• Keep your knees in this position throughout the exercise.

• Plantar flex until you cannot rise anymore.

• Be sure to maintain upright posture, shoulders back, chest out, and
  upright head.

• Abdominals should be contracted throughout for stability.


Downward Phase:

• Slowly lower down as your heels descend closer to the ground.

• Go down until you cannot descend any further.

• Make sure not to lean forward, keep your body upright.

• Knees should still be straight if performing more repetitions.

• If finished be sure to latch the weight carefully and lowering slowly
  until you cannot feel the weight bearing down on your shoulders
  anymore.

• Failure to make sure weight is latched prior to exiting will lead to
  injury.

























5. Calf Press with Leg Press Machine

Note: Many leg press machines will allow for the user to work the calf muscles depending on the foot platform angle and height

Starting Position:

• Begin by sitting in the appropriate position on the leg press machine
  (this varies).

• Next place feet with only the first 1/4th the foot (toe end) lies on the
  bottom of the platform.

• Make sure the platform is set further away so when you press there is
  no need to press a far distance.

• This is because your legs will be straight throughout exercise.

• Grip handles located at sides of the machine.

• Feet should be approximately shoulder width apart or close, and legs
  straight.

• Press up on platform enough to allow for unlatching of lever to allow
  weight bearing.


Upward Phase:

• Press toes into platform until you cannot go any further.

• Be sure to keep back flat on padding, do not bend at waist.

• Pause and contract at top of movement.


Downward Phase:

• Slowly lower the weight until your heels cannot lower any further.

• Knees should remain straight.

• Keep legs straight until desired repetitions are complete.

• When ready to let weight down slightly bend at knees until platform
  lowers to same level as when it was unlatched.

• Be sure to latch the weight correctly and slowly pull away from
  platform to make sure weight is no longer bearing on your legs!


Tips:

• You may want to keep a “safety peg” in the machine just in case if the
  weight falls for any reason it won’t crash onto your body.

• Note that is some cases it won’t even be necessary to unlatch or latch
  the platform because your straight legs will be longer the platform to
  your body.

• Try to widen the stance of your legs to stress the outer and inner parts
  of your calf's.

























6. Posterior Tibialis Band Raises

Note: You will need a band for this exercise

Starting Position:

• Tie band so that there is a small loop at the end (foot will go through)
• Next place loop over front of foot to be exercised.

• Band should be small enough as to not roll off the foot but not as tight
  to cut off circulation to your foot.

• Step on about halfway the length of the band with the no exercising
  leg.

• Cross exercising leg so ankle is directly over the non-exercising legs
  knee area.

• Non-exercising leg should be at 90 degrees while pinning down part of
  the band to the ground.

• Crossed over foot (exercising foot) with band should be hanging off the
  lateral side of leg not being used.


Upward Phase:

• Begin by laterally flexing the exercising foot upwards so that your toes
  point toward the ceiling and in towards your body at the same time.

• Your foot should make the shape of the letter “C”.

• You should feel this behind your medial ankle bone of the exercising
  foot after a few repetitions.

• Movement is complete once your big toes cannot point any further up.


Downward Phase:

• Slowly lower back to the starting position.

• Do not allow foot to snap back.

• When finished switch the loop to the other foot and repeat exercise
  with that leg.


Tips:

• This is where your posterior tibialis lies and is often untrained in
  people.

• There are different colored bands that signify the strength of the band,
  and thus the resistance. Try different colors to find a resistance for you.

• This exercise should be done with moderately higher repetitions (>8).

• If you have flat feet this exercise can strengthen your arches!