STANDING CALF RAISES
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the overall mass of the calves.
EXECUTION:(1) Stand with your toes on the block of a standing Calf Raise machine, your heels extended out into space. Hook your shoulders under the pads and straighten your legs, lifting the weight clear of the support. Lower your heels as far as possible toward the floor, keeping your knees slightly bent throughout the movement in order to work the lower area of the calves as well as the upper, and feeling the calf muscles stretch to the maximum. I like a block that is high enough so that I get a full stretch when I lower my heels.
(2) From the bottom of the movement, come up on your toes as far as possible. The weight should be heavy enough to exercise the calves, but not so heavy that you cannot come all the way up for most of your repetitions.When you are too tired to do complete repetitions, finish off the set with a series of partial movements to increase the intensity of the exercise.
Here's what happened one time when I couldn't load up enough weight on the Standing Calf Raise, though I wouldn't recommend it for you.
The normal position, with toes straight ahead, is best for overall calf development.
CALF RAISES ON LEG PRESS MACHINE
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE: To develop the calves.
EXECUTION:(1) Using one of the various types of Leg Press machines (I prefer the Vertical Leg Press for Calf Raises), position yourself as if to do a Leg Press, but push against the foot pads only with your toes, leaving your heels unsupported. Straighten your legs and press the weight up until your knees are almost locked out. With your knees just slightly bent, keep your heels pressed upward but let your toes come back toward you, feeling the fullest possible stretch in the calf muscles.
(2) When you can't stretch any farther, press the weight upward with your toes as far as you possibly can to fully contract your calf muscles.You can't cheat at all when you do Calf Raises on a machine. Lying with your back braced against the pad, you can totally isolate the calves to give them a really intense workout. Make sure the safety bars are in place in case your toes slip.
SEATED CALF RAISES
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the lower and outer areas of the calves.
EXECUTION:(1) Sit on the machine and place your toes on the bottom crosspiece, hooking your knees under the crossbar. Slowly lower your heels as far toward the ground as possible,
(2) then press back up on your toes until your calves are fully contracted. Try not to rock back and forth too much, but keep the calves working with a steady, rhythmic motion.
DONKEY CALF RAISES
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the thickness of the back of the calves.Donkey Calf Raises are one of my favorite exercises, and really make your calves look huge when viewed from the side.
EXECUTION:(1) Place your toes on a block, bend forward from the waist, and lean on a bench or a table for support or use a Donkey Calf machine.Your toes should be directly below your hips. Have a training partner add resistance by seating himself across your hips, as far back as possible to keep pressure off the lower back.
(2) With your toes pointed straight ahead, lower your heels as far as possible, then come back up on your toes until your calves are fully contracted.If you try to cheat on this movement you end up bouncing your training partner around, so have him call this to your attention if it happens.
You can use a variation of the Stripping Method doing Donkey Calf Raises. I would frequently start with as many as three men on my back. As I got tired, I would do a few sets with just two guys, then finish off with just one. Talk about getting a burn.
ONE-LEG CALF RAISES
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To isolate each set of calf muscles. Doing Calf Raises one leg at a time is essential when one calf is larger than the other and you need to bring up the size of the smaller one.
EXECUTION:(1) Stand with the toes of one leg on a block and the other leg suspended in midair behind you. Lower your heel as far as you can.
(2) then come back up on your toes. Finish your set, then repeat with the other leg. If one of your calves is smaller or weaker than the other, give it some extra sets to help achieve the necessary symmetry. One-Leg Calf Raises can also be done on a Leg Press machine
REVERSE CALF RAISES
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the front of the lower leg. Many bodybuilders with good calves forget about developing the muscles at the front of the lower leg, primarily the tibialis anterior, which separates the inside calf from the outside calf and makes the leg seem much bigger.
EXECUTION:(1) Stand with your heels on a block, lower your toes as far as you can.
(2) then lift them up, feeling the muscles at the front of the lower leg contract as fully as possible. Do about 20 or 30 repetitions with your own body weight. As a variation, you can hook your toes under a light weight to provide extra resistance.
by Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the overall mass of the calves.
EXECUTION:(1) Stand with your toes on the block of a standing Calf Raise machine, your heels extended out into space. Hook your shoulders under the pads and straighten your legs, lifting the weight clear of the support. Lower your heels as far as possible toward the floor, keeping your knees slightly bent throughout the movement in order to work the lower area of the calves as well as the upper, and feeling the calf muscles stretch to the maximum. I like a block that is high enough so that I get a full stretch when I lower my heels.
(2) From the bottom of the movement, come up on your toes as far as possible. The weight should be heavy enough to exercise the calves, but not so heavy that you cannot come all the way up for most of your repetitions.When you are too tired to do complete repetitions, finish off the set with a series of partial movements to increase the intensity of the exercise.
The normal position, with toes straight ahead, is best for overall calf development.
CALF RAISES ON LEG PRESS MACHINE
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE: To develop the calves.
EXECUTION:(1) Using one of the various types of Leg Press machines (I prefer the Vertical Leg Press for Calf Raises), position yourself as if to do a Leg Press, but push against the foot pads only with your toes, leaving your heels unsupported. Straighten your legs and press the weight up until your knees are almost locked out. With your knees just slightly bent, keep your heels pressed upward but let your toes come back toward you, feeling the fullest possible stretch in the calf muscles.
(2) When you can't stretch any farther, press the weight upward with your toes as far as you possibly can to fully contract your calf muscles.You can't cheat at all when you do Calf Raises on a machine. Lying with your back braced against the pad, you can totally isolate the calves to give them a really intense workout. Make sure the safety bars are in place in case your toes slip.
SEATED CALF RAISES
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the lower and outer areas of the calves.
EXECUTION:(1) Sit on the machine and place your toes on the bottom crosspiece, hooking your knees under the crossbar. Slowly lower your heels as far toward the ground as possible,
(2) then press back up on your toes until your calves are fully contracted. Try not to rock back and forth too much, but keep the calves working with a steady, rhythmic motion.
DONKEY CALF RAISES
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the thickness of the back of the calves.Donkey Calf Raises are one of my favorite exercises, and really make your calves look huge when viewed from the side.
EXECUTION:(1) Place your toes on a block, bend forward from the waist, and lean on a bench or a table for support or use a Donkey Calf machine.Your toes should be directly below your hips. Have a training partner add resistance by seating himself across your hips, as far back as possible to keep pressure off the lower back.
(2) With your toes pointed straight ahead, lower your heels as far as possible, then come back up on your toes until your calves are fully contracted.If you try to cheat on this movement you end up bouncing your training partner around, so have him call this to your attention if it happens.
You can use a variation of the Stripping Method doing Donkey Calf Raises. I would frequently start with as many as three men on my back. As I got tired, I would do a few sets with just two guys, then finish off with just one. Talk about getting a burn.
ONE-LEG CALF RAISES
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To isolate each set of calf muscles. Doing Calf Raises one leg at a time is essential when one calf is larger than the other and you need to bring up the size of the smaller one.
EXECUTION:(1) Stand with the toes of one leg on a block and the other leg suspended in midair behind you. Lower your heel as far as you can.
(2) then come back up on your toes. Finish your set, then repeat with the other leg. If one of your calves is smaller or weaker than the other, give it some extra sets to help achieve the necessary symmetry. One-Leg Calf Raises can also be done on a Leg Press machine
REVERSE CALF RAISES
PURPOSE OF EXERCISE:To develop the front of the lower leg. Many bodybuilders with good calves forget about developing the muscles at the front of the lower leg, primarily the tibialis anterior, which separates the inside calf from the outside calf and makes the leg seem much bigger.
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EXECUTION:(1) Stand with your heels on a block, lower your toes as far as you can.
(2) then lift them up, feeling the muscles at the front of the lower leg contract as fully as possible. Do about 20 or 30 repetitions with your own body weight. As a variation, you can hook your toes under a light weight to provide extra resistance.
by Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding
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