If you aren't showing your calves some love come leg day [1], you may want to think twice — these muscles bring more to the table than you probably realise.
"The calf works seamlessly in conjunction with the entire body to walk, run, and jump," Michelle Pualani Houston, a NASM-certified personal trainer, says — and that includes the ankle [2] joints that mobilize the foot and toes and the knee to flex or bend.
Did you know that the calves are actually made of two muscles: the gastrocnemius and the soleus? Houston explains that each muscle functions differently while working cohesively, which is why stretching and strengthening are equally important during a workout [3].
"To prevent calf injuries, it's best to take a multidimensional approach to your training or exercise protocol," Houston says.
"Incorporate varied types of movement in different environments to avoid overtraining and to prepare the body for more dynamic ranges of movement that sometimes catch you off guard."
Another important takeaway from Houston is that calves are only as effective and strong as their supporting muscle groups. That's why her calf workout incorporates the quads, hamstrings [4], and glutes to boost stability, strength, and mobility.
Houston suggests resting for 10-15 seconds between sets, but feel free to take more breaks when needed.
Warmup
Since stretching is equally as important as strengthening, Houston recommends warming up by walking, lateral stepping, and performing walking high knees with your toes pointed down for five minutes.
Follow that with a dynamic calf stretch at a wall: "Your hands will meet the wall at about shoulder height with one foot in front of the other, both heels planted, and your toes pointing forward. From there, find motion in the hips (forward and back or side to side) and take some bends in the knees."