Other/Mixed Calf Work

[Adam R Mundorf]

Hello Everybody,

The calf is often called the second heart. It seems extremely important. I find that very few people train their calves directly.

Does anyone here directly work their calves using calf raises or other modalities?

Thank you, Adam

 

[offwidth]

Hello Everybody,

The calf is often called the second heart. It seems extremely important. I find that very few people train their calves directly.

Does anyone here directly work their calves using calf raises or other modalities?

Thank you, Adam

If you’ve ever front-pointed on crampons up several thousand feet of steep ice you will realize just how important strong and endurant calves need to be. So yes... I will do extensive calf training prior to leading up to climbing trips of this nature. Calf raises- on blocks - weighted. And GTG calf raises. I also cycle a bit; and that in itself develops calf strength and endurance...

 

[Adam R Mundorf]

If you’ve ever front-pointed on crampons up several thousand feet of steep ice you will realize just how important strong and endurant calves need to be. So yes... I will do extensive calf training prior to leading up to climbing trips of this nature. Calf raises- on blocks - weighted. And GTG calf raises. I also cycle a bit; and that in itself develops calf strength and endurance...

Thank you for the response. The more I read, the more it seems that calves definitely require more attention.

 

[Hung]

This is interesting. The only thing I did solely for my calves is stretching. Standing on high surface and let my body sink down while keep my knee straight. It helps very much with tightness in calf, hamstring, glute and lower back. This is my magic drill.

 

[ShawnM]

Hello Everybody,

The calf is often called the second heart. It seems extremely important. I find that very few people train their calves directly.

Does anyone here directly work their calves using calf raises or other modalities?

Thank you, Adam

I do calf work all day. Pretty much every time I am standing still I’m doing calf raises. Favorite place is the grocery store line, I knock out dozens if not more. I come up high on my toes, come down and rock onto my heals and then back up. I’m sure everyone behind me thinks I’m crazy, it’s cool.

 

[Oscar]

I do calf work all day. Pretty much every time I am standing still I’m doing calf raises. Favorite place is the grocery store line, I knock out dozens if not more. I come up high on my toes, come down and rock onto my heals and then back up. I’m sure everyone behind me thinks I’m crazy, it’s cool.

Great idea!

 

[offwidth]

I do calf work all day. Pretty much every time I am standing still I’m doing calf raises. Favorite place is the grocery store line, I knock out dozens if not more. I come up high on my toes, come down and rock onto my heals and then back up. I’m sure everyone behind me thinks I’m crazy, it’s cool.

Yep... you’re crazy alright.... crazy smart. This is exactly what I do as well. Grocery stores, airports, etc...
It works!

 

[pet']

Hello,

Hello Everybody,

The calf is often called the second heart. It seems extremely important. I find that very few people train their calves directly.

Does anyone here directly work their calves using calf raises or other modalities?

Thank you, Adam

Heavy ruck, especially on hills and rugged terrain

Otherwise, stair climbing with heavy loads, but you use only the toes

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

The calf is often called the second heart.

This statement makes no sense.

Where did is come from and how did anyone ever come up with it?

 

[Whosonfirst]

This statement makes no sense.

Where did is come from and how did anyone ever come up with it?

Maybe one of our MD's on here can comment but I thought it had to do with the calves and lower legs pushing the blood back to the heart. After a heavy-duty surgery, while you are bedridden, they put these air-hydraulic bladders on your calves and they periodically inflate or squeeze the blood back to your upper body. That's what an intensive care nurse told me.

 

[Adam R Mundorf]

This statement makes no sense.

Where did is come from and how did anyone ever come up with it?

It has something to do with how the calf pumps blood back to the heart.

 

[JamesPTA]

Any amount of muscle action is going to help pump blood back to the heart. The importance in regards to the calves or feet, is that they are the greatest distance from the heart than anywhere else and require assistance via the foot pumps. This is highly important in an inpatient setting where a patient is highly immobile, laying in bed all day, and also having some sort of lower extremity surgery, where blood flow is disrupted.

A common exercise given to patients immediately after surgery is repetitive ankle dorsiflexion/plantarflexion to use your natural muscle pumps. The pneumatic foot pumps are used for night time or for individuals with cognitive deficits.

 

[Don Fairbanks]

It has something to do with how the calf pumps blood back to the heart.

I've heard a very similar sentence from a vascular surgeon.

 

[Adam R Mundorf]

I've heard a very similar sentence from a vascular surgeon.

It's definitely made me think more about incorporating some calf raises.

 

[DaveS]

Hello Everybody,

The calf is often called the second heart. It seems extremely important. I find that very few people train their calves directly.

Does anyone here directly work their calves using calf raises or other modalities?

Thank you, Adam

Jump Rope/skipping- especially the variations using one foot at a time, awesome calf work and beyond works feet, ankle and the whole lower leg intensely and adds coordination, rhythm, timing, agility and cardio to boot ?

 

[Don Fairbanks]

Jump Rope/skipping- especially the variations using one foot at a time, awesome calf work and beyond works feet, ankle and the whole lower leg intensely and adds coordination, rhythm, timing, agility and cardio to boot ?

For sure, and along that same line, hill sprints, ala Q&D style, 16 seconds or so a piece.

Make sure your Achilles are ready for these activities.

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

That's what an intensive care nurse told me.

The Nurse

Then you need to ask the nurse what they meant?

Everything else come down to guessing, which is never good

 

[Kenny Croxdale]

Jump Rope/skipping- especially the variations using one foot at a time, awesome calf work

f

Great recommendation...

A slightly better – yet silly looking - way to train your calf muscles

A slightly better – yet silly looking - way to train your calf muscles

The muscles that react the least to strength training are the ones in your calves. Bodybuilders looking for a way to get this stubborn muscle group to grow might find the answer in a study by Michael Mullaney of the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma. Mullaney discovered...

ergo-log.com

Hopping trains the calf muscles a little more intensively...

 

[DaveS]

For sure, and along that same line, hill sprints, ala Q&D style, 16 seconds or so a piece.

Great alternative, I do Q&D hill sprints 1x per week and definitely work the calves great too, something about explosive and plyometric works seems to suit the calves, functionally makes sense in that your up on your toes whenever doing anything explosive in the real world

 

[DaveS]

f

Great recommendation...

A slightly better – yet silly looking - way to train your calf muscles

A slightly better – yet silly looking - way to train your calf muscles

The muscles that react the least to strength training are the ones in your calves. Bodybuilders looking for a way to get this stubborn muscle group to grow might find the answer in a study by Michael Mullaney of the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma. Mullaney discovered...

ergo-log.com

View attachment 11514

Hopping trains the calf muscles a little more intensively...

An interesting study that supports the empirical evidence, nice find Kenny!