Do Calf Raises Work?

Nothing screams “there’s an athlete in the house” like a pair of well-developed, ripped-to-shreds calves. The value of strong calves is often overlooked by mirror-obsessed bodybuilders, but anyone with an interest in functional strength or general fitness will feel themselves lacking if their calves are weak and underdeveloped.

Nobody wants to be the not-so-proud owner of a pair of bird legs. Skinny calves leave you weak and injury-prone, and if your calves are a weak link, you run the risk of an injury that will change your lifestyle dramatically.

Unfortunately for some of us, the relative size of our calves is, to a large extent, genetically determined. Some people have “big” toned calves from day one, whether they are athletic or not. Thankfully, your calves’ appearance doesn’t necessarily correlate with their strength. Strong calves come in all shapes and sizes.

Unless you’re a fashion model or competitive bodybuilder, concentrate on lower leg strength rather than appearance. Get your calves in shape and you’ll be happier, healthier, and more capable.

Two main muscles

Two major muscles are collectively referred to as the calf.

The lump just below the back of the knee is the gastrocnemius, often nicknamed the gastroc. This muscle is used to extend the foot when your leg is straight. Stand up straight and rise up on tip-toe. You will feel your gastroc contracting.

The longer, less-noticeable muscle that runs the length of the lower leg, below and beneath the gastroc, is the soleus. It is the muscle you feel flexing when you extend your foot with your knee bent. Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. When you lift your heel off the floor, you can feel your soleus contracting.

Training the soleus

The soleus gives your lower leg most of its mass. People who appear to have bigger calves generally have large, thick soleus muscles.

The soleus consists primarily of slow-twitch muscle fiber. Because of this characteristic, it is best to train it with high-repetitions – generally in sets of 50 or more. It responds very well to aerobically-fueled exercise such as running and other low-intensity leg toning exercises.

Unfortunately, the soleus is one of the most difficult muscles to train using free-weights. If you want to try, you can perform seated calf raises with a heavy barbell resting on a pad across the top of your thighs. Some well-equipped gyms have soleus machines which simulate this movement, and hack-squat machines can be used in a pinch. But these movements are awkward and probably unnecessary. If you do any running or stair-climbing, you are keeping your soleus in shape and building muscular calves.

Training the gastrocnemius

The gastrocs are somewhat different in makeup from the soleus muscles. Unlike the soleus, gastrocs are made up of mostly fast-twitch muscle fiber. Accordingly, it’s advisable to use low reps and heavy weight when you target the gastrocs.

Standing calf raises with a barbell across the back are the classic calf-building movement. Trainees are often advised to stand on a block to get a full range of motion. I disagree with this technique. It is dangerous and unnecessary to stress the Achilles tendon in this manner. A full stretch under the weight, especially if there is any bouncing or position adjustment, is just asking for trouble. Don’t play ill-advised games with your tendons. Work out in a functional manner and forget the bodybuilding routine.

Training the rest of the lower leg

Of course, there is more to the lower leg than just the two main muscles mentioned earlier.

The tibialis anterior – or shin muscle – runs up the front of the leg and contracts to lift your toes up.

Like the soleus, this is a muscle best worked with high reps. Although it’s almost certainly unnecessary from a fitness standpoint, you may want to rehab an injury or participate in a bodybuilding competition. A set of so-called “tibia raises” is probably the best way to target this muscle. Stand with your upper back pressed against a wall and your heels on the ground a foot or two ahead of your center of gravity. Then, repeatedly raise your toes off the floor as far as you can. You’ll soon feel the burn in the front of your lower legs. Be careful not to stub a toe after your set – your ability to lift your toes up while walking will become impaired after an exhausting set of tibia raises.

Bodybuilding or strength training

Is all this targeted calf training necessary?

Unless skinny guys who want to bulk up have a definite weakness in the area, I do not think direct calf training is necessary or even desirable. Training the lower leg will inevitably take energy that could be better spent on squats or deadlifts. It will also probably affect your performance in those more important compound exercises.

Bodybuilders train their calves religiously (or, at least they should…), but they are sculpting the appearance of a strong, fit body rather than engaging in pure strength training. While most of them are undoubtedly strong and fit, the techniques they use are suited for their purpose, not for bulking up. Large 220+ pound bodybuilders did not get their massive muscles solely by doing calf raises and other isolation exercises. They paid their dues in the squat cage just like weight lifters and strength trainers. If you are bulking up, don’t put an unwarranted emphasis on calf training.

Final thoughts about calf training

Calf strength and fitness is important. However, if you are trying to bulk up and add muscle mass, you would do well to concentrate on compound movements. If you can’t stand the thought of letting your calves take care of themselves for a bit, add a calf raise to the end of some of your squat reps.

Most people find it nearly impossible to add significant mass to their gastrocs unless and until they bulk up the rest of their body. Pro bodybuilders don’t concentrate on calf development until the majority of their bulking is complete. Many people have found that working the calves is an exercise in futility until they begin to add slabs of muscle to other parts of their bodies. Remember that your body is not a collection of unrelated parts; you need full-body exercise to get the best results.

Whatever you do, take care of your Achilles tendon. There is no good reason to try to increase the range of motion in your ankle unless you are experiencing flexibility problems during everyday activities. Exaggerating your range of motion by using weight to stretch your tendon is dangerous and ill-advised.

Nobody ever failed to push their car out of a snow bank or prevent a defensive end from sacking their quarterback because their calves were not strong enough. If you eat well and train your legs with compound exercises including the Olympic lifts, your calves will grow. Think carefully about whether you really need direct calf training at this stage of your exercise program.

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