Muscles of the Lower Leg: Build More Defined, Stronger Calf Muscles
The muscles of the lower leg or “calf” are important to incorporate in exercise routines. They help to prevent ankle injuries, improve balance and stability, and provide support to the knee joint during movements requiring you to stop, slow down, or change directions quickly.
The calf is primarily made up of three muscles: gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior. Each muscle can be isolated and engaged based on foot placement and knee flexion or extension.
Gastrocnemius
This is the back portion of your lower leg that you can see and palpably feel.
This muscle can be targeted by straight-leg exercises like standing calf raises or doing calf raises on a leg press machine.
*To protect your knee joints during straight-leg exercises don’t lock your knees out, rather make sure to maintain a very slight bend in the knees.
Soleus
This muscle lays under your gastrocnemius and is attached to your Achilles’ tendon. This muscle can be targeted by bent knee exercises like seated calf raises.
The bonus with growing the soleus is that as it grows it pushes the gastrocnemius outward. This gives the illusion that the gastrocnemius is bigger and more developed when in reality it’s the soleus that is pushing it out against the skin.
Tibialis Anterior (TA)
This is the muscle that sits laterally, or outside, the tibia or shin bone. This muscle can be targeted by increasing the ankle joint’s Range of Motion (ROM), by doing Toe Raises, or by putting your feet in a ‘pigeon toe’ position during calf exercises.
You can increase the ROM by adding height to the floor or platform during the exercise. Toe raises are the exact opposite of heel/calf raises, you just lift your toes up rather than your heels. A ‘pigeon toe’ position is turning the toes slightly inward.
Leg exercises are not calf exercises
Remember that doing leg exercises does not necessarily mean you’re targeting your calf muscles as they’re being used secondary to the primary muscles of the upper leg.
Meaning, they’re more supportive rather than carrying the workload. Easily incorporate calf exercises into workouts by doing them between other sets; use it as an “active rest” period.
To increase the difficulty of any of these exercises you can manipulate the ROM by adding height, change foot placement (turn toes inward, outward, or face forward), add weight, or add pauses at the top of the rep.
Isolated calf exercises are vital for their individual development and are beneficial to all ages, abilities, and goals.