One of the most overlooked muscles in the calf muscle. Most of the people do follow a regular workout schedule but neglect calves but giving equal importance to calves can lead to amazing benefits. Most of the people train calf for aesthetic purposes. But calf muscle plays a more important role than just to flaunt.
The calf muscle is often called the pseudo or periphery heart because of its very important function which is to return the blood from leg and foot to the heart. Blood flow from the lower body to the heart has to work against gravity, so the contraction of calf muscle builds up an external pressure that propels the blood through the veins to the heart. This is called the calf muscle pump. Let’s look at our 3 favorite exercises for strengthening your calves –
- Standing DB Calf Raise: The standing dumbbell calf raise is a very effective isolation exercise that targets the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles in your calves. The muscles make up the calves on the lower leg and play a big role in walking, running, and jumping. This exercise can also be performed using a barbell instead of a pair of dumbbells.
- Seated Calf Raise: The Seated Calf raise machine is an excellent workout to target your calf muscles, especially the soleus muscle. You will find the seated calf raise machine in almost any gym you walk into. The machine is effective and it’s very easy to add or subtract the weights.
- Calf Press on the Leg Press: The calf press on the leg press is a fantastic variation on the standing calf raise and is one of our favorite exercises to train the Gastrocnemius muscle. It uses a leg press machine to help work and strengthen your calf muscles. This exercise enables you to go heavy with your weights and activate your fast-twitch muscle fibers