20 Calf Exercises That'll Tone Your Lower Legs And Improve Your Performance
Bonus: You can do all the moves at home.
If you aren’t showing your calves some major love during your weekly workouts, it’s time to re-evaluate. I understand if your lower body go-to’s include torching your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, but your calves also deserve some undivided strength training attention.
Here's why: First and foremost, you'll improve your overall athletic performance because strong calves are essential for any type of training and/or endurance, says Michael Hamlin, CSCS, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and the founder of Everflex Fitness. Strong calf muscles also help to stabilize the ankle joint, reducing the risk of ankle sprains and other lower leg injuries. “The calf muscles play a key role in supporting the body's weight and balance, which helps to improve overall mobility and reduce the risk of falls,” he adds.
Still, a lot of people struggle with under-developed calf muscles. You may not even be aware of it. “Weak calf muscles can be caused by a number of factors, including genetics, injury, or a sedentary lifestyle,” explains Hamlin.
Meet the expert: Michael Hamlin, CSCS, is a certified strength and conditioning specialist and the founder of Everflex Fitness. Angela Gargano, CPT, is a four-time American Ninja Warrior competitor, certified personal trainer, and coach focused on strength training and pullup progression.
Main Calf Muscles To Know
Enter: the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The gastrocnemius runs from behind your knee to about halfway down the back of your lower leg, where it connects to your Achilles tendon and attaches to your heel. Beneath your gastrocnemius and Achilles is the second calf muscle, the soleus, which runs from the outer side of the back of your knee down to your heel.
With a little consistency, you can build strength and increase your calf size. “It's important to focus on exercises that target the calf muscles directly," Hamlin says. Create a killer calf workout (or calf-focused finisher for your next leg workout) with the top trainer recommended calf exercises for a more balanced lower body.
Time: 15 minutes | Equipment: Dumbbells or kettlebells, box or chair | Good for: calves
Instructions: Choose three moves below. Perform 15 reps of each, then rest for 30 seconds and continue onto the next. Once you've completed all three exercises, repeat twice more for a total of three rounds.
Angela Gargano is a NASM-certified personal trainer and instructor at Performix House in New York City.
Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill. She’s a mass consumer of social media and cares about women’s rights, holistic wellness, and non-stigmatizing reproductive care. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she has a love for all things fitness and is currently obsessed with Peloton Tread workouts and hot yoga.
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