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Norepinephrine: For One Last Rep

Picture yourself cranking out a heavy set of squats, your training partner counting down as rep number 20 of an ...

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Caffeine: Strategic Supplementation for Maximum Benefit

Bodybuilders and other fitness-minded folk are for the most part considered to be a healthy bunch. Well balanced nutrition, regular ...

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Gut Health: Make or Break Your Body Composition… & Your Health!

Did you know that your body is approximately 90% bacteria and only 10% human? From birth to death, our gut ...

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Shopping Guidelines: Seafood

In the last two installments of this series, we laid out and explained concerns and guidelines for buying fruits, vegetables, ...

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The Essentials of Bodypart Specialization: Arm Training

Training arms is so important to the common bodybuilder or fitness enthusiast that there is absolutely no shortage of information ...

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Metabolic Flexibility: What It Is, and How Can You Improve Yours!

The ability to switch between glucose and fats (our two major energy sources) based on the foods we consume and ...

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Bent-Knee Calf Movements


Guidelines for all Bent-Knee Calf movements
(unless specifically stated otherwise)

  • place the ball of the foot in contact with the pad / platform / ground
  • medium stance unless stated otherwise (hips, knees and ankles inline)
  • keep knees stable throughout (when standing, lock out quads and contract the glutes)
  • ensure full ankle flexion and extension (not foot)
  • only come up from the bottom when the tibialis anterior at the front contracts
  • focus on driving the weight through the big toe (not via the outsides of the feet)
  • when you think you’re up all the way, go a little further (max height); aim for a huge peak contraction and really fight for those inches, bring the heels up as high as physically possible.
  •  
    * Consciously think also about pulling the knees / ankles together throughout (inward ‘intent’).

 

Seated Calf Raises

    Exercise Specific:

  • some assistance with the last few reps (pulling with forearms) is acceptable, though use common sense to determine if you’re just being too ambitious with the weight and adjust accordingly next time if so.

 

Squatting Bodyweight Calf Raises

    Exercise Specific:

  • hold onto something for support, then squat down until the bottom position is reached
  • ensure centre of gravity is over the toes
  • remaining in this position throughout, raise up onto the tips of the toes at the top
  • attempt to momentarily touch heels to the ground at the bottom if ankle flexibility allows (with no compromising of form); this may not be possible for some but not others – just work within the range achievable with perfect execution.