3 exercises to build up your calves without equipment

How to build up the calves ? This is a question that many bodybuilding enthusiasts ask themselves. Often neglected, the calves nevertheless play an essential role in aesthetics and sports performance. But to develop them, you need to learn how to work them effectively. Discover 3 calf exercises without equipment that will help you make them bigger.

All about calves

Anatomy: the calf muscle

First of all, let's look at theanatomy of the calf.

The calf (or sural triceps) is composed of two muscles:

• the gastrocnemius muscle, inserted above the knee;
• the soleus muscle, inserted below the knee.

To obtain large calvesit is essential to target these two parts.

Exercises performed with the legs extended primarily work the twins, while movements consisting of bending the knees work the soleus.

Why should you build up your calves?

The calf is an important muscle of the lower body. Targeting the calves has several advantages:

• Reduced risk of injury, especially to knees and ankles,
• improvement of the vertical relaxation,
• increase in endurance and speed.

Of course, from an aesthetic point of view, it is also preferable to have a calf muscle proportional to that of the other parts of the body. For a good symmetry, the bodybuilders consider that the calf tour must be identical to that of the biceps.

Calf training and genetics

Many weight trainers consider that the genetic prevents the development of calves. But what is it really?

It's true, genetics has an impact on the appearance of your calves. It has to do with muscle insertions. Naturally, some people have thin calves, while others have muscular calves. On the other hand, it would be simplistic to think that genetics does everything.

If your calves are thin, it may be because you don't work them hard enough in the sports hall. In a leg session of a strength training program, we all prefer to spend time doing thigh squatrather than calf extensions.

You should treat your calves like any other muscle group. Would you be satisfied with just one exercise a week to build up your pecs or biceps?

The 3 best exercises without equipment for the calves

The calf is a particularly tough muscle. To gain volume, you can perform these exercises 3 to 4 times a week, at a rate of 4 sets of 15 repetitions. To achieve your goal, always work in maximum amplitude.

These equipment-free leg exercises can be done at home, outdoors or at the gym.

Standing calf extensions

This exercise is a great classic of workouts for the lower body.

At home, you can replace the usual step with a staircase step or any other support that allows you to be slightly elevated.

From a standing position, place the front of your feet on the support. Then, perform an elevation by standing on your tiptoes to contract the calves. Then, while keeping the stretched legsBring your heels to the floor to stretch the muscle. Alternate up and down phases for about 15 repetitions, with maximum amplitude and a controlled tempo.

Of course, you can lean on a wall to keep your balance. If this exercise body weight is too easy, use dumbbells, a backpack or a water pack to weigh yourself down.

A variation of this calf exercise without equipment is to work unilaterally, with the right leg first, then the left.

The donkey calve raise

Less known, this exercise is nevertheless excellent for solicit twins.

In the starting position, place the front of your feet on a raised support (step, wooden block, etc.), so that your heels are in the air. Lean forward with your torso on a coffee table, piece of furniture or chair.

The rest of the movement is much the same as the calf raises. Rise up on your toes, then lower yourself back down until your heels touch the ground.

For more difficulty, have a partner place a load on your lower back. Or, like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Gold's GymGet one or more people on top of you!

The chair with heel lift

This movement is a derivative of the chairan exercise in cladding for the thighs. Thanks to the flexion of the legs, it aims at target the soleus muscle.

The initial position is the classic chair position, back against a wall with legs bent at 90 degrees. Then, the exercise consists in raising your heels for 2 seconds, in turn.

In addition to the calves, this exercise also promotes the muscle strengthening quadriceps and glutes.

Conclusion

The calf muscles is not only a question of genetics or morphology. Having large calves is also, and above all, the result of long-term work. By incorporating these 3 calf exercises without equipment into your weight training plan, you will progress rapidly.