Hey guys its JP and today we are going go over how to train the Calf Muscles at Home!
I have talked about these muscles in more detail and how they relate to running; however,
based on the current situation, I wanted to give some insight on how to target these muscles
at home where there is basically no equipment available.
First, lets briefly go over why you should strengthen these muscles. The reason you should
continue to work on them at home is because they are significantly involved in running.
Based on some research, they actually contribute the MOST to pushing off the ground, so you
can move farther forward with each step!
Now, when training the the calves, you must realize that there are multiple muscles involved
in the calf muscle complex, specifically the gastrocnemius and the soleus! This is important
to understand as you can better target either muscle based on how you position yourself.
For example, both are activated as you perform heel raises, but typically, the more bent
the knee is, the more you bias the soleus. Knowing this knowledge is key because the
SOLEUS muscle can be commonly neglected in a training program. This is can be a missed
opportunity as research has shown this specific muscle can produce 6-8x your BODYWEIGHT!
Now, lets go over some exercises that target the calf muscle complex! Remember that it
is important to really try to challenge these muscles to better prepare them for running,
so incorporating weighted objects may help load these muscles as well as some other methods
which I will also go over. Another thing to note is that for strengthening I typically
work toward targetting the desired muscle group with 2-3 exercises for 4-5 sets of 3-5
repetitions an intensity of 80%1RM or 7/10 on the RPE scale. While you may not be able
to reach these kinds of values at home, simply loading them as much as you can at this time
will help you maintain the gains you have made through your training previously.
Now, the first exercise I will go over is the Single Leg Bridge Heel Raise. Im starting
with this one as this is a fun way to engage the calf, more specifically the soleus since
the knee is in a bent position, as well as the Lumbopelvic-hip complex. As I mentioned
in a previous video, addressing lumbopelvic-hip control can be very beneficial for runners.
Now, to do this one, you will start in a single leg bridge position. Common cues I use for
the positioning are to keep the glutes engaged, try to keep each side of the pelvis level
with each other, and keep the thighs in line with each other. While maintaining this position,
push down from the big toe and pretend like you are lifting the entire lower body up.
One way to tell if you are doing this right is if the pelvis is moving up and down respectively
with the heel raises. Now, to further challenge yourself at home where weights may not be
readily available, you can simply change the tempo by increasing the speed coming up on
the heels and slowing down the speed as you lower down.
The second exercise you can incorporate at home is Heel Raises. This is a great and popular
way to begin to work on these muscles. To position yourself for this one, you simply
keep your trunk upright, then drive down from the big toe, then maintain control as you
lower to the ground. Now to challenge yourself more at home with this exercise, you can hold
weighted objects on each side... similar to what is seen here. You can change tempo as
I noted earlier by increasing the speed coming up and slowing down the speed as the heels
lower. You can also increase the difficulty by placing the balls of your feet at the edge
of a step or a 1-2 inch surface like a book. Using an elevated surface will increase ankle
mobility demands, which will further challenge the muscles. Remember that you can also keep
the knee a little bent if you want to bias the soleus muscle more when you do any variation
of the heel raise.
The next exercise I will go over is the Supported Single Leg Heel Raise. This one was inspired
by another incredible physical therapist, Chris Johnson. I like this variation because
it further increases strength demands without the balance aspect from a single leg position.
It also requires minimal equipment, which is perfect for performing at home. The difference
with this one is that you would put the support foot on an elevated surface, such as a step
or a stack of books. Remember, that you should not lean on this foot and should only really
be used for balance. If you want to make sure you are not relying on that foot too much,
you can place a ball under the foot as shown. This can also serve as a great cue for this
exercise because when you are performing the heel raise you should focus on coming straight
up as you lift the heels. If you find the ball rolling forward instead, you may be leaning
forward, which decreases the demands placed on the calf. Anyway similar to the last exercise,
you can make this more challenging by holding weighted objects, or change the tempo when
you raise and lower the heel.
The next variation we will go over is the Single Leg Heel Raise. Compared to the previous
exercise, this involves increased strength and coordination demands. To do this one,
keep your trunk upright and push down from the big toe as you raise up, then slowly lower
the heel. And you can continue to repeat it. Just remember that this one requires increased
balance and coordination demands so you may need to use a hand for support on the wall
or stable surface as you begin to perform it. As I have mentioned before, you can make
this more challenging by holding weighted objects, change the tempo by increasing speed
when the heel raises and slowing it down when the heel lowers, as well as placing the ball
of the foot on the edge of a 1-2 inch surface.
The last exercise I will go over here is the Elevated Bent Knee Heel Raise. I wanted to
show you guys this advanced variation that biases the soleus. This can be tough and pretty
dermanding without using any external resistance like weighted objects. I've already mentioned
how to do the heel raise, so I wont go over it again, but I will go over the common compensations
I see when performing this specific variation. Now, when you do want to bias the soleus you
want to keep the knee bent, but you want to also keep it stiff in this position. This
is because if you dont, you may end up compensating by lifting up from the heels but not actually
raising up the body. By doing so, this actually minimizes loading of the calf muscle and compromise
the benefits you would get from the activity.
And those are a few ways to train the calf muscles at home! I hope you guys found this
helpful based on the current situation. Also, I hope you guys continue to be safe and healthy.
And as always, THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!