It's the first Monday of the month and time for another diary on a muscle and how to best develop it and make it support your body and others muscle groups. At the end of the diary, I will provide links for the other diaries in this series which began last fall. For those that have never pronounced the technical name for your main calf muscle, you can hear it pronounced at Forvo.
Please join me below for a complete look at the calf muscle and the simple yet very important function that it performs in your body every day.
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June 7
Mon PM - WHEE Open
June 8
Tue AM - WHEE Open
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June 9
Wed AM - WHEE Open
Wed PM - Dar Nirron
June 10
Thurs - WHEE Open
Thurs - WHEE Open
June 11
Fri AM - WHEE Open
Fri PM - Wee Mama
June 12
Sat AM - WHEE Open
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June 14
Mon AM - NC Dem
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Insertion and Origin
Both the soleus and the gastrocnemius insert together at the Achilles tendon. As most of you know, the area directly below the calf on the rear of the leg is a mass of fragile tendons and myofascial. On the upper end the gastrocnemius connects to the femur (upper thigh bone) at the medial and lateral condyle. Please note that the soleus doesn't originate as high. It's origin is the lower leg bones. One portion begins at the fibula and the other at the tibula.
Function?
Both the gastrocnemius and the soleus are responsible for plantar flexion which is the extension of the ankle that results in the forefoot (think toes) moving away from the body. Seems simple and compared to the complex functions of other muscles, it is. Muscles on the front of the lower leg are responsible for pulling your toes back toward your body or knees.
Fast twitch versus slow twitch
Probably in no other muscle group is the evidence of muscle fiber differences as obvious as it is between the soleus and gastrocnemius. The soleus which lies beneath the larger gastrocnemius is largely slow twitch fibers. If you stand on your feet constantly as a salesperson or a cashier, your soleus is consistently in play. Just maintaining your balance as you stand places demands on the soleus. As I have discussed before, we know that human genetics determines a large part of whether you have predominately type I (slow twitch) or type II (fast twitch) fibers. However, in the calf muscles, the differences are not as pronounced. For almost everyone, the gastrocnemius is 60-80% type II fibers and the soleus is 80-90% type I fibers. The difference from genetics is the abundance of type II fibers can vary considerably.
What life function demands more developed calf muscles?
We think first of runners and sprinters. Add to that list, ballet dancers, hikers, bikers, high jumpers, and basketball players. The list could go on and on. When someone jumps off the floor/ground... you flex your ankle. Many people think that the ability to jump higher and quicker comes mainly from strong calf muscles. Actually, this is not true. Most of the action and strength comes from the hams, quads, glutes, and the core ab muscles. But the effective training of the gastrocnemius muscles gives you that last push as you skyward for that rebound or to clear the high jump bar.
Exercises?
The most common exercise for strengthening the calf muscles is the standing calf raises. It can be performed at home, in the office, or in a gym. It doesn't take extra weight or a machine to perform it well. Standing calf raises challenge both the soleus and the gastocnemius. If you perform seated calf raises, it mainly works the soleus muscle. If you visit a gym, you seldom see someone working their calf muscles. Most people who study exercising know that most full body exercises also work the calf muscles. Squats, deadlifts, and lunges are the three main ones for promoting strong development in the calf's.
Standing Calf Raise
The video shows the exercise on a small step that is only 2-3" high. Many people will use steps or another form of platform. Just be safe. If you use one arm to support yourself, just don't use it to help lift.
Once you can do three sets of 20 using only body weight, you might want to grab a dumbbell in the hand in the side of the leg that you are working. If you are working both legs at the same time either use two dumbbells, a barbell, or rotate the weight as needed based upon the strength of each calf. We may think that our muscles develop equally but they don't. Be aware of this and develop your exercise program to better equalize the strength in both sides of the body.
One Last Video
For me one of the best strengthening drills for the calf muscles is also great cardio. After over three years of playing with rope and wearing out 4-5, I have finally gotten to a point that I can jump for 5 minutes without stopping. Normally, I have to stop at about 3-4 minutes because my HR rises pretty quickly to 170 bpm. This model in this video is in great shape. Just being able to talk and jump at the same time becomes very labored for me after one minute. The double tap skip that he shows in this video is great for the calf's. Just make sure to drink plenty of water and stretch for a few extra minutes otherwise you will be jumping out of bed tonight with muscle spasms in the gastrocnemius. I hate those.
Thanks for reading!
Triceps
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Glutes
Pecs
External Obliques
Lats
Traps
Quads