To develop beautiful massive calf muscles, you need to include standing calf raises in your training plan. They will surely give the calves extra volume and spectacular shape. The "hard-core" exercise must be performed with the correct technique to avoid possible injury. Standing Calf Raises are a basic exercise that focuses on the calf muscles and slightly engages the soleus. That is, the exercise is aimed at working out the "driest" muscles of the body, which are difficult to train.
When performing calf raises with a barbell, there is no clear fixation of the body, as in similar exercises in simulators. Therefore, in addition to increasing the strength of the calf muscles and strengthening the ankle, the athlete also trains the coordination of the whole body.
Technique and nuances of performing the exercise lifting toes while standing with a barbell
The photo shows how to do this in the simulator. In terms of correct technique, barbell calf raises are quite difficult to perform. It will not be possible to completely concentrate only on working muscles, because you need to stay in balance all the time.
It is most convenient and safer to perform the exercise in a special rack designed for squats. However, all simulators, even the newest and most fashionable ones, can only be polished, but not replaced in any way by the native barbells and dumbbells. So here is the sequence of how to do this exercise with the weight correctly:
- Remove the barbell from the racks in the same way as when squatting. Balance it in the starting position - on the shoulders or on the chest.
- Exhale and, with the effort of your lower leg, raise your heels as high as possible. Hold this position for a couple of seconds to create maximum tension in your calves.
- Inhale and lower your body down, touching the floor with your heels. Holding your breath is necessary to keep your back straight.
- Perform the exercise slowly without jerking for the required number of repetitions.
To get the most out of the exercise, place your socks on an elevation of about 5 cm (on pancakes or a board). This will increase the working amplitude and the muscles of the lower leg stretch more - the lower the heel is lowered, the greater the effect will be achieved. To increase the load and diversify the exercise, calf raises can be performed alternately on each leg. At the lowest point, when changing the direction of movement, it is impossible to spring, especially with large weights, so as not to "earn" an injury to the Achilles tendon or calf muscles.
To distribute the same load between all four heads of the quadriceps, the feet should be parallel to each other. If desired, you can vary the turn of the socks and, thus, load different areas (bundles) of the calf muscles. If the socks are turned to the sides, and the heels are brought together, then the main load will fall on the outer part of the calf muscles, if the socks are inward - the inner part.
In order for the effectiveness of the technique to "not lame", it is necessary to seriously approach the selection of the total weight of the bar (bar and pancakes). Throughout the whole set, the back must be kept straight with a slight deflection in the lower back. In case of back problems, it is advisable to abandon this exercise and start pumping calves when lifting toes in a seated simulator.
In short breaks between sets, it is effective to walk on toes to increase the impact on the muscles of the lower leg. Thus, the "difficult muscles" will not get a drop of rest and the accentuated continuous impact will stimulate them to grow.
Standing calf raises are recommended to be done in combination with the sitting calf raises in the simulator at the end of the general training complex. Calves are not a press or a back, they do not require a set of muscle mass and "drying" so lifts can be done regularly at least all year round.
Video about the technique of performing standing calf raises in a special simulator and tips:
